CHESAPEAKE, Va.— Christmas came early for a 10-year-old boy in Chesapeake battling cancer.
At just 7 years old, Omar Houmita was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Undergoing much chemotherapy, his diagnosis has been very hard on his family.
"He's missed out on a lot of opportunities, and a lot of things no 10-year-old should ever have to miss out on," said Sarah Ayyad, his sister. "Being a caregiver is difficult. There's really hard days that come along with it, but I think his presence in my life I'm very thankful for."
Thankful not only for the family but the community, as well. On Saturday, there was a surprise Christmas parade on Hopewell Drive. There was no shortage of festive fun to support the young boy during his time of need.
The Wes Strong Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to support local families fighting childhood cancer, helped organize this parade, and even recruited help from first responders and community members.
"We were supposed to go to Disney World and celebrate Christmas with Mickey. Omar loves Mickey and Minnie mouse," Omar's sister said. "Unfortunately, he's too ill to travel right now, he has developed pancreatitis which is a side effect of the chemotherapy he's taking. So this really was his Christmas parade. He hasn't been able to leave the house much."
The parade included decorated cars and even four-legged friends that braved the cold to spread love.
"Anytime there is an opportunity for us to come out and show support for another family that has children, your heart just goes out to them when they're going through things that are tough," said Brittany Gynan, said a mom who knows Omar's family.
As the parade unfolded, the joy on Omar's face said it all.
