At 14 years old, he only had 8 months to live. An unlikely friendship saved him

Diagnosed with stage IV cancer, with a prognosis of just eight months to live, a teenager went against fate — thanks to an extraordinary friendship.

Footwork Dylan Mwaniki On the football field he is impressive, but falls short of the extraordinary feat he achieved: counter death.

In 2022, at the age of 14, he was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer. The doctors he was given just eight months to live.

Today, however, Dylan is alive — thanks to the doctor Mary Austinwho did much more than treat his cancer: became your friend.

“We arranged to have lunch together, he met my children, and the relationship naturally evolved into a friendship,” Austin told . “She’s my accomplice,” Dylan said. “I call her my second mother.”

“She decided to go and find out about him, like a mother would,” said Paul Mwaniki, Dylan’s father. “At all times”, reinforced her mother, Lucy.

During 52 weeks of chemotherapy, Austin Esteve by Dyla’s siden, especially in darkest dayswhen there were serious doubts that he would live long enough to even complete secondary education.

“She cheered him up a lot“, said Lucy. “I said to him: I promise you that if you continue this treatment and manage to live, I’m going to your graduation ceremony“.

“That strategy of telling him I’m going to your ceremony of finalists changed everything. He decided he wanted to keep fighting”, says Paul. Dylan confirms: “For her to make promises like that and give me some hope helped a lot improving my state of mind.”

Today, Dylan is cancer free and is a high school senior. Except Austin now works at Seattle Children’s Hospital, about 1,500 miles away. Getting to the graduation ceremony in May would be difficult.

But “She never made a promise she didn’t keep” said Lucy. “And we will forever be grateful for that,” said Paul. Dylan’s parents kept Austin visiting in secret until the day of the ceremony. And on that special day for Dylan, Austin flew across the country to be there.

Although little was said in that moment between Austin and Dylan, the strength of the hug and the duration of that reunion showed how much it meant to Dylan.

In the end, It was literally what he had lived for. In fact, Dylan’s parents believe this human connection played an important role in saving their son. A proof that You don’t always have to be a doctor to cure.

“Be kind. Be kind. Be kind“, says only Lucy.