It was a big day for a little boy from Courtright, Ont. who got some superhero support to mark a milestone in his three-year cancer battle.
Flanked by his favourite superhero, Iron Man, real-life champion Carter Robbins rang the gong at the London Regional Cancer Program after his final radiation treatment.
The seven-year-old is a fighter - his adversary - a brain tumour.
Dr. Glenn Bauman, a radiation oncologist, says "Among childhood cancers, brain tumours are relatively common, but in terms of a cancer problem, childhood cancers are fairly rare."
It's been a long journey for Carter, who was diagnosed at the age of four with a stage three Anaplastic Ependymoma brain tumour.
He's gone through five surgeries, a round of chemotherapy and 33 rounds of radiation. Throughout it all, he has shown superhero courage.
Mom Jeannette Robbins says "He gets a finger poke instead of the arm poke for his blood work and Iron Man, in the one movie, pokes his finger to test his levels, so Carter says ‘It's just like Iron Man.’"
Hospital staff dubbed Carter their little Iron Man – and his radiation mask even bears the likeness of the superhero.
Radiation therapist Kelly Ackerman says "He's been amazing. He is so easy going and he's so cooperative. He always came with a smile on his face and he made our job super easy."
The superhero surprise was the idea of hospital staff.
Jeanette says it worked out perfectly, "He just kept giggling, he was smiling and he was so happy he kept laughing. It was great."
Carter's battle with cancer has had its setbacks. After two years cancer-free he had a recurrence. But after this latest successful round of treatment he's ready to be just a kid again and head home.
