Boy wins shopping spree at Toys ‘R’ Us
Seven-year-old Nathan Gibbons, based in St. John’s, will get a chance to make some happy memories outside the hospital in September.
He’s one of eight Canadian children being given a threeminute shopping spree at Toys ‘R’ Us through the 3-Minute Dash program, organized by the Starlight Children’s Foundation with donations from Toys ‘R’ Us.
Nathan was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was five years old, a news release from the Starlight Foundation stated. He has since had several brain surgeries, two rounds of chemotherapy and 33 radiation treatments.
After getting clear scans for a year and a half, Nathan and his family learned in June that he has two new tumours on his brain. He underwent backto-back surgeries in Halifax to remove the growths, and is now going through radiation treatments.
“Throughout it all, Nathan has kept a smile on his face and joy in his heart,” the Starlight Children’s Foundation says. “With his love of swimming, playing mini golf and Legos, along with video games like Minecraft and Halo, Nathan has found ways to escape his diagnosis through distractive entertainment.” Nathan and his family will get three minutes on Sept. 19 to fill shopping carts with all the free toys they can at Toys ‘R’ Us on Kenmount Road. Families in Ottawa, Montreal, Langley, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Winnipeg will also get a shopping spree. They were all chosen randomly as part of a contest.