Reese and family with his new Publix car. | Facebook/Rooting for Reese
Reese and family with his new Publix car. | Facebook/Rooting for Reese
A 3-year-old leukemia patient from Buford was recently gifted his very own Publix car.
Reese Hayhurst was diagnosed with PH-positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in December 2020 and is being treated at the Aflac Center and Blood Disorder Center of Children’s HealthCare of Atlanta, as reported by FOX5.
FOX5 reports that because Reese's chemotherapy treatment has weakened his immune system, he hasn’t been able to get out much other than to the local Publix.
‘‘His favorite place in the world right now is behind the steering wheel of the Publix shopping cart,’’ the Rooting for Reese Facebook page said.
Publix company associate Lacey White drove up from Florida to surprise Reese with his very own cart.
"It meant so much to us," Reese's mom, Amanda Hayhurst, told FOX5. "So much of what we walk through is hard and heavy and scary, so keeping his spirits up and him just having fun and our family having fun has been really important."
Although Hayhurst describes the experience of Reese's diagnosis to be "excruciating," she says faith has helped carry her family.
"God has really carried us through it and He's surrounded us with a great community," she said.
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