Two families have been brought together by something terrifying, but they are now happily on the other side.
Mack Porter is a 3-year-old who was diagnosed with stage 3 anaplastic large cell lymphoma in January 2021. While getting treatments at Phoenix Children's Hospital, he met 3-year-old Payson Altice. Payson was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in September 2020.
The two preschoolers became fast friends during the most difficult time in their young lives. Now both are in better places and able to keep that friendship going.
Mack Porter knew there was one thing he wanted to do after finishing cancer treatments. He wanted to see his friend, Payson.
"Every morning, his first question was, 'When can I play with Payson?'" mom Dani Porter told Today Parents.
Payson was a friend Mack made at "the doctor house" while getting treatment for anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Payson was being treated for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Dani remembered seeing Payson in the halls and thinking she could be a friend for Mack. "I just knew Mack would like her," she said.
Dani asked Payson's mom, Traci Barrett, if they could all take a walk together. "The playroom and the family room were closed because of COVID," Dani noted.
For Traci and Payson, it was truly a prayer answered.
"Payson was so isolated. It was so hard to meet people because of the pandemic," Traci recalled.
"She was asking for new toys every five minutes. And then Mack came along."
The kids got along great, bonding over their love of Peppa Pig. Mack taught Payson how to dance. Payson introduced Mack to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was a beautiful and refreshingly normal friendship, given the children's situation.
"Traci and I were both teary watching them just be kids," Dani said.
"As soon as Mack got up from his nap he was like, 'I need to find Payson and bring her a present.'"
As luck would have it, the families live only 30 minutes away from each other in Arizona. That made it easier for them to pick the friendship back up when both kids learned they were in remission.
"It's just a really special relationship," Dani said.
"It's indescribable, Traci added.
Today, the kids have fun meeting up to go swimming. When they're not together, they're sending each other funny videos. It's a friendship that's sure to last a lifetime, and both moms are grateful for it.
