Louisville boy raises more than $30,000 for hospital after beating cancer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A five-year-old helped donate more than $30,000 to the hospital that helped him win his cancer fight. The Esposito family said they wanted to find a way to turn a personal tragedy into a positive situation for others, and they did that with the help of their pint-sized superhero, Drew.

Drew was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in December of 2018. He’s gone through three rounds of high-dose chemotherapy and two bone marrow transplants, but his parents and team at Norton Children’s Cancer Institute never watched Drew become a victim.

Instead, he transformed into a superhero who proudly wore his cape on Thursday to pass on some of his powers to other patients.

Drew and his family raised money for the children’s cancer hospital, which included selling six bottles of Willett Bourbon to raise more than $30,000 for young patients.

“[We] enjoy every day we feel so blessed to be where we are today,” Sondra Esposito, Drew’s mom, said. “[It] makes me a little teary thinking about it. Where we were a year ago to where we are today is just a huge blessing.”

Drew has been in the spotlight before. His nerf gun super-moves went viral alongside his favorite nurse at Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, Taylor Bergman. She’s known to the family for taking extra steps to make ‘Super Drew’ smile.

“I do the weirdest stuff to make patients smile,” Bergman said. “Sometimes you have to break that wall. One of the first times I took care of Drew, I told him that his feet really smelled bad, and as a typical boy he thought it was hilarious and he wanted me to smell his feet every shift.”

Super Drew spent about 150 days in the hospital before the disease was no longer detected in his body, and he was released in August.

With a ‘D’ on his chest and a little finesse, it was learned on Thursday that Super Drew’s secret power is simply being brave.

The operation to keep helping other patients hasn’t ended for the Esposito family. To donate to their cause to raise money for children with cancer, click here.

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