Aquaman Superhero Surprise 'A True Gift' For Marshfield Boy Fighting Cancer
MARSHFIELD (CBS) - Seven-year-old Danny Sheehan loves 'Aquaman.' If there was any doubt just how much, that was all put to bed recently when he was gifted the action figure.
"Oh my God! My favorite one! I LOVE AQUAMAN!" Danny shouted when he opened the present during a recent family photo shoot.
A lot of people love Danny too, especially in Marshfield where he's considered a real-life superhero.
Danny is taking on a courageous battle with cancer. In January of 2017, he was diagnosed with Pineoblastoma, a very rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, and Leptomeningeal disease, cancer in the cerebral spinal fluid.
"It was a hard, hard, diagnosis. But he's been amazing through it all," said Danny's mom, Natalie Sheehan. "We've been in consistent treatment without any form of break, of more than a week, since January 2017. Chemo multiple times, radiation, surgery, stem cell transplant, the list goes on and on."
Danny's parents have since made the decision to make every day count. They share Danny's journey on Facebook. It's a cathartic process for them and a way to help other families dealing with cancer.
Their community has also stepped up to help make the best memories. Last summer, Danny was sworn-in as an honorary Marshfield Police Officer. On November 1, the town's Board of Selectmen declared the first week of the month "Danny Week." The proclamation "urges all citizens to observe this week by emulating the spirit and attitude of Officer Sheehan in their daily lives."
Then last week, local photographer Corey Taylor gifted the family a holiday photoshoot. When mom, dad and Danny showed up, they didn't expect Taylor to surprise Danny with presents. They also didn't expect the moment, which was captured on camera, to go viral.
As of this writing, the tally stands at 43,000 views on Facebook, and continues to climb.
"When Danny had that reaction to Aquaman I think myself and my husband were just shocked because it was so guttural and pure. It was so great to have Danny's spirit captured so succinctly, it was just a true gift," Natalie said.
"Every day has to count. Every day is special because there's going to come a day when he's not going to be here with us. I want to be able to look back and know that, not only did he impact our lives, but he impacted the lives of others."