Kids Fighting Cancer Hope Diddy Joins In Their Anthem Rework Of 'Bad Boy For Life'
LARCHMONT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - A viral video staring young cancer patients is warming the hearts of thousands across the country, but those who made it say their mission isn't done until they get a famous rapper to watch it.
The group kids know all about determination, which is why they're stopping at nothing until they get Diddy's attention, reports CBSN New York's John Dias.
The adorable video was posted to social media less than a month ago and already has been seen by nearly half a million people.
It stars dozens of pediatric cancer patients and their families, including people from in Westchester County.
The video was created by the non-profit "Fighting All Monsters" which supports families with children battling cancer or any medically fragile illness.
It has already caught the attention of rapper Snoop Dogg, but the kids are trying to get noticed by Sean Combs, a native New Yorker who grew up in Mount Vernon and has gone by such names as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy and just Diddy.
They say because his song "Bad Boy For Life" is their unofficial anthem since the lyrics go "We ain't going nowhere" - basically telling cancer, they're here to stay.
Four-year-old Cassidy Kline knows all the words to the song. In January of last year, the Larchmont preschooler and her family received heartbreaking news -- Cassidy has cancer.
"It's a rare form of cancer. It's called Rhabdomyosarcoma," Cassidy's mom, Janine Kline, said. "It was a soft tissue tumor that grew on her left arm ... It spread to her lymph nodes and her left chest wall cavity."
The family was, understandably, in shock.
"It's devastating, it's surreal. As a parent of a small child, it's not something you really even imagine," Cassidy's dad, Shawn Kline, said.
Fortunately for Cassidy, doctors say chemotherapy is working. She's now in remission.
"Early on, we had no idea. We had no idea what the future held," Shawn Kline said.
But so many families still fall under this feeling of unknown. According to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, 43 children per day are expected to be diagnosed with cancer.
"Only 4% of government funding is allocating for pediatric cancers specifically," said Emily Hein of Fighting Against Monsters. "In spreading awareness comes fundraising, and more funding but also people don't understand if they're not involved.
"If they don't have family members affected by childhood cancer, they are not aware as what goes on in daily lives," she said.
CBSN New York was told hundreds of kids submitted clips, but the group could only take a certain amount.
For more about the kids and their video efforts, check out JoinOurFam.org.