3-year-old boy diagnosed with rare cancer gets playground wish

The wish of a backyard playground came true for a three-year-old cancer patient on Tuesday afternoon.

By sixmonths, ShawnDubeof Quispamsishad developed a tumour in his abdomen and was diagnosed with Stage 3 neuroblastoma.

Shawn and hisparents couldn't be happier with thenew play structure.

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"My son used to be tied up in a hospital room most of the time," said SaraDube, Shawn's mother."But now he's getting theopportunityto play outside and be free, sothis is a really special day for us."

The toddlerclamberedin and around volunteers from the Saint John Marina as they built a double-decker play structure for him, ducking in and out of the unbuilt pieces.

"He was diagnosed at six months old," said his father, Jake Dube. "But he hasbeen getting better ever since."

"He's always got a smile on his face and is jumping around," said Jake Dube. "And when we told him he was getting his wish, his surprise, his jawjustdropped."

The gift of playground equipment, landscaping, and volunteers was done through the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, a charity that grants wishes to children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.

"He's been through so much," said Kelly Hare, regional director of the Children's WishFoundation inNew Brunswick. "So now he gets to do something that rewards him for what he's done."

Hare says that any family with ill childrencan be recommended to the program.