TEMPLE, Texas — It's been three years since a Central Texas family found out their son, their little brother, was diagnosed with Craniopharyngioma, which is a rare type of brain tumor.
It was also three years ago that the same boy, Danny Agee, was able to get Chick-Fil-A delivered to him on Easter Sunday.
On Easter Sunday in 2019, staff at Baylor Scott and White McLane Children's Medical Center and Chick-fil-A on N. 31st Street in Temple went above and beyond to help ease the Agee's anguish.
The Agee family described it as an unbelievable gesture and ever since Danny walked out of the hospital post-surgery, they've been blessed.
"Looking back, seeing what happened and how close we were to losing Danny and really how bad it could have been -- it's almost hard to look at and talk about sometimes," Danny's dad Joey Agee said. "We're happy to be here three years later. We knew we'd be somewhere we just weren't sure where at that point."
Although doctors didn't remove the tumor entirely, they did manage to drain it, make it smaller and install a port into it if they ever need to go back and work on it. At one time it was 5 centimeters long.
Danny still has to see many doctors throughout the year and he is on several different medications to make sure he's on the right track to living a normal teenager life.
His last MRI showed positive results from the type of radiation treatment he is undergoing so the Agee family is very happy about that.
The miraculous journey has led Danny to become the 2022 Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Champion. He is able to speak with other kids and families about what they're going through and share his own.
"Share your story because what if people at home are going through the same thing," Danny said. "You could share your story, tell them where you're coming from and stuff like that."
Danny is now in 8th grade and living the closest he can to a teenage life.
But, there have been some challenges.
"Certainly different compared to my friends, my friends are five foot eight and now I'm five foot," he explained.
But it doesn't stop him and he's having so much fun in life.
He's picked up the game of golf, loves his friends and his family.
He looks at the bright side of life even through the many doctor visits.
"It can really pull your focus away so we try to focus on the fun stuff and the good stuff," Agee said.
The Agee family credits the Central Texas community for, especially those at McLane Children's Medical Center in Temple.
"We're blessed to have a children's hospital so close that has the equipment and facilities to handle the things that they handle," Agee said.
For the Agee family, they're still living their journey but they're glad they get to help others just as much as others help them.
"Even though we've gone through the hardest parts, hopefully the hardest parts will have to go through, knowing that there are other families that will go through it and how important it is to be able to support them when the time comes," Agee added. "We're glad we get to be a part of it."
Danny and his dad, Joey, said they wouldn't be where they are today without the grace of God and all the prayers from people all across the world.
After Danny left the hospital three years ago, the Agee's went to visit the same Chick-Fil-A in Temple that helped him get good vibes right before high life saving surgery.
There is an event April 30 called Boots & Bandanas that benefits the many patients and doctors at Baylor Scott and White McLane Children's Medical Center.
Funds raised at past events have supported medical equipment, such as pediatric dialysis machines and a C-arm intraoperative imaging machine, as well as an additional transport ambulance, as stated by organizers.
You can learn more about it here.