01 Dec. 2021, 3:31 am Updated 3m ago
By: News 12 Staff
A Westfield teen takes Giving Tuesday to a whole new level.
Mason Rockmore, a 16-year-old cancer survivor, pays for it by giving his Make-A-Wish New Jersey wish to other sick children.
CEO Tom Weatherall says that most children who get a wish ask for gifts, trips or to meet someone famous. But he says that every now and then a child wants to give something back.
Mason asked Make-A-Wish for game consoles, iPads, and other electronics — items he donates to Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health.
“I have a lot of electronics so the kids on the inpatient floor aren’t super bored,” he says.
Mason was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer in February 2020. He spent 10 months in and out of the hospital during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was scary for his parents, but also a bit boring for the teenager. He used gaming and streaming devices to get through the treatments and the long and sometimes scary days.
“He learned how to distract himself and saw the importance of distracting himself,” said Mason’s mother Lori Rockmore. “And if he could help other kids distract themselves, that was on his mind.”
So Mason decided to use his wish to help others. He says many other kids who are still battling cancer and other illnesses don’t have access to the technology he did during his hospital stay.
“I thought about a lot of wishes and one came into my head – why not just give something back? And that’s what I did,” says Mason.
“We’ve also experienced a lot of generosity here at the hospital, and we’re happy and proud that Mason was willing to pay for that,” said Eric Rockmore, Mason’s father.
There are many people who are proud of Mason and grateful for his kind wish—which was granted on Giving Tuesday.
Weatherall says Mason is an inspiration.
“Mason chose a desire to give, to give back and on this Giving Tuesday day, we are so grateful,” said the CEO.
Mason and Make-A-Wish also donated streaming services to match the devices and consoles.
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