He'd tell us about these dreams of his cells fighting off these bad cancer guys with special guns. Not knowing about Aaron's success, the foundation last month contacted the Beals. When it learned the good news, the agency still wanted to reward him. So the Beals spent eight days on a Disney cruise ship, sailing from Florida to the Bahamas. A small cloud of fear still looms, however.
Most cancer patients have to wait five years before doctors claim full remission.
Because of the aggressive nature of Burkitt's lymphoma, doctors said Aaron had a good chance of beating it if the cancer didn't grow back within two months. Still, it will take two years, Larry Beals said, before doctors will declare the cancer in full remission. It's been a year already, though, and Aaron is back playing football with the Bengals. For now, he just wants to get on with his life, playing basketball with his dad and video games with his neighbors. Staff Writer Teresa Willis contributed to this report.