Doctor made a promise to a 14-year-old boy with stage 4 cancer — 8 months later, he broke down when she kept her word at his graduation
A cancer diagnosis is one of the most heartbreaking things that can happen to anyone. Missouri resident Dylan Mwaniki was devastated when he was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer in 2022 at 14 years of age. When doctors gave him merely 8 months to live, he found solace in Dr. Mary Austin, who went above and beyond to make his journey more bearable. However, on the day of his graduation, he thanked her for keeping a promise that meant world to him. Reported by CBS News on June 19, 2026, the boy revealed how the doctor helped him beat the odds and gave rise to a new friendship.
Dylan, who called Austin his "second mom," noted that she became his partner in crime. However, he was unsure about making it until graduation. Austin told him, "I promise you if you keep going through with this and you can live, I will come to your graduation." Just as she promised, Dylan indeed beat cancer and graduated from high school. Unfortunately, Austin moved 1,500 miles away to work at Seattle Children's Hospital, and she was unsure whether she could make it to the ceremony. However, on the day of the ceremony, he welled up in tears when Austin showed up as the two embraced in a sweet moment.
Dylan underwent 52 weeks of chemotherapy, but it was Dr. Mary Austin who gave him the strength he needed. She accompanied him to lunch and often checked up on him. Even on his darkest days during the grueling treatment process, Austin chose to stay by Dylan's side and gave him hope that he would attend his graduation healthy and beat the odds. "Her making promises like that and kind of giving me hope definitely uplifted my mood," admitted Dylan.
Turns out, Dylan's parents wanted to keep Austin's attendance a secret and chose not to reveal it until the day of graduation. Dylan's mother, Lucy Mwaniki, noted that the doctor had never broken any promises, and she was forever grateful for that. Dylan's parents also believe that Austin's kindness played a major role in saving their son's life. Lucy emphasized, "Be kind."
According to City of Hope, kidney cancer is also known as renal cancer, and in stage four, it progresses outside the kidney and may spread to the adrenal glands. During the fourth stage of renal cancer, the mass of cancerous cells moves into the layers of fatty tissue surrounding the kidney and continues to spread past lymph nodes or other organs. The report noted that the survival rate is low during this stage, although the condition can be treated. Some symptoms observed during this stage include fever, weight loss, cough, large or swollen lymph nodes, swelling of the legs and feet, and blood in the urine (also called hematuria).
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