Tatarian Elementary School , loves to draw and play wall ball at recess . His career plans fluctuate between firefighter and professional baseball player . He likes to make goofy faces and eat pizza with pepperoni and pineapple .

He ’ s a pretty typical 9-year-old .

A few weeks after he was born , Amber Hurst wondered if her son would ever get to do any of those things .

Ethan was born with a Stage 2 neuroblastoma tumor the size of a golf ball intertwined with his aorta . He was admitted to Valley Children ’ s Hospital after the cancer was detected when he was three weeks old . One of his lungs had collapsed and he was in and out of the intensive care unit for nearly a month prior to surgery .

A few days before his two-month birthday , a cardiothoracic surgeon removed about 55 % of the tumor , the most they could get because they were worried about nicking the inferior vena cava , the largest vein in the body .

“ It felt very surreal that my perfect little guy could have cancer . I am thankful every day for Dr . Crouse and Dr . Ozeran for getting us through the toughest time of our lives ,” said Amber Hurst . “ They both sat down with me and answered every question I could think of . They had such a positive outlook on his diagnosis and prognosis . It made me also have faith that he was going to make it through this .”

July 15 , 2014 , when he was exactly five months old , Ethan was declared in remission after four rounds of chemotherapy and multiple blood transfusions . After years of frequent checkups , he now only has to go to the cancer survivor ’ s clinic once a year .

While Ethan does not remember all that he went through as a newborn , he knows his story and appreciates what his family , doctors and nurses did for him . As a Valley Children ’ s Hospital cancer survivor , he doesn ’ t mind being

a mini celebrity once in a while . Last fall , he was a guest at a Fresno State football game , as their first ever Kid Captain , with special privileges and an introduction to the crowd .

“ I got to go on the field , and everybody was cheering ,” Ethan said .

He helps promote Valley Children ’ s by being on their Light the Night team , raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society .

“ He ’ s a great kid ,” said Tatarian Principal Michele Markarian .

When asked to reflect on being a cancer survivor , Ethan said :

“ Sometimes I think I ’ m proud of myself and that I ’ m a hard worker . I love life .”

His goals , he said , are to “ make everyone happy ” and give hugs and kisses to his mom .

Tatarian favorite r

On his two month-birthday , doctors inserted a mediport in little Ethan and started chemotherapy .

22 FACES : ETHAN HURST