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Dunkirk boy to light Roswell’s Christmas Tree

Submitted Photo Mason Schrantz recently did a photo/commercial shoot at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, as he was selected to light this year's Roswell Tree of Hope.

Life has come full circle for nine-year-old Mason Schrantz of Dunkirk. On Friday, Dec. 14, Mason and his family will be heading to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he will be lighting the center’s Tree of Hope, almost a year to the day of his first visit to Roswell for his own cancer treatment. “He’s come a long way,” said his father, Dominic, owner of Dom’s Lawncare Service. “He’s not a complainer there — he’s really brave. His mom and I are so proud of him.”

Mason’s mother, Ashley, who works at Chautauqua Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, recently received a call from Roswell that Mason had been chosen to light the tree at Roswell. “We actually never knew anything about the tree,” said Dominic, whose family began their journey at Roswell more than a week after last year’s tree lighting event. “It’s totally new to us, but it’s really exciting. They want to put our family up in a hotel and everything so we don’t have to drive home that night,” Dominic explained.

It has been a challenging year for the Schrantz family, as Mason has been receiving cancer treatments at Roswell for nearly a year. “He was sick last fall, and we didn’t really know what was wrong with him,” Dominic recalled. “He was getting really bad chest pains, coughing and his face was swollen a little bit. So we took him to the hospital, and they thought he had an ear infection.”

When Mason’s symptoms worsened, Dominic took him back to the hospital the next night and asked for an x-ray. “The doctor came in and said, ‘Do you want to come in the next room? This is way out of my league,’ he said. ‘But I’m almost positive this is lymphoma because he’s got a mass the size of a football in his chest.'”

Dominic explained, “His face was swollen because that mass actually pushed his heart over, and it cut off his main artery from his head to his heart. … We went by ambulance straight to Children’s Hospital in Buffalo that night.”

Mason was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which is a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system. He spent Dec. 17, 2017 through the beginning of March 2018 — including Christmas — in the hospital. During that time, Mason received lots of support from family, friends and his classmates at Dunkirk School No. 7. “That school is amazing,” said Dominic. “For Christmas, he got a Christmas card from all the kids in the whole school, all of them.”

Throughout the year, students sent more cards to Mason, and his new fourth grade classmates in Mrs. Freling’s class sent him a letter in September, wishing him well. Mason has been home since summer, and has been traveling to Roswell a few days a week for chemotherapy treatments.

He is looking forward to returning to school again soon. “I’ll be happy to see all my friends, do everything with them,” Mason said, with a big smile. Mason, who is in a bowling league, loves spending time outside, too. This winter, he’s looking forward to enjoying the snow and building a snowman or two!

Over the past year, Mason has had to spend a lot of time indoors, which has given him the chance to cultivate a new skill with his father. “I got him into baking,” Dominic explained. “That’s kind of how we got through part of this. He makes his own pizzas and bakes cookies — I show him. He even makes his own breakfast, like bacon and eggs.”

Mason, his parents and his younger brother, Carter, are looking forward to Roswell’s Tree of Hope ceremony in a few weeks. This annual tradition, which takes place at Kaminski Park & Gardens in Buffalo, invites family and friends to light up the sky as an offering of hope for those touched by cancer. “I didn’t even know about the Tree of Hope before,” said Mason. “But I’m excited! Santa is going to be there, too.”

Mason and Carter are looking forward to seeing the Clauses and enjoying horse-drawn carriage rides with their parents. The event, which is attend by hundreds of people every year, includes live music, food and a special candle-lighting ceremony. The impressive light show includes nearly 75,000 lights synchronized to music.

Today, Mason is enjoying Thanksgiving with his family at his Nana’s house. “Probably this year, I’ll have a turkey leg!” Mason predicted. He’s looking forward to baking for the holidays, especially Christmas cut-out cookies and chocolate chip cookies, which are his brother’s favorite.

Since Friday, Mason has been enjoying a two-week break from treatments, after which he will go to Roswell just once a month if all goes well. “Hopefully after winter break, he’ll go back to school,” said Dominic. “On my birthday, January 2 — that’d be a great birthday present!”

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