EUGENE, Ore. — After hearing about a boy in Arizona who has an inoperable brain tumor, a Eugene man decided to do what he could to help. The two were once total strangers, but are now forever friends.
As 10-year-old Nico Pulido goes through cancer treatments, Benjamin Elliott wanted to make sure he knew he was not alone.
Pulido’s mom in Arizona posted a video on Facebook that caught Elliott’s attention 1,200 miles away in Eugene. In the video, Pulido’s mom talks about his diagnosis with hydrocephalus, which is essentially water buildup on the brain, and an untreatable and incurable terminal brain tumor.
“At this point, doctors can really only promise him three years,” Elliott explained.
Hearing that, Elliott decided right then and there to reach out to Pulido’s mom. Elliott’s dad passed away from pancreatic cancer in January, so Pulido's story hit close to home.
“One of the wisest, sweetest kids you'll ever meet,” Elliott said when asked to describe Pulido.
Elliott recently flew to Arizona and surprised Pulido with a limo, a shopping spree, and even let Pulido shave his head. Now Elliott is biking for him in the Great Cycle Challenge. In June, he plans to bike 1,205 miles, which is the distance between their homes.
“It's my hope to bring awareness to his story, and like I said, childhood cancer as a whole, but to really show people that doing even the simplest deed really can make a difference in somebody's life,” Elliott explained.
While Elliott set out to make a difference in Pulido’s life, he says Pulido really made a difference in his.
“Let him know that I love him and he's special and honestly, that he changed my life forever as well as his family,” Elliott said.
Two complete strangers now bonded forever in the fight against cancer.
If you want to donate to the Great Cycle Challenge to support Elliott and Pulido click here.
You can also follow Nico Pulido’s journey on Facebook and donate to his GoFundMe here.