Young Cancer Victim Gets G.I. Joe Treatment

Lumpkin County-- It is 8-year-old Kenny Stewart's dream to be a U.S. soldier. For a few hours, the young cancer victim got to live out that dream.

At Camp Frank Merrill in the north Georgia mountains, Stewart fired blanks from a variety of machine guns. The bullets were not real, but disease is very real, quite stubborn, and cruel.

Some people thought he could use a high powered break.

His mother says he's wanted to be a soldier since he was very young.

"He used to watch the old World War II shows on TV rather than watch Sponge Bob," says Anna Miles. "This is his dream come true."

Last year, doctors found three tumors on Kenny Stewart's brain. They removed one, but the other two are inoperable.

As he endures the exhausting march of chemotherapy, A local Viet Nam Veteran's group thought he could use a treat-- a day as an Army Ranger.

"He's just a very sincere young man," says veteran Wayne Watkins. "He's a goal oriented little guy, and he's not going to let this get him down."

At the Ranger training camp in the North Georgia mountains, Kenny got to dress like a soldier. He handled machine guns, and took a ride in an Army helicopter.

Kenny's mother says her 8-year-old has faced cancer just like a soldier, without a tear or a word of complaint.

"I like action," Kenny told 11Alive's Jerry Carnes. When asked what he wanted to be when he got older, Kenny answered, "I'm a U.S. Army specialist."

On a day that put the special in Army specialist, Kenny had to leave the artillery behind. Now, he's armed with a smile, fully loaded.