5-year-old Reedley boy battling cancer

REEDLEY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Reedley family is facing a difficult battle after learning their 5-year-old child has cancer.

Maddix Anderson was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that starts in the early forms of nerve cells, on Wednesday.

"He is a wonderful kid. He is very outgoing. He is very fun. He can make anyone laugh, and he is the biggest sweetheart, just the sweetest child," said Paige Holt, Maddix's mother.

In the last two weeks, Maddix has spent his time inside hospital walls.

He was at Valley Children's Hospital for a few days and is now at UCSF.

His mother says it was late June when she noticed her son limping.

She and Madix's father took him to a chiropractor for answers.

"We really just thought we were looking at sore bones but it turned into, he had a broken hip and we immediately went to Valley Children's," explained Paige.

She says it's hard to wrap her head around what's happened since then, but she remains optimistic Maddix will get through this.

"There are going to be good days and bad days and we're just going to take it day by day and not look too forward," said Paige.

Holt appreciates the village standing by her family's side during this challenging time and says even former bulldog and current NFL quarterback Derek Carr took a moment to send Maddix words of encouragement.

"Keep fighting. Keep going. You have people in your corner," Carr said in a video.

Paige says she hopes to see her son full of energy once again.

She encourages other parents to be aware of any unusual symptoms in their own children that can help lead to an early diagnosis.

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