Times Square goes gold to honor children with cancer

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Times Square shined a light on the fight against pediatric cancer.

For Cathleen Boorse and her daughter Hannah, their first experience in Times Square was honoring the 13-year-old girl and all children battling pediatric cancer.

"I'm really excited and I'm really happy that my first time being in Times Square is for something so important and so personal to me," Hannah said last week.

The Times Square Advertising Coalition illuminated nearly one dozen digital screens in gold. In its fourth year, the event's goal is to bring attention to the disease and the need to fund research for a cure.

"For people put 'Go Gold,' and the yellow, and making it aware really just makes families and kids know that 'You know what? You can do this, you're not alone, there's so many people who love you and want to give you support and prayers,'" Cathleen said.

In May 2016, Hannah, then 11, was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma after complaining of back pains. She started treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering the next month. Part of her spine and a few ribs needed to be removed.

Then in February 2017, results came back showing Hannah is cancer-free.

"It was so relieving," Hannah said.

"Best day ever," her mom said.

"It was," Hannah said. "It really was."

Hannah wasted no time giving back. She and her brothers raised $1.7 million for the Stop and Shop campaign for Memorial Sloan Kettering research.  

After her experience, she has this to say to those going through treatment.

"You just got to keep going. Know that someday things will get better and you will learn a lot along the way about yourself and the people around you," Hannah said. "You just got to…"

"Keep fighting," her mom suggested.

"Yup. Keep fighting," Hannah agreed.