ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Ortiz family is celebrating this Christmas in a much better spirit than they began the year.

The family’s youngest, JoJo, was diagnosed with cancer in March of 2023.

What You Need To Know

  •  JoJo was diagnosed with cancer and his older brother Jaden fought alongside him

  •  During treatment days, Jaden would set up a snack stand to hand out to other patients and hospital staff

  •  JoJo is now cancer-free and celebrating the holidays at home

His older brother Jaden wanted to help, and it turned into a heartwarming act of kindness for others at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital throughout JoJo’s cancer journey.

In less than a year, the Ortiz family was able to celebrate JoJo beating cancer and ringing the bell. This happened in September.

What happened in between brought joy to other patients at All Children’s and the staff there.

Jaden decided to open a snack stand.

The boys’ mother, Jennifer, said one day early in JoJo’s treatment, Jaden decided to hand out whatever snacks were in the room.

“Oh, that’s not enough,” said Jennifer when Jaden came up with the idea. “We need more snacks. Oh, I know, we need to open a snack stand.”

Then on Fridays, Jaden would get ready for the snack rush because about everyone came to Jaden and JoJo’s 7 South Snack Stand.

“We are open for business,” said Jaden, calling out the first customer on a Friday Spectrum News caught up with him.

Jaden always reminded people who showed up to take more than one item.

“You can take more than one,” said Jaden.

His idea took off. From other child patients to staff working to make them feel better, Jaden brought them snacks.

“You can have cookies,” said Jaden. “I recommend you have these Doritos.”

The reason to do all this needs no better explanation than from Jaden himself.

“It’s kind to give the patients some nice stuff,” Jaden said. “And the nurses they take care of my little baby JoJo, so I got to take care of them.”

Nurse Kelsey Dunbar was there from Day one.

“A lot of us go into this career with the hope of caring for these kids and being a little bit of sunshine for these parents’ darkest days,” Kelsey said. “But with Jaden, he has turned that around and been our little ray of sunshine.”

For mom, having Jaden there was the best thing that could have happened for JoJo’s recovery.

“It’s definitely true that it’s what you make of it,” said Jennifer. “You could be in the darkest hour, but you never lose hope.”

JoJo is now cancer free with big brother Jaden always by his side.