RICHMOND, Va. — William Martel is no stranger to the Children's Hospital at VCU.
He has a rare and inoperable brain tumor that has wrapped around both optic nerves, his carotid arteries, pituitary gland and hypothalamus. The tumor has impacted William's mobility, sight and sound and caused severe swelling in his brain.
Since December, he has undergone surgery, four rounds of chemotherapy, and countless doctor visits.
When we heard that William was collecting patches and challenge coins from first responders, military units, and federal agencies from across the country, we wanted to help.
"Your mom and dad told me that you have had such a challenging year and you have faced it all with just bravery and high spirits," CBS 6 reporter Tracy Sears said to William when they met recently.
William is heading to Washington, D.C., for further treatment — and we had a surprise in store for him as part of CBS 6 Gives.
"So when you're in DC, you're going to be able to go to the White House," Tracy told him.
"That's cool!" William said.
She then introduced William to Jim Kingsley, a special agent with the United States Secret Service.
Jim presented William with gifts from the Secret Service, including a challenge coin from the Richmond Field Office.
William's mom, Christie, said William is an inspiration to their family and the firefighter community to which her husband Andy (Hampton) and another son Jesse (Chesapeake) belong.
Thanks to first responders spreading the message, William now has more than 500 patches and 80 challenge coins from around the world. In Washington, D.C., he has big plans — including serving as a Secret Service agent for the day.
"We'll keep praying for you, William. I know you're gonna, you're going to keep, keep fighting and we're really proud of you," Jim said.
William's White House visit is scheduled for early June.
CBS 6 Gives is made possible by Virginia Credit Union. Have an idea about who we should surprise next,
click here to email our team.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
