‘That’s what West does’: Benefit for 2-year-old boy with cancer sees outpouring of support

WEST, Texas (KWTX) - The tight-knit community of West showed lots of love for 2-year-old Hayze Glover, who is battling leukemia, on Sunday. Friends and family members put together a fundraiser, an event they’ve spent the last four months planning.

”I have a grandson that was diagnosed with kidney cancer two years ago and he went through chemotherapy,” family friend Ali Shilling said. “He’s on the other side of it and doing great now. So, we know that struggle.”

Tables upon tables were filled at the West Knights of Columbus Hall as hundreds bought plates with fried chicken and barbecue.

”The past four months have been rough,” Hayze’s mom Kristian Davidson said. “I haven’t been able to work because of it.”

On Jan. 19 Hayze was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

”Coming here today is honestly so hard because I’m not good at stuff like this,” Davidson said. “I’ve always held my own and I’ve never asked for anything from anybody and right now I have to.”

It’s been up to his single mom to take him to and from McLane Children’s for chemotherapy and other forms of treatment.

”Sometimes I do feel like I’m in this alone, but then I think about how many people I have behind me and how much support we have,” Davidson said.

The live auction, silent auction and country store items were all donated.

“We made a list of all the businesses in town because we didn’t want to double dip on anybody and everybody just signed off on what stores they wanted to go to,” event organizer Laura Uptmore said.

Thanks to friends and family members who found sponsors, everything raised will go directly towards Hayze and his family.

”The one that’s frying the chicken for us, Edwin Shoelock, he more or less retired a few years ago,” Uptmore said. “But when this came out for Hayze he came out of retirement.”

Organizers didn’t set a fundraising goal, but they say every little bit will go a long way.

”That’s what West does, whenever anybody is in need they come together and pull through for them,” Uptmore said.