Friends raise $12k for Rockwall 9-year-old with brain tumor

ROCKWALL, Texas - The community of Rockwall banded together to raise money for a family who endured a tragedy last year and received another set of bad news in January.

In February, FOX 4 introduced you to 9-year-old Simran Martell.  He lost his sister to cancer and a year after learned he had a brain tumor.

Friends and supporters raised more than $12,000 that will cover their 9-year old son's medical expenses.

A portion of the proceeds from Thursday’s fundraiser will also go to the family. But in many ways, the fundraiser was more of a celebration of the first piece good news this family has gotten in a while.

The diagnosis came almost exactly one year after his family lost his 14-year old stepsister, Luna, to her 8-year battle with liver cancer. Just last week, they got the news that Martell's brain tumor is benign and doctors were able to remove it.

“It was the biggest relief you could possibly imagine,” said his mother Heidi Martell. “All the fear and anxiety and the worry that we were experiencing.”

Through t-shirts, raffles and fundraisers, the community has raised thousands to take some of the burden off the Martell family.

“That's the best thing of all — knowing she just gets to be his mom and be with him, and they don't have to worry about their financial burden,” said family friend Marisa Gray. “It's just awesome.”

“It renews faith in humanity,” said his father Jonathan Martell. “And that giving spirit, we try to embody for our kids.”

Simran has to go back for an MRI in three months to make sure the tumor is completely gone. He will go back to school part-time as he recovers.