Two best friends in Georgia shared a sweet moment last month, after both were diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
After months of chemotherapy, the two boys, JP and Camilo, finally had the opportunity to ring the bell signaling the end of their respective cancer treatments.
What made the moment extra special was that JP waited so he and Camilo could ring their bells together.
“I was in my last round of chemo, and I found out that Camilo got cancer and I was like, ‘No matter what, I’m not ringing the bell until Camilo’s done,'” 15-year-old JP explained in a video captured and shared by the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where both boys were treated.
“It made me feel amazing, like, that I have a friend like him, and that I have people who care about me,” Camilo, 16, said of his friend’s kind gesture.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – PHOTO: 15-year-old JP waited for his best friend Camilo to finish chemotherapy so they could both ring the bell signaling the end of their treatments together.
Both teens rang their golden bells on Nov. 21, in front of family members, friends, their care teams and a supportive community cheering them on. Tish Thomas, JP’s mom, described the moment as a “beautiful” one.
“To see them ringing together, it was just — it’s indescribable. It was amazing,” Thomas told ABC News. “It’s not something that happens every day.”
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In May, Thomas said JP started complaining of pain in his knee. At first, the Thomas family thought JP, who plays varsity tennis for his high school, had suffered some kind of injury, such as a torn meniscus.
But by June, JP and his family learned he had a rare and aggressive type of cancer called primary bone Burkitt lymphoma, which had spread.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – PHOTO: Both JP and Camilo received treatment for cancer at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Burkitt lymphoma can impact various parts of the body, such as the jaw or bones of the face, kidneys, and other organs, and most often affects children and young adults, according to the National Cancer Institute.
“Never in our dreams would we have even fathomed that this would have been an outcome,” Thomas said.
While JP was in the hospital, undergoing treatment, including four rounds of chemotherapy, his best friend Camilo would visit him often. The two had been close friends since the fifth grade, according to Camilo’s mom Maria Espinosa.
Courtesy of Henao and Thomas families – PHOTO: JP and Camilo supported each other through their respective cancer journeys at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta this year.
Espinosa said Camilo, an avid soccer player, started noticing pain in August. By September, the 10th grader was also diagnosed with cancer — a germ cell tumor –that doctors said had spread.
The mom of three said the news came as a huge shock.
“[Camilo] was shocked at the beginning. He wouldn’t say anything,” Espinosa said.
Germ cell tumors can occur in many areas of the body, according to the National Cancer Institute, and are most commonly found in teens. Oftentimes, the disease can be cured.
Camilo underwent tumor removal surgery and three rounds of chemotherapy over nine weeks. This time, JP was the one supporting him along the way.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – PHOTO: Camilo and JP were surrounded by family, friends and their care teams when they rang the bell signaling the end of their cancer treatments on Nov. 21, 2025.
“JP was always giving Camilo [encouragement, saying], ‘You’re gonna be OK. It’s gonna be fine,'” said Espinosa. “JP was always bringing a smile, even when Camilo wasn’t smiling or talking or eating at the hospital.”
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Today, both boys are cancer free and already back in school, looking forward to playing their favorite sports again.
Thomas said she hopes JP and Camilo’s story will show others “the beauty of friendship.”
“My husband and I are in awe of our son, and we’re so happy to share the story so that Camilo and [JP] can be an example of a true friendship to others,” she said.
