A 6-year-old South Florida boy who has spent much of the past year and a half in chemotherapy traded hospital hallways for water slides this week, stepping into the role of honorary general manager at Rapids Waterpark in Riviera Beach. AJ, who is battling high-risk T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, spent his day sampling park treats, greeting guests, touring attractions, and joining staff activities before hitting some of his favorite water slides.
The event, held for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, marked the second annual GM for a Day program at the park, according to WPEC. AJ and his family spent the behind-the-scenes day alongside the park's real general manager, Gregory Fuller, whose appointment for the 2026 season was reported by Palm Beach Now.
“AJ's strength, joy and resilience are truly inspiring,” Fuller said, per the station's report. Rapids Waterpark said it hopes AJ's story reminds the community that children battling cancer and their families need support long after diagnosis, and the park gifted AJ and his family season passes after learning he wasn't yet tall enough to ride every attraction.
A Diagnosis That Came Two Weeks After His Fifth Birthday
AJ was diagnosed with high-risk T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2025, just two weeks after celebrating his fifth birthday, the outlet reported. Since then, his childhood has included medications, hospital stays, chemotherapy, procedures, and frequent trips to and from the hospital.
He has received most of his care through the pediatric oncology program at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, where his treatment plan has spanned about two and a half years and included sedations, surgeries, infusions, steroid treatments, oral chemotherapy, and lumbar punctures with chemotherapy. AJ is currently in the maintenance phase of treatment and is expected to complete his full regimen in August 2027, according to the same account.
Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital opened in 1992 after baseball legend Joe DiMaggio donated his name and fundraising support, founded on the mandate that no child would be turned away due to an inability to pay, per the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation. The hospital completed a $166 million expansion in October 2022 that doubled its vertical capacity from four to eight floors, the hospital said.
An Aggressive but Increasingly Treatable Cancer
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the subtype AJ is battling, accounts for roughly 12% to 15% of pediatric ALL cases and is known to progress rapidly, requiring intensive multi-phase chemotherapy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia overall is the most common cancer diagnosed in children, making up about 75% of pediatric leukemia cases and peaking among children ages 2 to 5, per the American Cancer Society.
Clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the Children's Oncology Group found that adding targeted agents such as nelarabine to escalating chemotherapy regimens pushed 4-year disease-free survival rates for pediatric T-cell ALL patients to 91%, according to the National Cancer Institute. An estimated 47 children are diagnosed with cancer each day nationwide.
Why Gold Marks the Month
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is recognized every September using a gold ribbon as its symbol. Rapids Waterpark and the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation used AJ's day at the park to encourage residents, guests, and local businesses to support pediatric health programs, with community and corporate giving supporting comfort initiatives, research, and patient care for families receiving treatment close to home.
Rapids Waterpark is a South Florida water park with attractions including Mega Mayhem.
AJ's turn as honorary GM came during his treatment. For now, AJ's family continues navigating the maintenance phase of his chemotherapy regimen, with his full course of treatment slated to wrap up in August 2027.
