It's said that when hard times are visited on your family, you find out who your friends are. For young Edison Carroll, his mom Nikki, and sister Ireland, their hard time is truly illuminating who their friends are.

Edison is five. He has a smile for everyone and wants to be a fireman. So much so that if he sees a firetruck on the street he begs his mom to follow, wishing he could be a part of the action.

At the end of May 2017, Nikki Carroll got news that no parent wants and every parent dreads. Edison had been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a kind of bone cancer.

Nikki Carroll Used with Permission

It all started with limp. His mom naturally thought that it was probably just a side-effect of the rough and rowdy nature of her boy. But, the limp persisted. So, mom took him to the doctor where an x-ray reviled a large cyst on Edison's right leg that was causing a near stress fracture. Treatment was set to drain the cyst. After the draining, Edison went home to rest and recover.

But, their odyssey had just begun. When Nikki and Edison went in for the post-op follow up they learned that the doctors had discovered that Edison had Osteosarcoma.

Facing his treatment with positivity his main concern is how long until he can get back to his bike and the pool. Edison is ready to beat the cancer. With the support of his mom and sister he will tackle 10 weeks of chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove any damaged bone in his right leg.

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

This little tight-knit family is as ready as any family can be for the medical part of this journey, and the prognosis looks good so far. The rest of their world has been thrown into question and chaos. In response a group of Nikki's friends have come together to build a base of financial support to match their emotional support. They are holding a benefit to raise money to help cover the family's needs during treatment.

Sarah Lynn Pearce, one of the family-friends spearheading the benefit says that helping out was an easy decision to make. "We’re all moms, too. We all go home to our kids at night and wonder how we’d handle it if the situation were happening to us," Pearce said.

Pearce adds that Edison's mom is a natural giver and now it's time for that kindness to come back to her, "I’ve never met anyone as selfless as she is, She’s a single mom who has never asked for help from anyone. She’s the first person to volunteer or give to a person in need or a charity organization. Nikki has anonymously given to several of her friends after hearing about a hardship or struggle that they are dealing with."

The Help Edison Fight Osteosarcoma benefit is Sunday (July 30) at the ZEAL Center for Entrepreneurship in Sioux Falls (2329 N Career Ave, 57107) from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

"The benefit will have something for everyone! We’ll have tents, tables and chairs, and misting machines to keep everyone cool," Pearce said. "We are hosting three food trucks; Hunny and Bunny, Swamp Daddy’s and Dough Boyz."

DJ Richard Blue will be providing music at the event. The Lincoln High School Flag corps will be running a Kid’s Zone that'll have face painting, a cake walk, games and a bounce house.

The centerpiece of the fundraising will be the silent auction and prize packages available. Among the items available will be tickets to the Omaha Zoo, camping gear, a Grand Falls Casino stay, and more prizes donated by local businesses.

"No one should have to fight this alone and we want to make sure Nikki, Edison and Ireland know that," Pearce said.

To learn more and connect with the friends of the Carroll family go to the Team Edison Benefit page on Facebook.

Donations can also be made to the Edison Carroll Donation Fund at Wells Fargo.

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