Boy with brain tumor puts on rock concert

By Mike Bush

KSDK -- At St. Louis Children's Hospital, there is something highly contagious -- the enthusiasm of 9-year-old Noah O'Neal.

"As you can see, Noah is, he's an amazing kid," says music therapist Christy Merrell.

Noah loves the spotlight and, like anyone, he would much rather get applause than chemotherapy.

"Noah's cancer is very rare," says his father, Darren O'Neal.

Noah is currently in week five of his 50-week chemotherapy cycle to zap a brain tumor. He's also had several brain operations.

"When he first got diagnosed here at this hospital, there wasn't a good chance that Noah would actually even survive the surgery," says Darren.

But even though there's a tumor in his brain, there's music in his heart.

"He's just got music in him. He's just a music boy, always has been," says his mother, Wendy.

So on Thursday, Christy helped make Noah's dream come true.

"I like music because everybody rocks at music," Noah says.

In front of family, friends, even doctors and nurses, Noah put on his first rock concert; complete with posters and autographs.

"Letting him have a smile on his face and have something he enjoys is the greatest thing in the world," says Merrell.

Noah still has a long road ahead, but this concert hit just the right note.

"He will talk about that until the day he passes away. Whenever the Lord decides to take him, he's going to talk about this," says Wendy.

No word on the next concert but everyone's invited, except for the cancer.