Westchester County teen helping others cope with cancer through music

WESTCHESTER COUNTY (WABC) -- A young man in Westchester County is teaching others a lesson on how to cope with adversity.

Keshawn Williams was only 12 years old when he had surgery for an aggressive form of brain cancer.

That was followed by chemotherapy, multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation.

Now he's using his musical skills to help others learn from his experience.

"I didn't know I had brain cancer but I knew something was wrong," Williams said.

Once an avid soccer player, Williams was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a fast-growing cancerous brain tumor, at age 12.

"After my brain surgery. I couldn't walk at all. I couldn't move," Williams said.

He developed scoliosis during surgery and is now wheelchair-bound.

He also lost his ability to speak but soon regained the muscles needed to write.

"I just starting writing. I used my head to combine words together and rhyme," Williams said.

He crafted up to five songs with the help of an AI music generator called Suno AI.

"It talks about my story. It talks about how I went through chemo. This is a metaphor. It talks about a Phoenix Rising," Williams said.

Doctor Rebecca Carlin says it is helping him cope as he beats the odds.

"When you have cancer. It's so hard. You both can be so celebratory that you're alive and well and that you can do all of the things you can do but your life has also changed," Pediatrician and Medical Director of the Blythedale Day Hospital Program Dr. Rebecca Carlin said.

Williams' mom, Jodiona Williams, has been with him every step of the way.

"Very emotional when I hear it because the first song he writes is everything that he went through, so it just brings back memories," she said.

His mom says she is often overwhelmed with the progress of her oldest son's journey.

Williams continues rehabilitation and public school at the Blythedale Children's Hospital in Westchester County.

The now 11th grader hopes to keep pushing ahead.

"My goal is to go back to playing soccer. I know it takes time for me to start walking but until I start walking, I think I'm going to keep doing music," Williams said.

Williams has also used music to celebrate the same community that has supported him over the years by writing the song "Blythedale Bounce," so the other children can dance and recover.

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.