Seven-year-old John Staszel loves the circus, which is why he was more than happy to enjoy an afternoon at a party at a local hotel with a few of his friends and a few clowns his parents provided.
John is battling a rare form of leukemia and needs to spend a lot of time in his room.
But while they were at the hotel, volunteers from Special Spaces Chicagoland and Ringling Bros. Circus were transforming his room into a circus theme, just in time for the holidays.
"We're creating a circus-themed bedroom for John which is a safe, happy place that he can come where he's not at the hospital, where he doesn't have to think about the treatment he's undergoing, and he can just go and be a kid and have fun in his room," said Amy Dubinsky of Ringling Bros.
Special Spaces' motto is "changing children's lives one bedroom at a time."
"No child deserves to go through what children like John do, so it's a special gift that we can provide for them," said Lori McSpadden of Special Spaces.
When John came home, he was surprised by the new look of his bedroom.
Local
"It's been a very tough year for the both of us. We're very blessed that his health is much better, that's our biggest concern," John's dad, Andy Staszel said.