Liberty boy battling cancer competes for national junior ranger title

By Dorissa White

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    LIBERTY, Mo. (KMBC) — Atticus, a 9-year-old boy from Liberty, Missouri, is competing to become a junior ranger with the National Wildlife Federation.

But what’s more inspiring is that he’s competing while undergoing treatment for B-cell lymphoma.

Despite the challenges he faces, Atticus has reached the quarterfinals of a contest hosted by wildlife expert Jeff Corwin, which celebrates kids who love wildlife and the outdoors.

Atticus’s mother shared her pride and emotion regarding her son’s journey over the past nine months.

“Atticus has been through so much. He deserves to be Junior Ranger,” said mom Veronica Salas. “He can show these kids. He’s such a great speaker. He’s a great teacher, too. He can teach kids about wildlife. He’s passionate about animals in general. It’s something that he deserves with all that he’s been through. He is a tough kid.”

The prize for the competition is $20,000, a feature in the Ranger Rick magazine, and a chance to meet Jeff Corwin in person.

Atticus told KMBC 9 News plans to donate $3,000 of the prize money to a charity to help kids like him battle cancer if he wins. Voting is open now through Thursday, with every vote Wednesday counting as a double vote.

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