When the Junior Dogs Flag Football program launched its inaugural season in July, it offered a needed and supported athletic outlet for kindergarten through third grade children in St. Clair, Mo.

The fun and excitement of flag football is being felt throughout the community, but maybe no one more than one local 6-year old, whose dreams of gridiron success had seemingly been taken away.

Football is in J.J. Grevenberg’s blood. Many of J.J.’s family members have played, including his mother, Stephanie Dawson, a youth football player in middle school. Stephanie eventually passed her passion for the game on to J.J.’s older brother Skyler, who plays in the Junior Dogs tackle league.

Following in their footsteps became an unlikely scenario for J.J., who he was diagnosed with Ganglioneuroblastoma, a nerve disorder where an intermediate tumor grows nerve tissue. According to the National Institutes of Health, the disease occurs in fewer than five out of 1 million children each year.

A surgery to treat the ailment in January 2014 was so intense, J.J. was immobile for almost a month and had to re-teach himself how to walk.

But despite the enormous adversity he faced, Stephanie said her son persevered with more grace and maturity than she could have imagined.

“He handled it better than me or anyone else,” she said. “He stayed smiling and happy.”

The healing and chemotherapy process remains ongoing. Eventually, J.J. improved enough to take on physical activity.

One of his first major undertakings was Sunday Night Lights, an annual gathering at Lindbergh High School in St. Louis sponsored by Friends of Kids with Cancer.

Along with playing in a flag football game, participants experience a variety of football-centric activities such as playing with a marching band and joining a dance team or cheer squad.

Encouraged by the improvement she was seeing in J.J., Stephanie sought out Doug Thurman and asked if there was an opening for her son in the NFL FLAG powered by USA Football league. Shortly after, J.J. landed a roster spot with the league’s Patriots.

Though his physical limits prevent him from being a full participant, J.J. got his moment in the sun on Sept. 26 when league officials arranged for him to score a touchdown. Maneuvering around diving defenders, J.J. went coast-to-coast for a long score and was quickly mobbed by teammates and opponents in celebration.

Thurman says J.J.’s excitement was evident, and the coaches did everything they could to keep it going.

“He ran all the way to the other end zone,” he said. “He just kept running. It was electric.”

As J.J.’s battle with Ganglioneuroblastoma continues, he looks forward to game days, which provide such positive moments that his mom believes the sport is going a long way toward keeping his spirits high.

“All of the kids (on the other team) didn’t care if he scored against them,” Dawson said, crying as she recalled the play. “They were cheering for him, and everyone in the stands was cheering for him. It was like he was normal again.”