Young Lebo cancer patient Christian Risner dies

Christian Risner, the 3-year-old cancer patient who celebrated Christmas in September with the town of Lebo and thousands of people on the internet, died Saturday morning.

“Christian went peacefully with the Lord this morning,” the family said on its “Prayers for Christian” Facebook page. “Please pray for our family as we prepare for final arrangements and as we figure out how to resume our everyday functions.”

Christian, the son of Josh and Sarah Risner of Lebo, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Rhabdoid kidney cancer, in April 2016.

Although he had undergone a number of treatments in hopes of stopping the spread of the disease, Christian was put on hospice in August.

His family and friends organized a surprise Christmas celebration on Sept. 10 complete with decorations, presents, a visit from Santa and a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

This story was originally published October 7, 2017 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Young Lebo cancer patient Christian Risner dies."