Music is an aspect of our society that throughout history has been able to heal otherwise permanent wounds, shed light on important issues, and impact the world in way that cannot be duplicated. Whether speaking for someone else’s pain or from your own personal experience, almost everybody can say that they have been impacted by a cancer diagnosis in some way, shape, or form. While all aspects of this awful disease have the capability to test the will power of our strongest warriors, words cannot begin to accurately depict the pain of a parent that has learned their child has been diagnosed with leukemia.
When 24 year old New Jersey recording artist, Gio Perez learned of his daughter’s diagnosis, his entire world was flipped upside down. Having already served in the US Army fighting to defend our rights and protect our freedom, Perez was now faced with a battle unlike any war a soldier could confront. Consistent with the bravery he has already shown, Gio Perez wasted no time getting to work, for he was fighting for his most trusted soldier in the most important battle of their lives - the #LittleWarrior campaign was born.
The #LittleWarrior campaign is a movement started by Gio Perez himself for the purpose of using his ability and passion for music to not only raise money for his daughter, but also to inspire others impacted by cancer to remain strong and never underestimate the strength of a #LittleWarrior. Teaming up with producer and creative, Shy Boogs, Gio Perez recorded and shot the video for his single, “Little Warrior,” which can be found on youtube.
In the touching tribute to his daughter, Perez writes “whenever you’re in pain, just know that I’m here,” reinforcing his promise that she will never be fighting this battle alone. To compliment the song and visual, Perez held a benefit show on August 26th, 2017 to help raise funds and bring people under one roof for a night that truly helped put life into perspective for a lot of people. Tears were shed as the story of his daughter’s battle was told, reminding us how universal the pain cancer brings upon families can be.
It is often said that while on the battlefield, soldiers mentally abandon the “freedom” provocation in terms of their motivation to enter life threatening situations, for they are no longer fighting for their country, but for their fellow brothers and sisters in uniform alongside them. Moving forward, Perez will be fighting alongside a soldier whose bravery and perseverance holds no bounds, a solider that will never leave him behind – his #LittleWarrior Aaliyah.
For all those who would like to donate, the #LittleWarrior foundation is still up and working to reach the family's goal of $50,000.