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Dallas firefighter carries 6-year-old son up 70 flights of stairs for cancer research

"His first year of life was a lot different than what you see today," Cristian Hinojosa said of son Max. "It was terrifying."

Dallas Fire Captain Cristian Hinojosa carried his 6-year-old son, Max, up the tallest building in Dallas on Saturday.

It was to raise money during The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Big D Climb.

The event is in its 12th year, and there were more than 1200 climbers alongside them for the big day. 

They climbed to the top of the Bank of America Plaza building at 901 Main Street, which has more than 1,500 steps and 70 flights of stairs. 

Dallas Fire-Rescue had its own team walking alongside Hinojosa, with more than 40 firefighters participating this year. They all wore their gear to get to the top, but Hinojosa had an extra on his pack-- Max. 

When Max was about 1 month old, he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. He was faced with shots and treatments at a very young age. 

"His first year of life was a lot different than what you see today," Hinojosa said of Max. "It was terrifying." 

Now, the Hinojosas are proud to say Max is in remission.

As Max battled childhood cancer, Hinojosa said LLS provided a huge amount of support for their family. 

"That was our introduction to parenthood and something we'd never wish to repeat, but in that desperation and in that fear, there were numerous resources that emerged, and LLS was by far one of the biggest of those."   

He is grateful that his son is happy and healthy, and hopes to pay it forward by raising money for the cause.

In full firefighting gear, and with Max on his back, Hinojosa made it to the top, with Max cheering "Go team!" on the way. 

They almost made it to their goal of $12,000, but are still a bit short. You can support them here

"I do this for Max and for every parent that has ever received a cancer diagnosis for their child," Hinojosa wrote on their donation page.

If you would like to learn more about LLS or how you can support its mission, click here.

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