A 5-year-old cancer survivor donates 3,000 toys to the children's hospital where he was treated

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(CNN) - Weston Newswanger is just a normal 5-year-old child, except when it comes to birthday presents.

While most children his age break gifts, Weston wanted to give them away.

The reason? It is a cancer survivor. And he decided that instead of receiving gifts, he wanted to make a great donation to the place that saved his life.

When Weston's mother, Amy Newswanger, asked her son what he wanted for his next birthday, he said: “I don't want anything. I do not need anything".

Newswanger suggested they make a donation. "He didn't even have to think about it," he told CNN.

Weston immediately suggested that they collect “dinosaurs and Play-Doh” for PennState Children's Hospital where he was treated for cancer.

Newswanger asked the hospital if those items would be fine and went to work to spread the word and collect toys.

The family told friends and family what Weston wanted for his birthday and even made a Facebook post so others could join the cause.

The call worked.

“We have 1,263 containers of Play-Doh… 71 superheroes… and then 1,249 dinosaurs. And a lot of miscellaneous items that we don't even add, ”said Newswanger.

She said the toys were a big part of keeping Weston happy and busy during the treatment, especially the Play-Doh.

Your fight against cancer

Weston was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in November 2016 and underwent just under a year of treatment. He has been in remission for almost two years.

Newswanger said the hospital became a second home for them.

"We were there as much or more than our own home, so the hospital people became our family."

Weston and his family delivered the items to the hospital on Tuesday.

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