CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) — You know our 6 News Chief Meteorologist Tony Martin, but you might not know his son.

Going into his sophomore year at Richland High School, Geno Lamonaca is just as smart as he is athletic.

But that all came to a screeching halt last May when an unwanted surprise took over his life.

"We found out I had a brain tumor," Geno told 6 News.

How did he find out he had it?

It all stemmed from a "freak accident" when he wrecked his bike, sending him to the hospital for some testing.

They sent him up for a CT, and came back a short time later. They said, 'You need to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician or Children's Hospital. We found a mass on his brain.' It just sent everything into a tailspin," Tony described to 6 News.

While it could have gone unnoticed for decades -- eventually causing seizures or other health problems -- Tony calls finding it early:

"Divine intervention. We were very fortunate that he had the bike wreck, because he had no symptoms at all. We had no clue that that was there," Tony said.

The family traveled all around looking for the best hospitals, and they picked Boston Children's Hospital to get the job done: removing it.

Geno's surgery was scheduled for February 13th, the day after the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

An organization called Cops for Kids with Cancer found out about Geno's story, and organized a Super Bowl party for him that weekend.

"It felt better to have a distraction before the surgery," Geno told 6 News.

The next day, Geno underwent a 10-hour brain surgery remove the Glioma, about the size of a grape, behind his left ear.

"I want to thank everyone that sent me cards and well wishes during my surgery," Geno said.

The tumor was fully resected, meaning it was 100% removed and gone.

Now a few months later, Geno is out on the other side, getting check ups every three months.

But aside from more doctor's appointments, Geno is back to living his every day life.

After my surgery, I pushed myself to get back to doing normal things like playing sports or studying. Pushing myself to not get tired after a while," said Geno.

But instead of just stopping there and moving on, Geno is deciding to give back and make a difference.

He started a nonprofit called Swings for Hope -- to raise money for Cops for Kids with Cancer -- which hosted that Super Bowl party for him.

It's the ultimate 'thank you' and full circle moment: helping families in the same situation he went through.

"The mission of our nonprofit is to raise money for families in rural areas to get better healthcare options," Geno explained to 6 News.

The money will help cover the cost of hotels, food, gas, and other expenses that come along with traveling far for cancer care.

I want to do it because I know how difficult it is, for not just my family, but other families to get something done," said Geno.

Swings for Hope is hosting their first fundraiser July 15th at the Highland Regional Park baseball fields called the Home Run Derby.

"There are a lot of families that are just getting started with the same journey that we've been on, and we want to make sure that they have help too," said Tony.

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