Dreams Come True of Louisiana gifts teen recovering from cancer a trip to the PGA Tournament

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - As kids, we are told to dream big, and on the fairway is where Charles Blanchard found his coming true.

The 14-year-old picked up golf a year ago after his dad asked him to play a couple of rounds, and it only took one swing for him to fall in love.

He asked me to come and start golf and give it a shot,” Blanchard said. “So, he took me out, got me some gloves and I started playing.”

That time on the course is just what Charles needed after fighting the toughest battle of his life.

“I had Non-Hodgkin lymphoma,” Blanchard said.

Charles and his parents found out he had cancer when he was 12, but thanks to chemotherapy and other treatments, he’s back to living a normal life playing the game he adores.

“I’ve been in remission for almost two years now,” Blanchard said.

The organization Dreams Come True of Louisiana heard Blanchard’s story and decided to give him a special gift.

“So much we take for granted, means so much to them,” Becky Prejean, executive director of Dreams Come True of Louisiana.

The nonprofit grants dreams for kids across the state who are fighting life-threatening illnesses.

This year, the group dedicated their annual golf tournament to Blanchard, and at the end, he was gifted tickets to go to the PGA Tour in Los Angeles in June.

LSU legends D-D Breaux, Paul Mainieri, and Mike the Tiger were on hand to support and celebrate.

“For these kids, to have their biggest dream ever, which may be their last life experience with their families… that counts. That matters. That’s what this is all about,” Breaux said.

A dream comes true for a kid that never stopped dreaming.

“It’s about the kids, it’s about coming out here and having fun and making dreams come true,” Breaux said.

Blanchard says his favorite golfer is Justin Thomas, and he hopes they can get a chance to meet when they go to the tournament this summer.

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