10-year-old boy with cancer becomes honorary Zaxby’s employee

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A 10-year-old boy in Warner Robins got to live out his dream Thursday, by working at Zaxby’s. 

Aiden Rozier or Tank as most people know him is your typical boy. He enjoys toys, playing music, and running around. But he hasn’t gotten to do that as much this past year because of his diagnosis.

“In August we found out that he had a tumor on his leg, and the tumor turned out to be osteosarcoma,” said Randall Rozier, Aiden’s dad.

Aiden was diagnosed with cancer in August of 2019.

His brother, Martin says it was hard for him to see his brother going through so much.

“When he first found out he had cancer, and he went for his biopsy, that day I was at school and at lunch, I was about to cry,” Martin said.

Since then, doctors have amputated one of his legs, and his cancer has spread.

Randall says this battle has been hard to fight.

“He just wants to be a kid.” Randall said. “And it’s really been, it’s been a hard thing for all of us because trying to adjusted to what he has to do, the way he does things. we go to the hospital, we stay five days at a time, turn around come home, go back, and stay four days the next time.”

Although Aiden has gone through so much, his mom Linda Rozier says his love for Zaxby’s helped him push through.

“The first night he wasn’t feeling well,” Linda said. “He was really sick the first night and the next day, like 24 hours he was not feeling well but after he got over that, he was, ‘I want Zaxby’s, I want Zaxby’s’.”

The family ate Zaxby’s throughout their hospital stays. Aiden says he just could not resist the flavors.

“I’ve always liked the chicken, and I’ve always liked hot sauce and ranch,” Aiden said.

Thursday, Aiden became an honorary Zaxby’s team member, giving him a chance to serve people at the Watson Blvd Zaxby’s in Warner Robins. He worked and learned the ins and outs of the fast-food business.

Nancy Berry, the director of marketing for Zaxby’s Middle Georgia, said, “A kid that has to have his life interrupted with cancer is bad enough, and to rob him of his childhood is a completely different and horrible thing in our book. We want to make sure if we can bring a little bit of joy to a child who is going through a rough patch or a rough time, then that’s exactly what we’re all about.”

For Aiden, being a Zaxby’s worker was indescribably good.