VA Child Battling Cancer Surprised By New Playset Built By Volunteers: Watch

WOODLAWN, VA — As 7-year-old Leonel returned home from school, his mom led him to the backyard with his eyes covered. He was nothing but smiles when he discovered a new playset in his backyard.

It's been a tough two years for Leo and his family after he was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, the most common type of cancer affecting children. But throughout the difficult journey, a ray of hope for his parents has been that Leo has gotten to simply be a kid.

Leo will get to enjoy more play time thanks to the work of volunteers who built his playset. On Thursday, volunteers with Dominion Energy and Roc Solid Foundation surprised Leo with a newly-built playset in his backyard in Fairfax County's Woodlawn community.

"Seeing him happy makes us happy. And that's been our thing throughout this entire journey, just being happy," Leo's father, Jairo Melendez, told Patch. "It means a lot to us; if I see him smile, it makes us happy."

WATCH: Leo comes home from school to the surprise of a playset in his backyard.

The playset was the result of 15 Dominion Energy employees volunteering through the Roc Solid Foundation, which builds playsets for children fighting cancer around the U.S. Dominion Energy has built playsets three times with Roc Solid Foundation in the past three years. A manager with Dominion Energy was familiar with the foundation and got employees to volunteer.

According to Dominion Energy spokesperson Peggy Fox, the company allows employees to volunteer in the community — as long as it's not a severe weather day when workers may be addressing power outages.

"It's a perfect volunteer opportunity for us because we have the employees who have the skill set to put these together," Fox said. "They want to give back to the community. The company encourages that and makes it available to them."

Leo's mother, Ruth Diaz, said the family learned about the foundation through his child life specialists at Pediatric Specialists of Virginia. They submitted an application so Leo could become one of the many children Roc Solid Foundation has provided a playset for.

Roc Solid Foundation's mission of building playsets aims to help kids diagnosed with cancer have an escape to just play. Having a playset at their homes gives these children with compromised immune systems a safe place to play, as they may not be able to play on public playgrounds.

Melendez said Leo's cancer battle was scary and uncertain at first.

"Through everybody's love, support, community coming together, and doing stuff like this, for us, it's been...not easy, but easier," Melendez said. "He's continued to being a kid through all this. And that's what's more important for us, seeing him happy, seeing him be a kid and see him continue to do kid things without feeling different or feeling like not himself."

The smile on Leo's face said it all as he tried out his new playset.