At 19 years old, Benji Watson looks just like many other healthy college students. That's because he is. But that wasn't the case about five years ago.

"My food, like, I wasn't able to swallow it," Watson recalls of a day in 2010. "It would just get stuck in my throat and stuff like that. And eventually, I just wasn't feeling good and really bad one morning, and my parents took me to the (emergency room). That's when we found out it was cancer."

Watson was diagnosed with pediatric cancer. He was 14.

He underwent intense chemotherapy and radiation. But during the entire process, he wasn't thinking about himself.

"At any given time, I had more visitors than anyone else on the floor, and that kind of upset me, you know, because having that support with you really helps you get through tough times," Watson said. "I wanted to see if I could do something to help get families and friends with these people so that they can heal, too."

And so, Watson turned his diagnosis into a way to help others.

While still in the hospital, Watson and his family created the Benji Watson Cancer Foundation. To date, more than $250,000 has been raised. Social workers help evaluate who might need the money while the child is in the hospital, especially when both parents might need to work to support the family.

"We give it to families, we give it in forms of groceries, gas cards, utilities, rent ... just so they can take their mind off day-to-day expenses and focus on what's really important," Watson said.

At the foundation's fourth annual fundraiser earlier this month, the musically gifted Watson belted out a tune showcasing a victory over cancer and his appreciation to donors.

Watson's image is now emblazoned on T-shirts for his cancer foundation. It's all part of a $30,000 award the organization recently received, beating out 19 other nonprofit organizations in the process.

One shirt at a time, Watson continues to build his foundation with the help of family and friends he has known since high school.

"It's a nice feeling knowing people, because you can kind of understand what they're going through having gone through it yourself," Watson said.