Last July, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals jammed the Pantera classic 'Walk' with cancer stricken fan Peyton Arens at their first-ever show in Tulsa, Okla. Sadly, Arens has passed away after battling a rare form of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Arens' website was created by his family to draw attention to the need for more childhood cancer research. It also has a link where you can donate to an organization that supports children's cancer research.

After learning about the teen's death, Anselmo posted the following message on his Facebook page along with a couple of photos of him and Arens during the 'Walk' performance (see the full post below).

"Dammit… this one hurts deep. There's been moments in my life that have been so extraordinarily positive, uplifting and unique, and I feel very lucky to be able to write those words. However, one of the most uplifting experiences had to have been meeting and jamming with Peyton. He was the bravest kid in the entire room when myself and The Illegals met him at our first gig ever in Oklahoma.

I was led to believe he was frail, weak and highly-guarded before we met, but he was anything but that deceptive description. He commanded the entire stage at soundcheck, he shredded on the axe, and completely blew us all away collectively with his quick wit, skills and charm. And when it was his turn to get up onstage come gig-time, he laid into that guitar with as much passion as most pros in the Heavy Metal biz today.

He will always be in our hearts. RIP little brother Peyton. You put love into our hearts. Our condolences go out to his brave family and friends everywhere.
With all my heart on behalf of many-
Philip H. Anselmo"

Arens was also a fan of Whitechapel. The band's guitarist Alex Wade posted the following tweets:

 

Philip Anselmo's Facebook post:

 

We'd also like offer our condolences to Peyton's family and friends.

Watch Philip Anselmo Perform With Peyton Arens

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