Courage & Hope

Stories of Courage and Hope

Annotated by Tom Swartz

Soccer Teammates Fight Forms of Cancer

Eric Hogrefe and Jonathan Grossman have a lot in common - same high school, same soccer team, same disease — cancer. "Both are neat kids and both are going through one of the worst things in life," said Jonathan's mother, Darlene Grossman. "It's not fair to teenagers." The cancer connection between the two teens was made last spring when Jonathan learned he had osteosarcoma. Eric had been diagnosed with melanoma in 2003. Eric, 17, and Jonathan, 16, play for the Fort Myers High School Green Wave. Eric, a senior, remains an active player despite his battle with melanoma. He shows up for practice when he has the strength, and he appeared in two of the Green Wave's first four games this fall. Jonathan, a junior, is relegated to stat-keeping when he shows up. He's in the midst of twice-a-week physical therapy sessions for his left leg, after undergoing a total knee replacement in July. "I hate going to the games and watching, knowing I can't play and do what I was able to do," Jonathan said. "Then I look at it and know there are other people in lot worse situations than I am. No matter how bad, there's usually somebody worse." Coach Carl Sousa didn't hesitate to save a spot for Eric, who never could've endured the grueling practice sessions leading up to final cuts. "I told him when he can be there, he's there, and when he can play, he plays," Sousa said. "He plays as long as he can when we have the opportunity to play him." Jonathan wanted to stay involved with the team, so he volunteered to keep stats. He had difficulty at first in accepting the fact that he'll likely never play soccer again. But at least he has a fully functional limb, whereas some patients have undergone amputation for the same condition. Each young man has been told they're an inspiration to those around them, though neither fully understands. "A lot of people have told me that I'm really brave and they couldn't have done it," Jonathan said. "But you really don't have any choice. You can either do this and go through all the treatments, or die. It really doesn't come down to bravery, it comes down to enduring it. I think people are inspired by endurance. But I don't think I'm any braver than anyone else would be in this situation." The teenagers’ doctor, Dr. Craig McArthur said it's only natural for people to draw strength from the pair. Not even doctors are immune. "That's why I do what I do for a living," McArthur said. "Children cancer patients are very inspirational. They're very resilient and tend to tolerate a great deal of discomfort as part of their treatment. Certainly seeing their struggles and accomplishments is very inspiring to us."

Trinidad & Tobago Post launches 'Children Against Cancer' Stamp

On December 6^th, Trinidad & Tobago launched its "Children Against Cancer" stamp. "There are about 30 new cases of cancer every year in Trinidad and Tobago among our pediatric population and currently there are overall 236 cases," said Minister of Public Utilities and Environment, Penelope Beckles. Beckles delivered the feature address at the launch of the stamp who was afflicted by sarcoma three years ago. TTPOST and the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society united in this venture to raise awareness of cancer amongst children, said Dr. Kurt Bodkyn, head of Pediatric Oncology at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. "This special stamp has added significance. Not only the message it sends to our youth but also for the fact that letter-writing seems to be a dying art in this fast-paced age of technology," said TTPost chairman, Anthony Hall. The "cancer stamp" designed by artist Troy Rhodes, depicts the cartoon figure of an adolescent grimacing in disgust at a lit cigarette with the words "Smoking isn't Cool" emblazoned in red. The stamps cost $20 each with five dollars of each purchase donated to the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society.

Benefit Dinner to Help Send Oregon Teen to Dana-Farber

At around six feet tall, 15-year-old freshman Anthony Olsen towers above noisy packs of students at Forest Grove High School as he walks alone to his locker. Olsen's locker is bare except for a few books, scattered papers and a raincoat he puts on before he lugs out a thick, orange geometry book for a weekend homework assignment and drops it in a backpack. Outside, where friends gather around the school's front lawn and wait for rides, Anthony looks for his uncle for his ride home, while a few familiar female voices shout his name. He continues his slow walk but turns around and gives a three-finger wave as his wide, contagious blue eyes accessorize a trademark smile -- closed-mouth and easy. Last spring, Olsen was an intermediate football player and drummer at Neil Armstrong Middle School. Classmates voted shy Anthony as the biggest flirt. At that time, most peers knew Anthony had been diagnosed with late stages of Alveolar Soft Parts Sarcoma (ASPS), a rare terminal cancer of soft tissue that is sometimes difficult to contain with conventional radiation, chemotherapy or laser cancer treatments. According to the TAAASPS — The Alliance Against Alveolar Soft Parts Sarcoma — there are fewer than 80 patients diagnosed with this type of cancer in the United States. Most cases occur in patients in their 20s or 30s, and the bulk of slow-growing tumors characteristic of the tissue disease are spread to the lungs and brain. A lump appeared on Anthony's leg after he sprained an ankle in March 2004. Doctors said it was a result of the sprain and to wait. A year later, ASPS was diagnosed after repeated tests and doctor visits, and the family learned that the stage four cancer had been in his body for a few years. At home, Anthony’s father Scott Olsen talks about the next five months, when his wife, Lisa, and Anthony will spend four months in Boston starting in January. There, Anthony will participate in a series of tests for a new treatment for ASPS at Harvard University's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Scott will stay in Oregon to work -- he's a designer at Intel -- and take care of the family's other children. Anthony’s lungs are now peppered with tumors, so doctors said conventional treatments would be too risky. If Anthony responds to treatment in Boston, it may prolong the forecasted 2-4 years of life were he to receive no treatment. The family passed flyers around Forest Grove this fall that announced an Anthony Olsen donation fund at U.S. Bank. That's when schoolmates learned that Anthony's cancer is terminal. Some money has already been raised for the family from school wide fundraisers. At school, Anthony is open about his cancer. "If they ask, I'll tell them whatever they want to know." Teachers say he is a good student and fun to have in class. Anthony spent two weeks in a wheelchair last April when a tumor was removed from his leg, along with his calf muscle. The surgery slightly complicated his walk. "Anthony just got all the girls to push him," Scott said jokingly. Scott says he won't have to tap into savings accounts to pay for room and board, airfare, daycare and other expenses budgeted for the next several months, but the chaos of phone calls, waiting and doctor visits is enough to feel stress each day. "At times I can't focus worth a darn," Scott says. Anthony says everything will be okay. "I guess he lets me do the worrying," Scott says. "Because you won't let me!" Anthony responds. A benefit dinner for the Olsen family was also held December 15 at United Church of Christ, in Forest Grove, Oregon. Scott says Anthony is following his motto: Take things one day at a time. "I've always done that." Anthony says. "Wing everything."

ANNA'S WISH

Anna looks like any other three-year-old... who you can't get to come in from off the playground. But take a closer look and you'll learn that Anna has just received a new play set as a gift from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Anna has rhabdomyosarcoma. Anna's mom Denise said, "We found a lump on her back in the end of March. We thought she'd fallen, maybe bumped herself... watched it over the weekend - it didn't go away. The first diagnosis, it felt like our world was ending. Here is your child and life is so good, and all of a sudden you're thrown into this world where you have to deal with the fact that you might lose your child." Unfortunately, because Anna did not respond to chemo and radiation, she had to have a radical surgery in September. Anna's dad Dave said, "The doctors really aren't saying. By their odds, chances are her five-year survival isn't that good, but she's doing so well. The surgery went well and we are hopeful with chemo and radiation she'll be with us for a long time." But Denise says despite the heavy stress on the family, they have learned first hand about what's important in life. "You just take one day at a time, and thank God for every day you live. We've got a lot of blessings from this. It's made us better people. We are so thankful for every little thing that we have and every minute we get to spend together. We don't take anything for granted anymore." And to them, the Make-a-Wish program has made a world of difference. "It's just amazing that people give so much to people they don't know, and some day we hope we can give back to because it's really made a difference."

Miracle Baby Surprise for Mother

Belinda Hall and her beautiful baby daughter personify the word miracle. Almost a decade ago Belinda, then 13, was battling Ewing’s sarcoma. Her world seemed bleak and the future was to be taken, quite literally, one day at a time. The idea that she would become a mother was deemed impossible. But on December 6^th, Belinda gave birth to Ivy Anne and her dreams came true. "My oncologist said I was only the second woman he had treated who had conceived naturally after so much chemotherapy so I guess we were really up against the odds," Belinda, who is in remission from her cancer, said. Belinda was so convinced she would never conceive naturally that she had started to explore other options. "I was certain we would have to go on IVF (InVitro Fertilisation) and my sister had even stopped taking contraception so she could donate eggs if I needed them but it turns out Mark and I were fine by ourselves and now my sister is pregnant as well," she said. And while it's all smiles around the John Hunter Hospital maternity ward now, life wasn't always so glorious for Belinda. She underwent fourteen months of grueling chemotherapy followed by several surgeries including an 11-hour operation known as a living bone graft. Belinda also endured an operation on her heart. "The chemotherapy was really hard on Belinda and she was only given a 35 per cent chance of surviving at all so she's doing really well ... we're both thrilled and proud of her," Belinda’s mother Sharon Taylor said. "We actually thought her entire reproductive system would have been destroyed." But again Belinda has proven the experts wrong. "Belinda lives with the threat of cancer everyday of her life and there are no guarantees that she won't get a secondary cancer but at the moment we are all so happy and that's the way we want things to stay."

Tyson Takes a "Bite" Out of the Big Apple Thanks to Kids Wish Network

Twelve-year-old Tyson is a typical young boy in many ways. A huge sports fan, he loves cheering on the MSU Bulldogs, playing basketball, riding horseback, and practicing karate. Tyson also enjoys listening to music-especially anything by Randy Travis-and watching action movies. His favorite flicks of all times are the Lord of the Rings trilogy and his all-time favorite food is steak. Tyson's life changed dramatically just a year ago when he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. Tyson's cancer was found in his left leg above the knee. He has had numerous surgeries and has also undergone extremely aggressive chemotherapy treatments. While doctors continue to monitor his condition carefully, Tyson works hard to remain optimistic about his health. Not long ago, Tyson's mother, Pat, learned about a children's wish-granting organization in Florida called Kids Wish Network. She submitted Tyson's name, began the application process, and was delighted to learn that her special son was indeed eligible for a wish come true. There was absolutely no hesitation when Tyson was asked for his number one wish pick. After an incredibly difficult year of painful medical treatments and visits to the hospital, Tyson was ready for a break and he wanted to spend it in New York City! Tyson's Kids Wish Network Wish Coordinator, Madeline, immediately began the arrangements to make his dream come true. Tyson's wish adventure began soon after arriving in Manhattan and checking into the beautiful Marriott Marquis, where they had a suite on the 45th floor with a prime view of Times Square. "It was wonderful!" said Pat. "Tyson really liked it." But the real excitement was waiting outside on the busy streets below-in the city that never sleeps! During his amazing trip, Tyson and his family took advantage of a busy itinerary full of fun and exciting things to do. He especially had a blast visiting famed Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum where he got to pose with a figure of one of his most idolized heroes, cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. "Tyson was really excited about that! He's heard so much about Lance Armstrong!" said his mother. Tyson also took in his first Broadway show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which his mother said he really enjoyed. And of course, no trip to the Big Apple is complete without visits to the Empire State Building, Planet Hollywood, Central Park, and the Statue of Liberty. The tour of the harbor came courtesy of The Beast, a speedboat that took Tyson and his family, along with about another 150 people, on an accelerated ride around the island. Then, on their last night in New York, the roup enjoyed a beautiful-more leisurely-dinner cruise in the harbor. "It was so nice!" said Pat. Tyson returned home from his trip tired, but with plenty of pictures and even more special memories. "Tyson really, really enjoyed himself," said Pat. "He had so much fun! The whole thing was so wonderful, and Madeline was just great!"

Parents Continue Son's Legacy of Bravery

Ret Thomas was falling in and out of consciousness when his father, Rich, told him he had a phone call. Too tired, Ret said he didn't want to speak. "But it's Karl," Rich said. "Karl? Karl Malone!" Ret fired back. "Let me talk to him." Ret sat up to talk to the Utah Jazz great. During their brief conversation, Malone told Ret to watch the game that night, and on his first foul shot he would touch his heart and point into the camera for the 15-year-old. Early in Utah's game with the Golden State Warriors, Malone was fouled and sent to the line for two shots. Malone made his first free throw, and, as promised, touched his heart and pointed into the camera. On his second free throw, Malone made the shot, touched his heart, pointed to the camera and said, "That was for you, Ret." "It was warm," Rich said. "It was one of the most caring, warmest things someone could do." Shortly afterward, Ret fell asleep. He never woke up. Ret had lost a year long battle to Ewing's sarcoma. It's been more than five years since cancer claimed Ret's life, but his memory and legacy grow. Shortly after his death, Rhet’s parents Richard and Suzanne started the RET Pediatric Cancer Foundation, a way of honoring Ret's request that his family do something to help other families and children battling cancer. The foundation channels money to families whose insurance doesn't cover the full cost of cancer treatment. It also aims to spread the word about childhood cancer and the importance of imaging for early detection. "Ret's Foundation has raised over $200,000 in its first five years, mostly through the (Hilton Head Preparatory School RET Memorial Basketball tournament), and we have helped over 20 families in 10 states during this time," Rich said. "But it's not enough to deal with the increasing needs. We intend to triple the amount raised over the next five years." "This tournament has become a truly uplifting, eagerly anticipated, community event," Rich said. "Increasingly, we see more and more people from outside the Hilton Head Christian and Hilton Head Prep school communities getting involved. The tournament has been the sole fundraiser for the RET Pediatric Cancer Foundation up until this year, and it has increased from $12,000 raised the first year to $62,000 last year. Other fundraisers for the foundation now include a Run for Ret, and coming soon: Go to Bat for Ret, a weekend baseball clinic. "To me it honors him and it honors his wishes. It honors his legacy," Rich said. "I guess it brings some kind of meaning to everything he went through." "The shared, agonizing experience of undergoing radical cancer treatment with other families made an indelible impression on us, and especially on Ret," Suzanne said. "Having the foundation help keep his dream alive is about the next best thing to having him here, next to us, helping do it." How did the connection with Karl Malone come about? When the reality of his cancer sunk in, Ret began focusing on things he wanted to accomplish. One of his goals was to meet his favorite basketball player, Karl Malone. Hilton Head Prep boys basketball coach Rich Basirico had a college friend, Mark McKeown, who was the trainer for the Utah Jazz. McKeown set up a trip for Ret, his father and several friends to fly out to Utah to see a Jazz game and meet Malone. Ret was reluctant to go because he feared he might get sick on his trip. But he also knew he couldn't pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Ret and the rest of the gang headed for Salt Lake City in March, 2000. The night before he was set to meet Malone, Ret fell ill. After briefly considering canceling the trip, and after a night of severe pain, Ret mustered enough energy to head to the Delta Center. He met Malone and several of his teammates, then sat in the general manager's box to watch the game. Afterward, Malone spotted Ret while doing post game interviews and motioned for him to meet him near the locker room. Twenty minutes later, Ret was hanging out with NBA players and meeting Malone's 5-year-old son, Karl Jr. "How Ret did what he did that day, I'll never be able to understand," Rich said. "Maybe Karl was an emblem of a future hope Ret had held for himself, and maybe it was that he wanted to have it be as real as possible, knowing what was ahead. But whatever it was, Ret rallied and found an unbelievable source of energy to sustain him through a long and grueling day. I know it was one of, or the, high point of his life." On April 10, 2000, Ret received his final phone call from Malone, who told Ret that if he held on, he would come for a visit on Hilton Head that summer. Malone never got the chance. Ret fell asleep around 10:30 p.m. that night after watching Malone's gestures at the free throw line. About seven hours later, Ret was dead. "It was relief for him," Rich said.

Benefit For Ailing Teenager Tops $5,000 Goal

In December, friends and relatives of 17-year-old Krista Bell, who suffers from Ewing's sarcoma, planned a fund-raiser to offset some of her rising medical bills. Shauna Cattani and Phyllis Lickketto, owners of Wish Salon and Spa in Cinnaminson, NJ held a Salon-a-Thon on a Sunday, with all proceeds going to Krista and her family. The salon owners had set a goal of $5,000, but they have more than $7,000 in donations so far and checks are still coming in, Cattani said. “I thought it was great,” said Krista, a senior at Cinnaminson High School. “I was really surprised by how many people showed up.” “It's great to know that there are people out there who care,” said Terri Bell, Krista's mother. Cattani said they raised about $2,500 in salon services Sunday, and reached $6,500 by the day's end, with services and donations combined. “It really means a lot to me,” Krista added. “There are a lot of good people out there willing to help.” Krista Bell was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in 2003, less than a year after the family dropped its health insurance plan due to the high costs. Earlier this year, doctors discovered the cancer had spread to her lungs. The family is now insured, but is not covered for costs incurred before October of 2005.

Spirit of Giving Touches Students

After her young daughter lost her battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, Marilyn Morello was determined to ease the financial and emotional toll the disease takes on needy families. Morello started the Family Reach Foundation, an organization that provides financial support to needy children with pediatric cancer and their families. On the Friday morning before this past Christmas, fourth-graders from the Beatrice Gilmore School of West Patterson, NJ presented a "giving tree," a green felt Christmas tree studded with $1,420 in gift cards, to the Family Reach Foundation as part of the school's holiday celebration in the gym. More than 90 borough families donated phone cards, fast-food vouchers, American Express gift cards and gift certificates to Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut and Friendly's to the foundation. The foundation will distribute them to a half dozen participating hospitals in the northeast, including The Cancer Hospital of New Jersey in New Brunswick and St. Barnabas Cancer Center in Livingston. Hospital social workers then distribute the cards to the families. "We wanted to help other kids 'cause they are just like us," said Alex Narciso, 10. "They never get to eat what they like, like McDonald's. They have to eat the hospital food." Morello said the foundation pays for things normally not covered by insurance, such as transportation, utility bills, food and mortgage payments. Morello said it was her daughter Kristine's dream to start a foundation to help families battling cancer, before she died from Ewing’s sarcoma 10 years ago. "She wanted to do this when she got better," Morello said. "We do this to honor her spirit." Morello said the program helps the children understand the true meaning of Christmas. "They realize there are kids who don't have what they have and they want to help them," she said. Kiarra Collazo, 9, whose family donated fast-food gift cards, said she hoped her donations would help a sick child feel better for the holidays. "Their parents are always in a rush and don't have time to go to a restaurant and eat with their kids," she said. "Hopefully, this will help."

Cancer Girl Jessica Finds TV Meanie is Big Softie

Soap character Eric Pollard has helped make a young Scottish cancer sufferer's dream come true. Nine-year-old Jessica Webster has been battling Ewing’s sarcoma for almost a year. But now she's all set for a VIP trip around the British soap's set “Emmerdale” thanks to star Chris Chittel, who plays Eric. Jessica was relieved when she discovered Chris was nothing like his mean on-screen persona when she met him. And she was delighted when he invited to her to meet him on the set of the soap in Yorkshire. She said, "I'm really excited about going . . . Eric Pollard is my favorite character, even though he's a bit mean on the telly. He's nice in real life.” Jessica's parents, Barry and Vanessa, were devastated when she was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in April. The youngster started chemotherapy straight away and has been unable to attend school. Jessica also had to undergo an operation to remove a growth in September. The youngster is a big fan of the soap in which a recent storyline featured sneaky councilor Eric sabotaging the village's Christmas lights for his own bad ends. Barry, 37, said, "Jessica was a bit wary about meeting Chris, because of the way Eric Pollard behaves on the show. But we sat and had a cup of tea with him, and he's a really nice man - she liked him a lot. Now, she's glued to the telly every time Emmerdale comes on. It's great that she's getting to go down and see the set. We're timing it round her chemotherapy. She's had a really tough time of it since she was diagnosed, so this is something for her to look forward to." Jessica will make the trip to the soap's set in Yorkshire with her parents and sister this month.

Terra’s Angels Making Most of Benefit

When people ask Wanda Jung why she works so tirelessly on the behalf of children with cancer and their families, the cards, letters and pictures she carries with her say it all. Jung of Brookport, Ill. is organizing the fifth annual Terra’s Angels benefit concert for Saturday January 7^th featuring Vince Gill and Little Big Town at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center in Paducah, Ill. Jung’s daughter Terra Murrell battled Ewing’s sarcoma for nine years before dying at age 20 in 2001. Murrell became acquainted with Gill when he visited cancer patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. Gill and Jung have stayed in touch, with Gill donating his time and talent for the annual concert. “We only have one fundraiser a year,” Jung said. “That’s the reason why it’s so essential to make as much money as possible.” For every $100 ticket sold, $87 returns to the charity, Jung said. A silent auction before the show will feature a full-sized child’s playhouse, diamond jewelry, a limited edition Superman pedal car, an autographed Peyton Manning football, autographed pictures of UK basketball players and various hotel, restaurant and spa packages. Terra’s Angels helped 51 families with children battling cancer last year. The charity paid mortgages, utilities, car payments, insurance co-payments and transportation costs to help families make it through lean times when their children were hospitalized. It also granted a “dream” for one young girl with terminal cancer so she could see a Broadway show in New York City, Jung said. “It all had to be done within a week’s time,” she said. “They didn’t know how long she’d live. Those are the memories that the family will have for a lifetime. You can’t take that away.” Jung began the charity after Terra’s death and has been surprised at the needs. “It’s one of those things that if someone has been affected by cancer, you can’t say no,” she said. “If I have to pay for it out of my own pocket and charge it, I will do that. My fear is that if we run out of money, who’s going to help these folks.” Continuing the charity is what Terra would have wanted. Jung said Terra always bought extra food at fast-food restaurants in Nashville to give to the homeless, and she reassured other children in the hospital who were battling cancer. “Terra was like a radiant light. You always hear of angels on earth, and I think that’s what she was,” she said. “When she would walk into a room, she would always light it up. She was always positive. Vince saw that. He said he had never seen a more beautiful smile than what Terra had.”

A Battle of Will: Teen Faces Biggest Challenge of Her Young Life

It was supposed to be a happy 14th birthday for Katie Collupy of Braintree, Mass. She was eager to slip her feet into a pair of new ski boots. But there was a problem; her leg was so swollen that it wouldn’t fit. Alarmed, Katie’s mother, Joanne Collupy, scheduled a doctor’s appointment immediately. ‘‘It just seemed like an everyday injury, because I couldn’t remember doing anything bad to it,’’ Katie recalled. ‘‘The doctor was supposed to tell us it was a sprain.’’ It was the farthest thing from a sprain. After X-rays and a biopsy, Katie was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. ‘‘It was probably the worst five minutes of my life,’’ said Katie, now 19, recalling the moment when the doctor broke the news. ‘‘I was trying to convince myself that I could live without a leg.’’ Though she still has her leg and is cancer free today, the disease held little promise for Katie when she was diagnosed six years ago. About 200 children in the United States are diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma every year; depending on the size of the tumor, survival rates range from 30 to 80 percent. After her cancer diagnosis, Katie said she made a commitment to be positive. ‘‘It was one of those things where I just had to accept it and say, ‘Where do we go from here?’’’ she said. One month after her 14th birthday, and subsequent biopsies on her arms, lung and bone marrow, Katie started chemotherapy. The treatments put her in Children’s Hospital in Boston every three weeks, for up to five nights at a time - forcing her to miss her first full week as a student at Braintree High School. ‘‘All my friends were getting used to their high school life, and I was getting chemo,’’ she said. Katie spent much of her time with a tutor, yet made her best efforts to attend school whenever possible. ‘‘I was very determined to prove to the school that I could handle pre-AP courses and get chemo at the same time,’’ she said. On March 29, 2000, doctors removed the tumor from Katie’s right leg. The surgery left her in a wheelchair, but Katie said she allowed nothing to slow her down. She was back in school just one week after her surgery. ‘‘(The people in school) were shocked to see me,’’ she said. Katie made honor roll every term. ‘‘She just had this peace about her, like ‘Oh, everything’s going to be OK,’’’ said O’Malley, who taught Katie in a writing workshop class. After her tumor was removed, scans showed that Katie was cancer free. Still, the road was not clear: 30 percent of people who are ‘‘cured’’ of Ewing’s sarcoma die within five years. ‘‘You definitely hold your breath the whole time,’’ Katie said. Chemotherapy ended in December 2000. By February 2001, still clear of her cancer, Katie was back in school as a full-time student. Unable to participate in any sports, she became manager of her softball team and editor of the yearbook. She also played flute in the school band, and was a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society. Today, Katie is a healthy sophomore at Stonehill College in Easton. Along with participating in school activities, she remains involved with the fight to cure cancer. ‘‘(My involvement) raises awareness, raises money, and gives back to organizations that helped save my life,’’ she said. ‘‘I wouldn’t be living without them.’’ Katie is an active volunteer for The Jimmy Fund, donating time at charitable events such as the Pan-Mass Challenge. She is a trained volunteer for a program at Children’s Hospital called ‘‘Teen-to-Teen,’’ where she calls other sick teenagers and talks to them about their situation. She helps them adjust to treatment based upon her own experiences - but above all, she offers optimism and faith. ‘‘By talking to others, I can show you that you can still live, and go on beyond this,’’ she said, ‘‘It gives people hope.’’ Katie also participates annually in Relay for Life, a 24-hour charity event that raises money for cancer. Since breast cancer runs in Katie’s family, she participates in the American Cancer Society’s ‘‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’’ walk, held every year in Boston. Also, in the summer of 2005, Katie attended a camp called ‘‘First Descents’’ for cancer survivors. Though being sick was an experience she would not want to relive, Katie says that she would not want to eliminate it, either. ‘‘Cancer definitely shaped my values and strengthened the person I was before,’’ she said. To the healthy teens of today, Katie has but one piece of advice: to embrace a young life while it’s there. ‘‘Truly enjoy every privilege you have, because when you are diagnosed with something like cancer, you don’t get to go to school every day, and you don’t get to hang out with friends on a Friday night,’’ she said.

Man's First CD Honors Memory of Beloved Cousin

Boca Raton musician David Ruttenberg remembers the day his cousin Margaux Grossman entered his life. He also remembers the day she left. "When Margaux was born, I was stuck at a traffic light," the West Boca Raton resident said. He was so moved by her birth, his eyes welled with tears and a melody came to mind. "I'm at the same scenario 15 years later, but I'm leaving the hospital because she just passed away. Then, no songs came to mind." At 15, Grossman died from Ewing's sarcoma, and in the years that followed, several melodies came to Ruttenberg as he created a CD in her memory. "It was cathartic to me," the 42-year-old said about composing the music. Sunset Key was released in December on Ruttenberg's record label, Polar Boehme Music Inc., and is a solo jazz release, featuring 14 original compositions and a cover of Elton John's Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me. Proceeds from CD sales go to Margaux's Miracle, a nonprofit agency started to support cancer research and help families whose children are diagnosed with cancer. Ruttenberg named the CD, available online at several stores including Amazon.com, Borders and Target, with his cousin in mind. He composed most of it in Sunset Key — a key south of Key West where his family and the Grossman family often visit. "You can feel her spirit there," he said. "Margaux really loved going down there." So far, Ruttenberg said he's raised about $3,000 from sales. The nonprofit will give the money raised to the Margaux Grossman Research Foundation at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York where she was treated. Thirteen of Grossman's friends and their families started Margaux's Miracle after she died. "When the foundation started, I didn't want to have any part of it," Grossman's aunt Rockie Ruttenberg said. Ruttenberg is vice president of the nonprofit. "But the more I would do, the more I feel connected to her." Margaux Grossman, daughter of prominent personal-injury lawyer Stuart Grossman, was diagnosed with cancer in 2000. She was an accomplished horse rider and initially thought her pain was from horse jumping. "It was very hard," he said. "She fought it valiantly, but it's one of these cancers where there's no known cure... yet." Helping others also fits Grossman's legacy, giving her family an important purpose. "Margaux was such a giving person," Rockie Ruttenberg said.

Brave Zoe Beats Cancer

Inspirational 18-year-old Zoe Thacker is looking forward to a normal life after battling cancer for the past seven months. Zoe's mother Sharon said it was a parent's worst nightmare come true when her bright and bubbly daughter was diagnosed with cancer in June 2005. The Edward John Eyre High School year 13 student, who couldn't get enough into the hours in a day, was diagnosed with osteogenetic sarcoma on June 20, the date of her eighteenth birthday. The mass itself was 1mm from the back of Zoe's brain and 1cm from the top. Only seven months on, Zoe is virtually back to her charismatic self, excited about going back to work at Woolworths and starting university. She will receive a new eye in April and looks forward to getting back to the busy lifestyle she once enjoyed. "I just want to get back to normal," Zoe said. "I lived such a busy life before - working 25 hours a week, school, stage band, and was very social." After months of failed treatments and misdiagnoses, Zoe visited a specialist in Adelaide. "He took one look at me and said straightaway that it was no sinus infection," she said. After series of tests, instead of celebrating her birthday in June, Zoe was preparing for chemotherapy. Surgery to remove the cancer in her face, which was unaffected by chemotherapy, lasted 14 and a half hours. Surgeons removed the top half of her hard palette, part of her jaw and nose, her right eye, part of the eyelid and eye socket and seven teeth. The muscles in Zoe's face have been replaced with muscle from her back and her face given structure with one of her ribs. The irony of the situation, Zoe said, was that family and friends joked that she had cancer for weeks before her diagnosis. "My friends thought I was really weak," she said. "I was very lethargic. I even fell asleep during a test at school." Light-hearted and smiling, Zoe recalls how when she found out she had cancer, one of the first things she did was dye her hair. "I came straight home and to the hairdresser to have my hair dyed." Zoe dyed her hair hot pink, wanting to savor every moment of her long locks before the chemotherapy would cause them to fall out.

Teen Not Giving Into Cancer

Fifteen-year-old Chelsey Campbell will take your prayers and well wishes, but you can keep your pity. She doesn’t want it. The former Santa Fe High School cheerleader and softball player would rather focus on trying out for cheerleading again in March, instead of the cancer that has invaded her lungs, liver, pancreas and spine. She’s more interested in defying the odds doctors give people with undifferentiated sarcoma — a 1 in 10 chance — than in feeling sorry for herself. “When you think of cancer, you think of death, but I don’t,” said Campbell. “I’m going to live until I’m 80 billion, trillion years old and see my grandkids’ grandkids.” Campbell was diagnosed in October. Almost immediately, she began chemotherapy. She is undergoing treatment at Texas Children’s Hospital. It was there that she met 93Q morning radio personality Kevin Kline. The two have formed a friendship. Kline said he’s stronger for knowing Chelsey. “We were broadcasting, and I just broke down and cried on air when talking about her,” he said. “After I composed myself, she came over and hugged me and said: ‘Don’t cry for me. I’ll be all right.’ “That’s what’s going to make her victorious in the end. She has a strong family and support group, but they’re strong because she is so strong.” Chelsey’s motto is “Believe.” Chelsey said sometimes her dad, J.L. “Bubba” Campbell, gets upset because he doesn’t think she takes her illness seriously enough. “I don’t look at this as the end,” she said. “It’s just a bump in the road … it’s like a detour.” From her parents to her siblings to her friends, Campbell’s strength is catching. Sixteen-year-old Scott Wallace said he worries about her. But 18-year-old Steven Patton, who lives in her neighborhood, said he knows she’s strong. “She hasn’t changed much,” he said. “She’s still the same Chelsey.” That means she is a typical teenager. Her outfits must coordinate. She must always have a purse. She is outspoken, loves her cell phone and has all the makings of a leader — fearless in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds, confident in time of trouble. When the family’s priest counseled Chelsey soon after the diagnosis, her mother, Sandy Campbell, said he told her daughter that God wasn’t punishing her and wasn’t mad at her. Chelsey told him: “I know that. He gave it to me because they’re going to find a cure with me and treat everybody else,” said Sandy Campbell. “That’s how Chelsey is. We keep the same attitude she has.” Chemotherapy has made the tumors in her body smaller. That, however, doesn’t mean there aren’t moments when the family worries. “It’s hard to deal with and not think of what could happen,” said Sandy Campbell. “My worst fear is that she won’t be here.” But death and sickness are not a part of Chelsey’s vocabulary. “My fear doesn’t have anything to do with being sick,” she said. “I worry about not being able to try out for cheerleading in March. I worry about getting my muscles back, getting my work caught up. I don’t worry about cancer.”