KidsCanMN

Carter Botz, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 06:00:07 +0000

Two weeks before Carter’s fourth birthday, we made our first visit to Children’s, which would confirm our fear that he had leukemia. With his only symptoms being leg pain and emotional outbursts, we had been visiting our pediatrician drawing blood and searching for a cause. The day the blood started looking suspicious, we were on our way to Children’s in Minneapolis. The sight of the “Hematology/Oncology” sign is permanently etched in my mind. During that first week of hospitalization, a little boy popped into our doorway. He simply asked, “What’s he got?” I fought tears as I tried to explain how our brave little man’s blood was sick. He shrugged and went off to play. As he stepped away, his mother came in behind him. She asked, “Leukemia?” I just nodded. Then she pointed to her son and said the words that gave me a ray of hope, “He had it, too.” We were not alone. I knew we would survive. Carter is now a healthy 9 year old. Treatment was difficult for him. He was bumped up to high risk because of previous steroid exposure and because there were questionable blasts in one of his spinal taps. He was amazing through it all. He is finishing up 3rd grade and is entering his first year of Travel Baseball. We are so thankful as we watch his life unfold, knowing his character is greater because of his fight with cancer.

Mikaela Hanson, Germinoma Brain Tumor

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 05:59:37 +0000

This all started in March 2006 when my mom took me in for a physical and to see why I hadn’t grown much in the last two years. After a whirlwind of tests (MRI’s, CAT scan, PET scan, spinal taps, and blood work) it was determined that I had a tumor on my pituitary gland but a biopsy was necessary to figure out what type of tumor it was. The biopsy was done May 15. (I was in the hospital all week and had 45 stitches around my face!) It was determined that I have a Germinoma (germ cell tumor) that is Malignant (cancerous). I went through 4 rounds of chemo and one month of radiation. The doctor says they can cure 95% of these type of tumors. And guess what? She was right! I am now officially four years out of treatment and am just dealing with post treatment side effects.

Cancer is rough, but you just have to keep your head up and don’t ever give up hope!

Mikaela, survivor, age 15

Nathan Walz, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 05:57:23 +0000

In his sophomore year of high school at age 16, Nathan was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (Non-Hodgkins). He completed two years of chemotherapy treatment at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. Nathan is currently a student at St. Johns University in Collegeville. He is a psychology major with minors in music and Spanish. Nathan continues to be an inspiration to his family and friends! He has volunteered as a teen counselor at Camp Mak-A-Dream in Montana and Camp Sunshine in Wisconsin. Nathan’s long-term goals include graduate school and continuing to work with children affected by life threatening illness.

John Bremer, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 05:56:54 +0000

John Bremer was 2 1/2 years old in June of 2005 when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). John also has Down syndrome. Kids with Down syndrome are 10 to 20 times more likely to get leukemia than typical kids. John endured three years and two months of chemotherapy completing treatment in August of 2008. Despite being weak, bald and bloated, John continued being a kid, playing and laughing whenever he felt well enough to do so. Today he is a happy, healthy little boy with a full head of hair!

Joe Brunner, Burkitts Lymphoma

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 05:56:33 +0000

In 2005, Joe Brunner was diagnosed with Burkitts Lymphoma, a very rare and aggressive form of cancer that impacts approximately 300 children a year in the United States. He immediately underwent six weeks of intense chemotherapy treatments at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. Today, Joe is cancer-free and enjoys a normal life that includes family, friends and participation in plenty of sports including baseball, football and basketball.