If you see Joe playing baseball with his team, you might (or might not) notice the scar on his left arm. It runs from his elbow to his wrist, but it has faded some over time. If you see him reach high to catch a line drive you might (or might not) notice that his wrist bone sticks out a little. What you can't see by watching him play baseball is that Joe is a cancer survivor.
Just after his 7th birthday, Joe woke up one beautiful October morning with a lump on his arm, a lump that turned out to be Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare, aggressive form of bone cancer. He spent the next year in treatment at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. Treatment included six surgeries, 10 months of in-patient chemotherapy stays, six weeks of radiation and many medications.
If you know Joe is a cancer survivor, you might (or might not) know just how extensive his cancer team was. Joe received excellent care from his pediatric oncologist, his pediatric surgeon, his radiation oncologist, and two outstanding orthopedic surgeons and those were just the doctors. His team includes all the nurses, nursing aides, physician assistants, housekeeping, dietary staff and ward clerks across multiple departments. His team also includes our extensive and wonderful family and friends who held us up and helped us thrive.
If you know about Ewing's Sarcoma, you might (or might not) know that it is a prime example of how vital cancer research is. Ewing's Sarcoma was initially a disease treated primarily through amputation. Research helped identify the necessity of systemic treatment through chemotherapy which greatly increased patient survival. Research helped identify the success of radiation in eradicating Ewing's tumors. Current research includes studies to determine the best outcomes with the lowest side effects as well as inquiries into better methods of treatment for reoccurrence and metastases.
We are so grateful to everyone who is and will become part of the cancer team through the Courage Ride.
Joe is now 10½ years old. Thanks to his baseball team, he can help win a ball game. Thanks to his cancer team, he is winning his fight against cancer.
Thank you.
Jenny, Tom, Joe and Seth