Vincent’s Story This little guy is Vincent. In April of 2012 at six months old, his mother felt a lump in his abdomen while changing his diaper. An MRI later revealed a tumor roughly the size of a bagel, and tests revealed the cancer to be Rhabdomyosarcoma, or Rhabdo for short. Only about 350 kids are diagnosed a year with it. At an age where his parents should have been marking the milestones of their child—crawling, first steps, baby teeth, first words, and such—they also had to deal with the ups and downs treatment. His battle started with a chemotherapy treatment that would last 43 weeks. Along the way there were surgeries for various tubes he needed, and sometimes ER visits and hospitalizations due to infections. In September his tumor stopped shrinking, and his parents were faced with some difficult decisions regarding his course of treatment, and they opted for surgery, followed by radiation. In the first week of October Vincent went through surgery to remove the tumor. Going into the surgery it was unknown if removal could be possible, and if so, how much of the tumor could be removed. It all depended on what the tumor was connected to. There was also the possibility that organs like the colon and bladder may be needed to be removed along with the tumor. Fortunately, the surgeons discovered that the tumor was connected to very little, and were able to remove all but a fingertip piece on Vincent’s prostate. In December Vincent started radiation. Five times a week he went through radiation treatments, for a total of 28 sessions. Because he’s so young and he has to be still during the procedure, for every radiation session he had to be put under anesthesia. He also still continued chemo treatments during this time. In January Vincent finished his radiation, and this month he finishes the last of his chemotherapy. At the end of February he will have a MRI, a chest x-ray, and a bone scan to determine if he is NED (no evidence of disease). Even with a promising outcome, the road for Vincent is still a long one. For years to come he will be regularly checked to make sure the cancer does not return. About 20% of kids battling rhabdo face recurrence, and because of his young age, Vincent’s chances increase. But even if Vincent is cancer-free the rest of his life, he still faces the side effects of the treatments that saved his life. Organs within the vicinity of the area treated with radiation may not function properly. Bone growth in his pelvic region may be stunted and may require surgery down the road to correct. He may face another kind of cancer later on in life. Vincent, as well as others affected by cancer in my life, is why I am participating in St. Baldrick’s again this year. He is the grandson of close family friends, and was diagnosed not long after I participated last year. He is why I encourage you to participate, or at the very least support those who are. You may not know a child battling the disease now, but down the road it may be your own child, your grandchild, someone you know and love. Please help us support an organization looking to find better treatments, and maybe someday, a cure for childhood cancers. Thanks, Michelle Van Rite