Our
Kids
Eric Sears
1990 -2000
 Garnet Eric Sears was diagnosed
with Stage IV neuroblastoma in the
spring of 1997, when he was in grade 1. After
weeks for the cancer to be
recognised, and another week in hospital for
diagnosis, by the time he
was treated the cancer had ruptured bones and he
was on high doses of
pain killers.
The chemotherapy rapidly vanquished the pain and
Eric was discharged
from hospital in time to gather Easter eggs. He
had seven rounds of
chemotherapy, surgery to remove the primary
tumour, and radiation. He
also went canoe-camping, played hockey and
played with his friends.
Throughout treatment he learned to cook many
great foods (he was awesome
in the kitchen!), to ride a bike (the faster the
better!), to ride a
horse, to downhill ski, to shoot an arrow with a
bow, and to swim. We
heartily thank blood and platelet donors –
without you these activities
might not have ended as happily as they did.
Next came stem cell transplant. We were not
happy with the stem cell transplant regimen at
Sick Kids in Toronto (low dose, same agents as
he had been treated with before), but were
promised that this would qualify him for
upcoming antibody treatment. Christmas found us
in the transplant ward in Toronto (we watched
the ice storm on TV!). No vaccine or antibody
trial materialised. Every child receiving that
protocol has
since died.
The next spring Eric climbed to the eighth floor
of Sick Kids for his 100 day check-up, was
pronounced healthy, and a week later was on
morphine with relapse in his bones. He had very
brief relief of pain
with accutane (now a standard treatment) and
then moved back to chemo. We firmly believe that
there has to be a better way to deal with
cancer, so Christmas 1998 found us in Memphis at
St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital for a vaccine trial. Unfortunately the
accutane we wanted between shots, to slow down
the disease, would have violated the protocol.
The vaccine seemed to help, but with longer
times between
treatments the disease took over again, so it
was back to chemo. Every child on that trial has
since died.
During our four-year journey we also went to
London Ontario for MIBG treatment (a radioactive
isotope treatment that binds to the tumour).
This was given at a dose that was less than a
tenth of doses that are used elsewhere, and had
no effect.
We also ventured to New York for a consultation.
Eric did not qualify for their antibody
treatments, so the specialist at MSKCC
recommended low-dose etoposide (chemo). Shortly
afterwards, just as Eric’s pain was
escalating because this had no effect, the
specialist's article was published, describing
that patients such as Eric are not expected to
respond to this treatment.
Eric had many experimental drugs during his time
at CHEO, and thanks to this several times he
walked out under his own steam after doctors
pronounced that he was soon to die. The disease
eventually invaded his
central nervous system, which is generally
lethal within days. He lived for almost a year
after that, with intrathecal treatments using
two drugs at different times, proving that these
drugs may be both safe and
effective. High dose oral vitamin C also beat
back the disease in the central nervous system
enough that he went home to ride his new scooter
and to skate for his last Christmas in 2000.
Eric also pioneered use of
bisphosphonate in children to strengthen the
bone and reduce pain in bones with cancer, and
he was the first to have his GCSF (an injection
to stimulate production and release of
infection-fighting cells) delayed until his
blood counts fell, to minimize the duration of
very low counts. Shortly before he died he
received slightly higher dose
intravenous vitamin C, but we will never know if
it was just too little too late. One bump on his
arm disappeared with this treatment. We credit
the generous, caring, insightful staff at CHEO
for their courage to
investigate and to use experimental medications,
buying Eric years of happy times.
Children with neuroblastoma are especially
intelligent. Research has shown that treatments
that leave most children with intellectual
disabilities merely render the neuroblastoma
kids “normal.” Eric was true to this type, with
a quick wit and ability to “cut to the chase.”
Once after waiting seemingly hours for an
appointment he walked into the neurologist’s
office, with ample theatrics. Within a couple of
minutes he was asked, “Eric, do you like Mr.
Bean?” In his last days, the doctor asked him,
“what hurts?” He answered, “if you hit me with a
baseball bat, that would hurt.” She laughed, and
cried, and gave up asking that question. Eric
was renowned for his great sense of humour, and
talent with video games.
Eric knew in his heart that his time was
limited, but he wanted to help other kids. He
asked to have his tumour and blood sent to a
laboratory in the USA for research. He
cooperated with tests to follow what was
happening so that we could learn as much as
possible, so that other children could benefit.
He even gave a TV crew covering a blood drive
such a great lecture on haematology Dr. Halton
figured he could take over her first year
lectures.
The world is losing too many of the best and
brightest children to neuroblastoma. To change
this, the OttawaNRF supports research to treat
this disease in fundamentally different ways.
Fortunately the Apoptosis Research Centre, at
the CHEO Research Institute, is a world leader
in promising avenues of investigation. Through
support of the OttawaNRF, neuroblastoma is now a
central malignancy in these studies.
Primary cancer prevention is also important,
which is why clover seed is sold on behalf of
the OttawaNRF to eliminate use of pesticides on
lawns.
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