For years, KSN has followed the cancer fight of Bella Bush, a Wichita girl diagnosed with a brain tumor at 18 months old.
Now, in a strange twist of fate, Bella’s friend from church also has brain cancer.
Andrew Ewertz is now at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, where he celebrated his 12th birthday with cake, confetti and a song by his doctors and nurses.
He didn’t have the energy for much more than that.
Andrew’s grandmother in Newton says the sixth grader had a brain scan in December after suffering headaches and nausea for several weeks. He was flown to Kansas City immediately to have the tumor removed.
“So he had his surgery right around Christmas time,” said Lorri Fortna. “He wasn’t even aware it was Christmas.”
His church in Wichita threw a belated Christmas party for Andrew and his parents, complete with Santa and presents.
His friend and fellow cancer patient, Bella Bush, posed for pictures with him. Her incredible recovery and St. Jude’s reputation for saving lives give Andrew hope.
“In fact, my parents have donated to them almost all their life,” said Fortna. “My dad is a monthly donor to them, and now we’re using some of that.”
When St. Jude first opened in 1962, the survival rate for overall childhood cancers was only 20 percent, but now treatments invented there have pushed that to over 80 percent.
Just like Bella, Andrew will go through weeks of the proton beam therapy– intense, targeted radiation– then several weeks of chemotherapy.
“It’s been hard for him,” said Fortna. “He’s lost a lot of weight and just hasn’t felt well.”
She says Andrew gets chilled easily and wears sunglasses to deal with double vision. Because the radiation affects his motor skills and balance, Andrew also does physical therapy.
“And they have teachers at St. Jude’s so he is continuing his education there,” said Fortna. “He will go on to the seventh grade.”
Andrew also gets to have some fun at the hospital. Video games are his favorite!
He and his parents live at the Ronald McDonald House, and all their expenses are covered by St. Jude, a huge help to the family.
“Yeah, because she lost her job when they had to go there so they have no income,” said Fortna, referring to Andrew’s mom, Sara.
The grandparents are planning a trip to St. Jude next month, since Andrew’s treatment will keep him in Memphis most of the year.
They ask Kansans to keep praying for him.
