Nine-year-old boy a pretty tough kid

Published 10:28 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

Inside the cancer unit on the “Train” floor of Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, Snoqualmie resident Cindy Thrasher-Ehly takes the hand of her 9-year-old son Cody, a lanky third-grader who attends Snoqualmie Elementary.

For most of last week, he was confined to his bed because of the various tubes taped and inserted into his body that pump medicine and check his vital signs.

His short brown hair has begun to fall out from the first of 11 chemotherapy treatments he must endure.

Although he checked out of the hospital earlier this week, he knows he will undergo the same process again in about a month.

“In three weeks, we’ve been through severe nausea, had to have a blood transfusion, he has sores in his mouth; and to know that we’re going through this every 21 days, it takes a toll,” Cindy said about the 11-month treatment process. “It’s hard. He’s my baby.”

In November of last year, Cody had just started karate lessons.

On Feb. 26 of this year, he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer usually found in children and young adults.

“I would like people to know that this type of cancer isn’t contagious,” Cody said.

The exact causes are unknown, but it is thought that it might be related to rapid bone growth, which may be why is it often found in youth.

“The prognosis is good, we caught it early,” said Cindy, who intends to shave her head to support her son in his hair loss and to raise money for the hospital that is treating him. “The downfall is the side effects, and because of the chemo, he could get leukemia or a different cancer [later on].”

Last month, Cody began to complain of severe pain in his left tibia, the thicker bone of the lower leg.

Cindy said she chalked it up to growing pains.

When his leg began to swell, she decided to take Cody to the doctor.

A week later, he was diagnosed.

“I felt kind of worried,” said Cody about when he found out. “I didn’t understand it.”

Doctors found a tumor in his tibia and saw that a small tumor was also developing in his lungs.

Ahead of him is a path of more chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and a bone graft to replace a part of his tibia scheduled after his sixth chemotherapy treatment.

He currently takes seven to nine medications a day. His weight is checked daily.

“I think things are pretty good now,” he said. “I’m getting healthy now.”

Last week, he went into Children’s for a checkup and ended up staying more than four days due to weight loss. This was the second time he had to be unexpectedly admitted.

“It’s amazing how fast he can have a turn-around,” his mother said, noting that he has good days and bad. “It’s like you’re on a merry-go-round.”

After receiving his first chemotherapy treatment, his white blood cell count, which is about 10,000 in healthy individuals, dropped to 18, Cindy said, noting that his immune system should rise again before the next treatment crashes it back down, making him more susceptible to illness.

“Unfortunately, the chemotherapy kills off the bad, but it also kills the good,” she said.

Cody has lost his appetite, too, and has developed temporary mouth sores that cause him pain when he speaks.

“Every side effect you can get, we’ve had,” Cindy said. “But I know he is going to be a survivor.”

Four years ago Cindy, a pharmaceutical technician in Snoqualmie who has lived in the area since 1992, adopted Cody from her sister, who was unable to care for him or his siblings.

Cody moved from California to live with his aunt and her long-term boyfriend Herb, while his four older sisters went to live with their biological fathers.

They call often to check in on Cody and give him their love and support, Cindy said.

Before Cody flew to Washington, Cindy had never met him, but she knew she wanted to become his caregiver. Two years ago, the adoption became legal.

He calls her “Mom.”

Cindy pointed out that in many ways, Cody remains a hopeful and positive child who takes the pressures in his life one day at time, even in the face of what is happening.

The two talk a lot, Cindy said.

His favorite television show is “Power Rangers” and he loves math and often plays on his Nintendo DS, which Nintendo donated to him when they heard about his situation. He listens to country music and when his energy level is up, he even dances with his mom and enjoys having his friends visit him.

His goal is to return to his karate lessons as soon as he is able and work toward eventually getting his black belt.

“I think that the hardest thing has been that he misses school and he misses his friends,” Cindy said. “I keep telling him that by a year’s time, he’ll be back in karate … I just tell him he just has to get sicker before it gets better. He’s stronger than I could ever be. But he’s always been that way.”

Cindy said that they also try to keep positive.

“If we don’t keep positive, then it runs off on him and that could be very damaging to a child,” Cindy said. “Don’t get me wrong, my boyfriend and I fall apart, we just fall apart out of his sight.”

What gets her through the day, Cindy said, is her friends and family and the love of her son, along with her “belief to know he’s going to pull through this.”

Survival rates are good for those diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma.

In 2000’s Journal of Clinical Oncology, it was reported that patient survival rates without the reoccurance of the cancer five years after treatment were 55 percent.

Cody is a participant in a few research studies, since the cancer he has is so rare, and he has applied for an experimental stem cell transplant program, though he is still waiting to find out if he is qualified.

Cody is independent and has been involved with the decisions to be a part of those studies, Cindy said, noting that they both feel that if there is a possibility to help others through what he is going through now, then they should do what they can.

Since Cody was diagnosed, Cindy has been working at her job when she’s able while paying for his treatment through private insurance and state assistance.

Cody said that the process he goes through gets old and he doesn’t like it.

“He’s just sick and tired of being sick,” Cindy said.

“I’m a firm believer that God only gives you what you can handle,” Cindy said. “God must think Cody’s a pretty tough kid. He’s my hero.”

Cindy said that the support of her local community and Children’s Hospital has made all the difference in facing this life-threatening illness.

Cindy said she is considering starting a support group for others who have had or are currently experiencing childhood cancer.

“You go through a total life change,” Cindy said. “You always feel like it’ll happen to someone else. I want people to be aware.”