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Boy hailed as hero in cancer battle! Cathy Lord The Edmonton Journal Friday, January 31, 2003 EDMONTON - Brave, resolute and amazingly resilient, 11-year-old Nathan S. re-introduced himself to his Grade 6 classmates at V. school on Thursday. With some straight talk, a little interpretive dance and a few laughs, Nathan told of his 13-month fight with a rare form of cancer. Chemotherapy, radiation, bouts of pneumonia, pancreatitis and shingles. What got him through all ofthis? "My dog, my video games and my mom; things that could comfort me and things that could take my mind off it." "If you're really stressed, play video games," he advised. Nathan was recently found to be in remission after being diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of sinus cancer. After dancing into his classroom wearing his multi-coloured radiation mask, he explained how he painted it different colours, after finishing his treatment, to represent all he had been through. Yellow represents his hair loss, red for his face after radiation, green for getting sick after chemotherapy. The remarkably self-possessed boy then recounted the chronology of his disease with a frankness that sometimes made his mother Diane wince. It started with having a stuffy nose and being upset when he was told he was allergic to his beloved new dog. "Then I stuck my finger up my nose," he said, drawing laughs from some kids in the class. "You would do it, too," he told them, describing how he discovered something like "an airbag" in his nostril. When allergy tests proved negative, he had surgery to remove what was believed to be apolyp. It was a tumour and "it went all downhill from there. "I've had pancreatitis so I couldn't eat and it really sucked. I had shingles and that really sucked and in December I had pneumonia. I just got over that. I've had other complications which I can't remember." Nathan showed the students the "G-tube" on his stomach where he gets some nutrition. "I'm just starting to get back to food." He demonstrated how he holds his pencil differently now but "I can still draw and write." He warned he "kind of walks around like Frankenstein" but he doesn't want any special treatment. "I'm just like all you guys." Classmate Christine Grant said Nathan is "really brave to go through all that. I'm really proud of him. I'm glad he's recovering." In September, teacher Garth Knudsen was assigned to help Nathan at home with his school work. Knudsen said he got Nathan, an aspiring writer, a laptop computer so he could keep writing when he was in and out of the hospital. "The most rewarding thing is to see the boy get his health back and get back to school," Knudsen said. "He's a very courageous young man." Nathan is looking forward to meeting British fantasy writer Brian Jacques through the Make A Wish Foundation when Jacques tours the United States. On Saturday, Nathan's family organized a "freedom from cancer" party at Riverdale community hall that featured singing, storytelling and a special dance by his sister Lily, a top International Baccalaureate student in Grade 11 at Victoria school. Nathan emceed the event attended by family, friends and all the health and school professionals who have helped him through his ordeal. Diane says she's really impressed with her son's spirit. "Nathan's had a really amazing attitude. He endured it and rose above it. He's a really neat kid." NATHAN ANSWERS QUESTIONS Q. Were you scared of radiation? A. "At first I was but it wasn't bad at all." Q. What was it like when you were told you had cancer? A. "I hyperventilated. I said, 'No, no, no'. I was in denial for the first couple of minutes but I got on with it. I'm not afraid of needles anymore." Q. Last year I saw you in a wheelchair. When did you start walking again? A. "A couple of months ago." Q. Are you still afraid of getting cancer? A. "I kind of pushed it into the back of my mind." Q. How did you feel when your cancer was gone? A. "I was glad I could get back to school." Interview with and profile of Nathan Scott.
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