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A promising future
In September 2005, Brent McCreesh was declared free of cancer. He celebrated Christmas among 12 cousins and other extended family members from whom he'd been virtually cut off; during the chemotherapy and transplants, Brent wasn't allowed to be indoors with other children for 16 months, for fear of infection.
In saving his life, the extremely intense treatments have taken a toll on Brent. He is short – likely to reach a little over 5 feet – and he will be infertile; he also has some hearing loss. Despite the repeated chemo and whole-body radiation that can affect brain function, Brent has shown no signs of learning disabilities. In fact, his intelligence is above normal, a surprising observation in many neuroblastoma transplant survivors that hasn't been explained, notes Diller.
"Brent is amazing," says Dana McCreesh. "He's happy; he's at nursery school and having play dates." So far, so good. But the McCreeshes are holding their breath: Until three years have passed since Brent's transplants, there's a 50-50 chance of a recurrence. "We hope he enters permanent remission in June 2008," his mother adds.
Despite the daunting prognosis for a large segment of patients, says Shusterman, "This work is incredibly rewarding. You help people through the worst times of their life, and a lot of kids are now happy and active and thriving."
For more information on neuroblastoma, see "Cancer Information" on this web site.
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