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3-year-old with cancer a 'remarkable kid'
Doctor's report of cancer hit family like a 'ton of bricks.' 3-year-old Bricen Maloney was diagnosed with cancer on Aug. 13.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
FRANKLIN — The Maloneys never will forget their son's 3-year-old check-up.
James and Dana Maloney said they felt a "real hard" spot near the stomach of their son, Bricen.
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Bricen Maloney, 3, who was diagnosed with clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, chats with his mother, Dana Maloney, on Friday at their Franklin home.
Bricen Maloney, 3, proudly displays his scar and cancer treatment targets that run from one side to the other across his stomach, where a large tumor was removed."We thought it may be nothing," Dana Maloney said. "An infection or a hernia."
Or cancer.
On Aug. 13, Bricen met with his family doctor, who confirmed the mass. Bricen had an ultrasound, blood work and X-rays at the Children's Medical Center of Dayton. The doctors' initial diagnosis was that Bricen had a Wilms' tumor in his kidney.
The following day, the tumor, the size of a grapefruit, was removed.
It was malignant.
James Maloney said the news of the cancer hit the family like "a ton of bricks."
Dana Maloney added: "We were a basket case."
Bricen had clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, which can spread from the kidney to other organs, most commonly the bone, but also including the lungs, brain and soft tissues of the body. It affects only 15 to 20 children a year.
Bricen, who turned 3 on July 8, had his right kidney removed and he has begun a six-month chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Dana Maloney follows what she calls the five L's: live, love, laugh, learn and lead.
"When something like this happens," Maloney said, "you have to be strong to get through it."
Less than one month ago, James and Dana Maloney's son, Bricen, was an energetic, inquisitive boy who loved the Cincinnati Bengals, Army men, pirates and Reese's Pieces.
Today, he's a child with cancer.
"He's a remarkable kid," his father said.
"He's very, very strong," his mother said.
He has demonstrated that strength every day since Aug. 15 when he was diagnosed with clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, a rare cancer that affects only 15 to 20 children a year.
Last week, Bricen introduced himself not with a handshake, but by raising his polo shirt and showing off his 8-inch scar that runs from his back to his belly button.
"Look," he said. "Check this out."
Order that boy a "Chicks Dig Scars" T-shirt.
Beneath his bright smile and innocent eyes, you get the feeling Bricen understands there's something wrong with him. Throughout the initial exams, when his parents didn't know what caused his abdominal bulge, Bricen never asked questions.
And when you're 3, it seems unanswerable questions are more important than breathing.
Then, as Bricen was wheeled to surgery to have his cancerous kidney removed at Dayton Children's Medical Center, again he said nothing.
He just crossed his fingers.
"That's when I lost it," his mother said.
Bricen and his parents now are dealing with radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Bricen has what they call "good and bad days."
To provide daily updates to friends and family, they manage Bricen's Web site, which had more than 6,000 visitors the first month.
Their motto: "Victory will be mine."
Fundraisers for 3-year-old Bricen Maloney
Brice's Fight Ride
When: 11 a.m. Sept. 15
Where: Orioles/Duffer's, 980 E. Second St., Franklin
How much: $10 for single bike; $15 for double
Contact: Tammy Eversole (937) 746-6146 or (937) 397-9895
Bricen Maloney Cancer Foundation Golf Outing
When: 1:30 p.m. Oct. 13
Where: Jamaica Run Golf Course, Germantown
How much: $75
Contact: John Ramby (937) 604-2731 or john_ramby@msn.com
What is clear cell sarcoma of the kidney?
It is a rare cancer, with only 20 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. Although a rare cancer overall, it is the second most common kind of kidney cancer in children. The average age for the diagnosis is 3.
Doctors are trying to find out why some children respond better to treatment than others, so they can select the most specific treatment for each child.
Patients with clear cell sarcoma of the kidney are treated with the combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The current recommendations are to remove the tumor first, then continue with chemotherapy and radiation. Tumors that cannot be completely removed or that have spread to multiple places should be biopsied first. Following a biopsy of the tumor, chemotherapy is given to shrink the tumor.
»On the Web: caringbridge.org/visit/bricenmaloney
