9 YR OLD....CANCER

9 YR OLD....CANCER

MANSFIELD -- He's only 9 years old, but Sam Bish is fighting as dreadful a disease as anyone could endure.




Five months ago, the boy was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

His mother Cindy is hoping her former community will step up to help. Cindy, 36, is a 1991 Mansfield Christian graduate.

"This summer we noticed that Sam was complaining about pain in his right leg," Cindy said. "We just thought it was growing pains, so we didn't rush him to the doctor."

But Sam's pain progressed.

"We got really concerned, but never thinking it was cancer," said Cindy, who lives with Sam in Reynoldsburg. "We took him to an orthopedist in Westerville, and they asked him if the pain woke him up at night. They consider this a warning.

"Sam said, 'yes,' so we took him in for an X-ray that showed a mass in his right leg."

Within two days, the family was at Nationwide Hospital getting more X-rays and MRIs, trying to see if the cancer had spread.

It had. On Aug. 16, Sam was given his official diagnosis.

"Osteosarcoma is a form of bone cancer, and it had spread into his lungs," Cindy said.

The life-threatening disease is a recurring cancer.

"We had been hoping it had been caught early, but it hadn't," his mom said. "He had multiple nodules on both lungs, had a spot on his left fibula and one additional spot on his spine. The main mass was on his right leg in the region of his femur."

Sam's first lung surgery will be at the end of February.

"He'll have to have two, but it was just too much to do all at once," Cindy said. "Then he'll have radiation in the spring. The spot on his spine is inoperable, so we're hoping radiation will take care of that one spot."

Chemotherapy started at the end of August.

"Fortunately, the cancer seems to be responding to his chemo, but he did have to have his right leg amputated to ensure that all the mass was removed," Cindy said.

Right now the family is looking into getting Sam an artificial leg.

"He's been to school four days this year," Cindy said. "We couldn't let him go because he needs to be kept away from the crowds and kids to keep him away from the germs. He's getting some tutoring, but he will probably have to repeat third grade."

Nevertheless, Cindy said her only son has done "remarkably well."

"His life has changed in such a short period of time," she said. "He'll have angry periods. He misses his friends and his old life and school, but he really has rebounded from his surgery and is coping well with the loss of his leg. He even seems to be looking forward to getting his 'robot leg.' That's what he calls it. He's very open to showing people his leg and telling people he has cancer."

Cindy's mother, Gail Handwork, of Mansfield, is hopeful.

"I believe God doesn't make mistakes," Handwork said. "Sam's condition is part of God's plan, and God will use his condition for good. Sam has a zest for living and doesn't complain about his condition. He makes the most out of every moment, and I believe he's going to get through this."

Cindy said she started a Web site, caringbridge.org/ visit/sambish, to bring attention to his cancer.

"The amount of blessings and love showered on our family has been incredible," she said. "We've had 170,000 hits on the site, and people from all over the world are praying for him. I just wish our son didn't have to have cancer to see the blessing."

jkinton@nncogannett.com
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