A New Perspective
“You look at things differently. You appreciate things so much more.” These are the words of Paul Vega, father of 16 year-old Nicholas Vega who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in June of 2010. They capture Paul’s changed perspective on life as a result of weathering the storm of cancer.
Paul described the “whirlwind” that he and his wife, Edith and son Nicholas experienced after an MRI revealed a tumor growing on Nicholas’ femur bone above his knee. It was a Friday morning when Paul received a call from his son’s orthopedist who informed Paul of the MRI results but the news didn’t really sink in. Nicholas’ pediatrician quickly arranged an appointment with an oncologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for that afternoon. Immediately after Nicholas got off the school bus, the family drove the 90-minute ride to CHOP. Though Paul somewhat grasped the seriousness of what was going on before driving to CHOP, the reality didn’t hit him until they arrived at the hospital. “I didn’t really know what was going on until I walked in and saw all of the kids with no hair. Then I realized what was going on. Oh my God, wow!”
When a biopsy performed the following Monday confirmed that the tumor was malignant and Nicholas was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, Paul and his wife were overwhelmed. Said Paul, “It’s earth shattering! A lot goes through your mind. It’s like being hit by a truck. You have this big bang and then you just try to recover. It’s going through the process after that.”
The “process” that followed began with a 10-week cycle of inpatient chemotherapy to shrink the tumor. Throughout this period, Nicholas and his parents drove to CHOP on Friday and returned home on Tuesday. Nicholas spent Wednesday and Thursday receiving homeschooling before making the trip back to CHOP with his mom and dad on Friday.
After the 10-week cycle of chemotherapy, surgery was performed to remove the tumor and salvage the limb. This entailed removing half of Nicholas’ femur bone including the knee in order to ensure that no cancer remained in the bone. As part of the limb salvage, Nicholas received a prosthesis. Physical therapy followed.
While an analysis of the removed tumor indicated that the chemotherapy had produced the hoped-for results, another 18 weeks of chemotherapy followed in order to destroy any rogue cancer cells.
Providing inspiration for Paul and Edith throughout the ordeal was Nicholas whom Paul described as coping “ very well” and “very bravely”. “I was very proud of Nicholas. I was impressed with how well he handled a difficult situation.” Some of the most challenging times for Nicholas and his parents were going through the limb salvage surgery in which Nicholas’ lost half of his femur bone and enduring the side effects of chemotherapy, especially the nausea, loss of appetite and weight loss. In addition, Nicholas and his family endured emergent, unplanned inpatient hospitalizations when he developed infections.
Nicholas is now finished receiving chemotherapy and can walk on his own without any help from a crutch or a cane though some nerve damage has led to a dropped foot. Later this year, Nicholas will undergo surgery to correct this problem.
Like so many families coping with cancer, Nicholas’ family felt a strain on their finances. Already dealing with the stress of unemployment before Nicholas’ diagnosis when Paul was laid off from his job, Nicholas’s mom, Edith had to quit her job in order to be with Nicholas and to attend to his needs. In addition, there were new expenses associated with Nicholas’ treatment for the family to contend with: mounting co-pays, increased gasoline costs associated with travelling to and from the hospital, and meals and parking while at the hospital.
In collaboration with pediatric oncology social workers from CHOP, Family Reach Foundation stepped in to assist the family with a grant to cover one month’s mortgage payment. It really meant a lot to the family to have this big expense covered. Said Paul, “ It was great! It was a huge relief because with the stresses of not having jobs and the unknown of all these medical expenses and worrying about making ends meet, it was a relief to know that this (mortgage expense) was covered.”
In addition to receiving support from Family Reach Foundation, the Vega’s neighbors helped out by organizing a fundraiser for the family. The outpouring of support from Family Reach, neighbors, and strangers really moved Paul and his family. Said Paul, “I’ve seen the good in so many people. So many people stepped up to the plate and came to help. It’s amazing how many people are out there and how many people care…. All the good that’s out there just restored my faith.”
Because he is so appreciative of the help his family has received, Paul desires to give back. “The one thing I want to do is give back. I do want to support organizations such as yours (Family Reach Foundation). I know how it feels to get help and I want to help other families.”
Paul’s deep sense of gratitude combined with his awareness that there are other people out there struggling with even worse situations has led to his changed perspective on life. With weathering the cancer storm has come Paul’s ability to live for the day: “Just to be able to walk to a corner…just to be able to breathe the fresh air…You look at things differently. You appreciate things so much more.”
