Meet Max
A Little Boy's Fight Against B-Cell Lymphoma
Max's courage and bravery goes beyond his years. This has been a battle we never thought he would have to face. And to complicate matters, it wasn’t a straight-forward diagnosis.

B-Cell Lymphoma is typically found in the lymph nodes and in the lymphoid tissues. In Max, it was discovered in the bone of his right arm and left leg around his knee. The cancer had spread and the oncologists were blunt. Without the proper immediate treatment, the consequences would be devastating. Additionally, it was so rare that the doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, one of the premier facilities for cancer treatment in the world, had never seen it before.

We immediately sought the best care for Max. While doing that, we learned the reality of rare pediatric cancer. Because it is rare, it is underfunded. And without the proper funds to support the research, our children will not be cured. Max immediately started a two year protocol of chemotherapy at MSKCC, and our family set out to make a difference.

On October 13th, 2009 the doctors removed his port. This is a milestone. The port was surgically implanted in Max’s chest the day of the biopsy. They only remove the port after treatment, and once the patient is believed to be in remission. This is good news.

Max climbed up onto the operating table and lied down. We watched the anesthesiologist slowly administer the anesthesia. Annemarie and I watched him fall to sleep. I kissed him on his head, and then we left the room. Twenty minutes later he was in recovery.

Shortly after, I left the hospital to go to work. I walked out the glass doors onto 68th street and headed up towards First Avenue to catch a cab. While walking I felt a sudden jolt of joy. For a slight moment , I felt like I did the day of my high school graduation. I wanted to throw my cap up in the air and celebrate. But then reality set in. I felt more like the father of a soldier, who was just told that the war is over, and his son is coming home.

Over 12,500 children are diagnosed with cancer every year in the United States. Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer. Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death in children between the ages of one and nineteen. One in every five children diagnosed will die five years from the time of diagnosis. There are more than 270,000 childhood cancer survivors in the U.S.

As we approach the end of the year- please keep us in mind when making donations. We are dedicated to saving our children suffering from cancer as well as those that are next in line.

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"You're my superhero, brave as can be,
throw away the comic books,
they're just make believe.
Don't need x-ray vision,
to spin a web or two,
don't need the Batmobile,
to do the things you do."

Album: The Journey
Song: My Hero