To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE


SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

How This St. Jude's Breakthrough Treatment Helped a 2-Year-Old Child Defeat Stage 4 Cancer: "It Was Literally as Bad as it Gets"

News Staff : Nov 30, 2017  CBN News

"His entire face and skull was full of cancer, and all of his bones were full of cancer. He had a large tumor that was present in the middle of his body." -Dr. Sara Federico

(Memphis, TN)— [CBN News] Gideon Purchase's appearance today of a happy, lively 2-year-old hides the long battle he's fought for most of his life. (Screengrab: Gideon Purchase/via Today.com)

At six months of age, he began losing his appetite and wasn't sleeping. More fussy than usual, his parents thought all of the symptoms were related to teething.

Then a yellowish bruise appeared over one eye. The next day, it covered both eyes and a lump appeared on his head.

A quick visit to the doctor resulted in a devastating diagnosis for his parents—stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma.

"It's literally as bad as it gets," Gideon's mother Katie Purchase told NBC's Today.

The boy was taken by Medivac to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., where scans revealed the spread of the disease.

"His entire face and skull was full of cancer, and all of his bones were full of cancer," recalled St. Jude physician Dr. Sara Federico. "He had a large tumor that was present in the middle of his body." (Screengrab: Gideon's Xray/via Today.com)

Luckily for Gideon, St. Jude doctors had a plan to attack the cancer that was growing in his body.

They treated Gideon using a new technique combining an antibody with chemotherapy at the beginning, middle and end of treatment.

"The early results are surpassing all of our wildest expectations," Federico said.

Within six weeks of the new clinical trial, Gideon saw amazing progress.

"He went from 84 percent of his marrow having tumors to zero percent," Federico explained.

The tumors on his face, arms, and legs completely disappeared and others had dramatically shrunk. However, Gideon still had to undergo a bone marrow transplant and follow up radiation treatments.

"Being how aggressive this disease is, they can't leave one cell alive," his father, Gary, said. (Screengrab: Gideon's parents/via Today.com)

After 15 months of treatment, Gideon's doctors finally declared him healthy.

"You yearn for the day when you're not toting around an entire IV tree behind your kid," Gary said. "And then it happens, and you just kind of sit there like, 'Wow. We made it!'"

Today, Gideon is a cancer-free, rambunctious young boy. His parents say they appreciate every moment with him.

"It makes you appreciate the little things. Suddenly, life's problems just don't seem like a big deal anymore," Gary said. "He makes us treasure every day."







SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News

'The Way, The Truth and The Life': Direct Descendant of Muhammad Now Follows Jesus

Food for Thought: The Rich Do Not Get Rich at Expense of the Poor [Video]

Mamdani Erases Little Italy ... and (Of Course) the Jews

A Lesson from King David, and a Call to Prayer from Give Him 15

Prayer Alert: Israel Has Informed the US of Another Specific Plot to Assassinate Donald Trump

Marco Rubio Steps in After Tim Walz Pardoned Illegal Alien Child Rapist before Deportation

Prosecutors Present Texts of Alleged Confession by Tyler Robinson in Hearing for Charlie Kirk Murder

'The Resurrection and the Life': Navy Vet Comes Back to Life After Family Prays

Are Weight Loss Medications Right for You? Pros and Cons of GLP-1s

Company Issues Voluntary Recall of This Specific Kind of 'Pedigree' Canned Dog Food

Prayer Alert: Hundreds of Thousands of Acres Burn as Fires Spread in West

HHS Announces $281 Million to Expand Addiction and Mental Health Programs

Results: In Turkey, Trump Ordered a Trade Halt with Spain, Now They've Suddenly Agreed to Boost NATO Payments

As Billboards Promoting 'Birth Tourism' Pop Up Along Border, Trump to Ask SCOTUS to Reconsider 'Insane Decision' in Birthright Citizenship Case

Charlie Kirk Conspiracy Theories Suddenly Disappear as Video Evidence is Shown in Court

Donnie Wahlberg: 'The Most Important Thing I Ever Did Was to Give My Life to Christ'

'Fourth of July Miracle': Missing 4-Year-Old Found Alive after Walking Nearly Five Miles Along Oregon Coast

Christian Hollywood Star Exposes the Perverse, 'Demonic' Fraud Inside Foster Care System

Brazilian Judge Sentences Parents to Prison for Homeschooling Their Daughters

Little Sisters of the Poor Return to Court Again over Obama Contraception Mandate



Search the Articles Archives

Keyword:  
Author:  
Words Posted On:  
Day Month Year



Subscribe to
Breaking Christian News


Follow BCN on Twitter
Are You Praying for Our Government Leaders?
BCN Staff

Steve Shultz
Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner


Aimee Herd
Aimee Herd, Editor


BCN Plus
Are You Praying for President Trump?
 
 

All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.


Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.

editor@breakingchristiannews.com