Winfield picnic provides a day of 'normal' for kids battling cancer

When Nick Marvin arrived at the Northwestern Medicine Pediatric Oncology picnic three years ago, cancer had just barged into his life.

Doctors diagnosed his 15-month-old son, Andrew, with acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. There are only about 3,100 cases of the high-risk form of leukemia diagnosed every year.

Andrew faced 40 months of treatment with drugs more toxic than many other blood cancer patients receive. During the first eight months, Andrew spent more than 70 nights in the hospital.

"So many of those were unexpected," Marvin said. "He wakes up with a fever; you're in the hospital for a week."

Andrew, who lives in Winfield, is now about 29 months into his treatment. On Saturday, he arrived at the oncology picnic in Winfield's Oakwood Park armed with a large squirt gun, a cap to shield him from the sun and a smile.

Like many of the other patients, he was there to eat ice cream, exact some revenge - with his squirt gun - on the doctors and nurses who poke and prod him, and just be a normal kid.

Normal is a word his dad thinks about a lot. Next May, Andrew will complete his treatment. Survival for five years after treatment, in May 2023, will earn Andrew the designation of being cured.

Roughly 80 percent to 85 percent of children with leukemia will achieve that designation. But leukemia's aftermath for children who are cured often can involve loss of fertility and hearing, heart problems, and a greater occurrence of other forms of cancer.

"What I'd want people to know about leukemia is that survival does not mean the fight is over," Marvin said. "It does not mean you've come out unscathed. It means you've lived for five years after treatment. He'll never be able to get things like life insurance or health insurance.

"So, yes, we're at a place where many childhood cancers are very survivable. But we're also at a place where that isn't enough. How are you going to live a life that's normal? Because, to me, that's 'cured.'"

Those interested in helping families maintain some level of normalcy while battling childhood leukemia can reach out to the Naperville-based Childhood Leukemia Warriors Foundation. The new not-for-profit group provides financial support to families who have children being treated with leukemia at Central DuPage Hospital.

Visit childhoodleukemiawarriorsfoundation.org for more information.