Roy Hash - Medulloblastoma

Diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a deadly brain tumor, Roy Hash began the treatment at the Burzynski Clinic in March 2001. He was declared in "complete response" in December 2002. Roy is now 8 years old and in second grade - he's one of the best students in his class. He now has a wonderful little sister Jamie that makes his days full of adventure.

Below is the story written by Roy's mom, Oma Hash, who would like to share with other patients how she fought and won with her son's disease.

Roy was around fifteen months old when he learned to pull up and walk along tables. One day Roy sat down and didn’t get back up. He would sit in my lap and put my hands on his head. Over the next month, his motor skills started to decline. I called the doctor and got Roy in that same day. The intern doctor checked Roy over. A strange look crossed her face when she looked in his eyes. She left the room to get Roy’s pediatrician. He came in a little less jolly mood than usual, but still wearing his Santa hat.  We took Roy out in the hall to see if Roy would take steps or crawl. He could do little of either. The doctor looked in Roy’s eyes. A look of concern turned his face very serious. He said many things, but I heard one very clear “We need to schedule Roy for and MRI to check his head for fluid or some sort of mass”. I was in fight or flight mode. There was no air in the room. Roy’s grandma was with me, she had tears in her eyes as she held Roy close. I handed Roy to his grandma and went into the bathroom. Tears streamed down my face as heart broke for my child.

It was Friday, December 15th when we left the doctors office. The MRI was scheduled for Monday, so the weekend was still ahead. I called the family and friends to inform them of what was coming and to have them all over to see Roy since there might be a chance of being at the hospital over Christmas. Little sleep came, but Monday finally did. Roy was wrapped in a warm blanket as the nurse gave him some sleepy time medicine. Roy gagged it down as he cried and then he puked it up as he cried. Since they couldn’t give him any more medicine, another day would now have to pass before we knew what was going on with our son. That night in front of the fire, Roy laughed and smiled as he spoke with someone on the ceiling. He spoke with someone I couldn’t see, but someone I could feel. The room seemed to glow, but not just from the firelight. Peace seemed to fill the room as Roy and I drifted off to sleep. Everything was going to be OK.

December 19th came. The slamming news that Roy was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, brain cancer. I ran to the nearest bathroom to get sick. Surgery needed to be done. December 22nd Roy had brain surgery to remove a tumor the size of a racquetball according to the surgeon. Christmas that year was spent watching my son’s tiny body shake from the affects of a surgery that reverted my sixteen month old into a newborn infant. New Year was brought in with a surgery that opened Roy’s tiny stomach to repair bleeding ulcers. As Roy healed he was moved to the Pediatric Intensive Unit to the regular floor. Roy then started the non-toxic cancer treatment given by the Burzynski Institute in Houston, Texas and it worked for him. According to the measurements from Saint Francis radiologists, the left over metastic spread of tumor disappeared.

August 9th, 2001 came and Roy had his second birthday. September came and Roy had not been eating well since being taken off steroids. A rash started to form on his feet from a lack of protein. Wednesday September 26th, Roy was supposed to start in IV feedings since he would not eat. Roy’s faint cry and labored breathing let me know that I had to get him to the doctor quicker than planned that day. I asked my sister if she could ride along with us. I headed toward the nearest Fire Station in case anything more happened. Dick Morris answered the phone to a frantic voice on the other end letting him know there was a child having trouble breathing. Thinking the call was meant for Central Fire Station, he questioned further only to find out the child was about 10 seconds from him and had quit breathing. Dick called Life Flight and had everything ready when we arrived. After informing Roy had quit breathing by just saying my name, Dawn started to breath for Roy. I pulled Roy’s limp body from the car and ran to the ambulance where Dick and Johnny were waiting. I lay Roy on the cot. Dick quickly cut off Roy’s Scooby Doo shirt and he and Johnny began working on Roy. We went across the street to be loaded on the helicopter. I was allowed to ride along. 

I was led to a hall with Roy in a room in front of me and doctors and nurses all around him. All the sudden the curtains were pulled. A nurse came over to say Roy’s heart had stopped. Roy’s heart started again after what seemed an eternity. Roy was wheeled out to get a CT scan of his brain and would then be taken upstairs to Pediatric ICU. The nurse came back with the news that Roy’s heart had stopped again. Again she came back to say it started again. Going into his room I saw something I had never seen before. Roy was on a machine that was shaking him what seemed almost violent. The nurse was reassuring by explaining this was a different breathing machine. Roy was so swollen and every place that had been a rash was now a large scab. His toe was purple and turning lack. They mentioned that his toe might have to come off if it got worse. Roy's doctor came to the room. He had treated Roy many times now, but this time his face was different. I didn’t see the confidence he always had. “He has one percent chance of pulling through the night and that is anyone, not someone with his type of history, “ the doctor explained.