Luca

Hi, I’m Luca. I just turned five in June. My mom says I was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma when I was four months old. We went in for my four month routine check up and our doctor found a golf ball sized mass on my right kidney. From then on, I’ve been in & out of lots of hospitals. I’ve had chemotherapy (which didn't work for me – it made my tumours grow bigger) and surgery (when the tumour got too big the doctors decided to take most of it out).  At 8 months old I had a thirteen hour surgery to remove a kilogram of tumor & my right kidney from my tummy. The doctors weren’t sure I was going to make it out of the surgery – but I showed them! Since then, we’ve just monitored the masses that were left behind. I have bloodwork and scans (MRI’s and ultrasounds) done every six months to make sure it’s not growing. I hate bloodwork – it used to take mom & three other nurses to hold me down to take blood from my arm.

I started with Kids Kicking Cancer two years ago now – they started up their Windsor program and I got to take lessons from Sensei Peter.  He’s managed to teach me power breathing and I’ve had lots of opportunities to use it. The first time I used it, I was so proud of myself (and my mom was too!) I wanted to call Sensei Peter from the hospital right away! I’ve also learned how to lay very still for all of my scans. I was able to lay still & breathe through an MRI and a CT scan of my entire body, followed by an hour & a half long bone scan for the first time without sedation this summer!

We found out in April 2012 that the tumours on my liver and kidney have just started to grow again. I just had another big surgery to see if it's new cancer cells or just the old stuff. Either way, I'll have more tests and more surgeries in my future. While I was in the hospital, they had to take lots of blood and put in (and take out) all kinds of tubes. I used my breathing lots and told everyone that would listen about Kids Kicking Cancer. The IV team lady wanted to know all about the program because she'd never had a kid breathe through an IV at two o’clock in the morning like I did! My nurses thought I was pretty amazing! My mom and dad are so grateful that my brother, my sister and I can take part in Kids Kicking Cancer – it’s helping all of us in lots of different situations in our lives. 

Desi

Most children don’t like going to the doctor, especially when there is a needle involved. However, for then-7-year-old Desi Smith, this procedure became a regular occurrence when she experienced a stroke as a result of sickle cell disease and had to begin regular transfusion therapies.

“Desi would tense up and it would be a very grueling day,” her mother, Pam, recalls of the initial trips to the hospital for what her family refers to as “cure days.” Desi’s doctor at the Children's Hospital in Detroit suggested that Pam look into Kids Kicking Cancer (which also works with sickle cell patients), a program that would teach Desi martial arts, as well as how to gain control over her mind and body during stressful times. 

When Pam took Desi to class for the first time, she was surprised at the quality of the program. “The kids learn real techniques and fundamentals of martial arts and the instructors are legitimate. For parents who are swamped with medical bills, the fact that there was no cost was also a big deal.”

To help Desi implement the techniques taught through Kids Kicking Cancer, one of the instructors, Peter, started to come to each transfusion appointment and coach her through it. Pam says, “The nurses were used to her screaming but it was so easy and effortless with Peter there.”

Pam even began to pick up some tips from Desi and has often used power breathing during her everyday life, when she had a painful toothache, or when she gets stuck in traffic.

Today, not only is 10-year-old Desi brave enough to face a needle without Peter, she frequently teaches power breathing to other children who are waiting for transfusions or shots at the hospital. “When people would see Peter in his uniform helping Desi with her breathing, they’d always ask us ‘does that really work?’ and Desi would say ‘do it with us.’”

Desi says, “The instructors are really great! Everyone gets to participate and blowing out the bad feelings is important.”

Pam believes that Desi’s training doesn't just help her medical condition, it builds her character. A few years ago, Desi saw a commercial for a blood drive on TV and asked her mother if they could hold their own. Pam requested sponsorship through her employer, the Salvation Army, and for the last three years, they’ve held “Desi's Blood Drive for Heroes.”

When asked what her favorite part of Kids Kicking Cancer is, Desi says, “the kicks, punches, power breathing, pretty much all of it,” in addition to spending time with the friends she’s made.

“The inner power it gives her to face any challenge, whether its health or school, builds her confidence. The program helps kids realize they don't have to deal with the pain,” says Pam.

Amber

In Amber's mother's words:

I wanted to share a story with you that Amber shared in class last night.

When Amber had her brain surgery back in December 2009, she had 2 MRIs done. Both with contrast. Having a needle put into your arm is difficult enough for anyone, let alone a 7 year old child. Since surgery, she has had a total of 10 MRIs. All with contrast. Prior to her joining Kids Kicking Cancer, I would literally put my face in hers to get her to focus on me. Every test included crying and arguing about not wanting the "poke."  Some worse than others. 

After joining KKC, Amber learned to do the breathing technique but it really did not sink in right away how helpful this was. It was repeated over and over in class that this would help but just did not sink in. In the Fall 2010, Amber joined Cross Country running in school and showed her teammates how to use the breathing technique to calm their nerves. Several of them told her afterwards that it helped. 

December 2010 brought us to her latest MRI. It finally sunk in how the breathing technique could help and for the VERY FIRST TIME, she used it without my helping her and telling her to breath deeply in and out.....to push the darkness out and let the light in. I could only stand there with tears in my eyes watching my beautiful child totally handling this on her own. No words were needed from me.

Please, let all who volunteer in this program know this program does work. The trick may be to get the children to believe....but once they do....stand back and watch because it is an absolute joy.