Reader Spreads the Word about Young Neighbor in Need

When I moved into my house in Perkiomen Township nine years ago, a precocious little boy with freckles and a blonde cowlick ran by and my first thought was, 'I’m going to live next to Dennis the Menace!'

He was an adorable 5 year old little boy with a mischievous smile and a wonderful family, who I have become friends with, as well as neighbors.

Fast forward to present day, and I’m saddened to say that “Dennis” no longer gets to live his simple comic-strip life. Now 14, he is still a polite and energetic young man. But his daily life is not just about hanging with friends, playing sports, and pulling pranks, anymore. He now has to worry about IV drips, MRIs, and fighting a battle against cancer invading his spine.

Kevin Ross was diagnosed with myxopapillary ependemomas, rare cancerous tumors of the central nervous system two years ago, after waking up at night in intense back pain. The cause was found to be three tumors pressing on his spinal nerves. Surgeons performed emergency surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to remove a five-inch tumor and later two smaller tumors from inside his spinal cord. These risky surgeries included eight laminectomies (removal of a portion of the vertebras from his spine) so that the tumors could be reached.

At that time, the Ross family was told that these tumors were slow-growing, and once they were removed, the best course of action would be to “wait and see” to give Kevin more time to grow, as the next course of treatment would be radiation to his whole brain and spine. The effects of this radiation on a child this young could be far-reaching, as radiation can stop bone from growing, and radiation to the brain could cause another variety of tumor. Chemotherapy had been proven ineffective in people with Kevin’s type of tumor. For 2 happy years, Kevin’s MRIs came back clear of tumor development.

But now, I’m sad to say, the tumors are back. The time to wait and see has run out. But Kevin’s parents, Brian and Kathy Ross, have spent their time researching this disease and looking into other options for treatment. They found what they were looking for at the The Burzynski Clinic in Houston,Texas.

Dr. Burzynski has been treating childhood and adult cancers for more than 30 years with a successful Antineoplastons Gene Targeted Cancer Treatment. This targeted treatment is designed to trigger the death of cancer cells without inhibiting normal cell growth. Dr. Burzynski is currently in a Phase II Clinical Trial for this Antineoplastons Treatment, which has a higher success rate than radiation alone and has cured even Grade 3 and Grade 4 aggressive cancers.

The Ross’s have put their faith and hope into this treatment. Although Kevin’s treatment is approved by the FDA, as part of the Phase II Clinical Trial, it is not covered by insurance. The Ross family is looking at initial costs of over $150,000 for the treatment that may save their son’s life.

Kevin’s dad, Brian, works in sales at Graffen Systems. Kathy works full time as a Customer Service Rep. Sister Lauren, 16, attends Perkiomen Valley high School as a junior, and takes several classes at Montgomery County Community College as part of her school day.

Kathy is now with Kevin in Texas at The Burzynski Clinic, learning how to administer the intravenous medications that Kevin will need over the next 10 months to fight the tumors. Between travel and medical expenses of approx $8,000 to $10,000 per month, the family will need financial assistance for a period of time.

Local fundraising opportunities are in the works, but to make a donation now, checks made out to Kathy Ross may be mailed to
Kevin's Hope
c/o Kathy Ross
P.O Box 26496
Collegeville, PA 19426

For information, call Erin at 610-489-3931 or e-mail kevinshope4acure@gmail.com. Please consider supporting this family with your thoughts, prayers, and resources. Working together, we may be able to wipe out this menace on Kevin’s young life.

Kevin's Hope website

- Submitted by Erin Hillyer