Connor's Story
written by mom Rhonda

Connor was a Halloween baby, born October 31st, 1994. I had a perfect pregnancy and delivery. Connor has always been very healthy.

On October 3rd, 2001, I picked him up at his grandmother's house that evening and he was complaining of his tummy hurting. We thought he was just constipated. I took him to the pediatrician the next morning and they said the same thing, constipation. By that afternoon, he was in severe pain, so I took him to the emergency room. An x-ray showed that his bladder was stretched with urine to more than twice the size it should be. They inserted a catheter and drained him. For a week and a half, this cycle was repeated, with no real answers as to what the problem was. All we knew was that he could not urinate or have a bowel movement on his own. On October 12th, his Urologist decided to insert a suprapubic catheter into his stomach to relieve some of the pain. It was during this surgery that he first saw the "mass", as he called it.

On October 13th, Connor had his first CT scan. A few days later, he had a biopsy. On October 17th, we got the news that we were dreading, Connor had cancer, Rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancerous tumor that attaches to muscle. Our worst fears were confirmed, and it felt as though our entire world had crumbled.

Connor started receiving chemo on October 19th. A CT scan in January of 2002 showed that the tumor had shrunk by 95%. Yah! The remaining tumor could not be removed because in order to do so, his urethra would have to come out as well. He still had his suprapubic catheter, but his doctor was about ready to take it out. He was also getting ready to start 5 weeks of radiation and would continue chemo at the same time.

Connor finished his treatment in August, 2003, and was declared in remission in September, 2002. His second CT scan following treatment in February, 2003, brought us devastating news. The cancer was back, in the same location. It came back within a three month period, to the same size it was originally. We were told his "survival chance" went from 80 percent the first time, to a mere 25 percent this time. We would not accept that! So, once again, life was turned upside down. We started very aggressive treatment. Connor had already had the maximum amount of external radiation to the area, so that was no longer an option. The tumor did respond to chemo, thank God!

On May 23rd, 2003, a surgical resection was done. We had been prepared by the four surgeons involved for Connor to lose his bladder, urethra, rectum and colon, and part of his pelvic bone. They had also told us it would be at least a 14 hour surgery. Only 6 hours into the surgery, one of the surgeons came out and told us the tumor lifted right out, taking a 1/4 of the pelvic bone with it, but sparing ALL ORGANS! It truly was divine intervention, the doctors were amazed. God answered the prayers of so many that day. Pathology showed clear margins!!

Connor recovered well from surgery and they told us he might not walk again, yeah right, he was walking a week later, with a little help. He continued aggressive chemotherapy to kill any cells that might still be in his body. Connor finished up treatment in February, 2004.

Sadly, Connor relapsed again on May 9th, 2004. We tried several different chemos, but his Rhabdo was no longer responding to chemo. He had a major surgery on August 31st, 2004, in which the cantaloupe sized tumor was removed, along with a colostomy and urostomy. He came home mid-September. He was re-scanned, as the doctors had planned on trying more radiation. These scans showed that the cancer had now metastasized to every lobe in his lungs, and throughout his liver. Hospice was started in October, 2004.

Connor turned 10 years old on Halloween, October 31st, 2004.
He passed away the very next day, November 1st, 2004.

Connor is our only child. We will forever be Connor's Mommy and Daddy. We are heartbroken by his absence. Yet, we DO know that he is in Heaven, where he no longer has to think about cancer, hospitals, sickness, etc. We will miss him with every fiber of our being, for every day for the rest of our lives. We had deemed Connor, our "Bravest Little Trooper" some time ago. He never once complained, and he lived every day to it's fullest. He is our Hero!! We will be with him again someday, when God decides it is time.

Please, in Connor's memory, please make the most of every day, and appreciate all the gifts that God has given you. Never take a single moment of your child's life for granted.

Thank you to everyone at MACS for the support you have given Connor, and us, throughout this journey. We are so thankful to MACS for the help with some of Connor's final arrangements. May God bless you all!!

Email we received from Connor's family after he passed away:

To Alex and the Make A Child Smile Organization,

We would like to thank you, Alex, and all of the generous donors and Sponsors of Make A Child Smile for helping our family at this most difficult time in our lives. Thanks to you and your generosity, we were able to give Connor a most proper "send-off" at his Memorial Service. Our depth of gratitude runs deeply, we will never forget your kindness. Losing a child, we are finding, is the hardest thing imaginable. Yet, the kindness of people like you helps us to be able to get through it. May God bless you all for what you have done for us, and for Connor. Thank you, also, for the beautiful engraved Angel frame. We were touched beyond words when we opened it. We appreciate MACS, and everyone who is involved with it.

Love, hugs and thanks,
Rhonda and Eddie, Forever Connor's Mommy and Daddy