About Adam

January started out great for Adam Carter. What child isn’t excited for their birthday? Adam turned 11 years old in January 2009 and was getting ready to finish off the second half of his 5th grade year at Holy Family School in Decatur. Soon after that birthday, Adam and his family were shocked and distressed to learn that, with nearly no symptoms, Adam was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, specifically, Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET), a rare cancer that is found in soft tissue and bone. Ewing sarcoma cells can also spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body including the bone marrow, lungs, kidneys, heart, adrenal gland, and other soft tissues.

Adam’s primary tumor was removed with clean margins in March. Unfortunately, after further testing, the doctors learned the cancer had metastasized, spreading to his lungs.

Adam is undergoing an extremely aggressive treatment plan for the next 18 months. His treatments consist of in-patient chemotherapy, which means Adam is in the hospital for a week, out for two weeks, and then the cycle starts over again. He is also participating in a clinical study for treating the metastatic cancer in his lungs. This treatment will consist of either radiation or a bone marrow/stem cell extraction and transplant.

UPDATE:
Adam's cancer spread to his brain in late October and he underwent surgery to remove the brain tumor. A few weeks later, he suffered a brain bleed and it was determined that more tumors were growing in his brain. He underwent two more brain surgeries to remove tumors throughout November but they kept growing back faster than he could recover from the surgeries. In December, Adam started radiation and more chemotherapy immediately after the third surgery and the hope was to get as clean of field as possible so he could have a stem cell transplant. In January after radiation therapy, an MRI showed more tumor growth in his lungs and a new spot on his spine. The doctors decided to do more chemotherapy to see how the tumors would respond - hoping for shrinkage to perform the stem cell transplant.

In early April, the Carters were told that the disease was growing rapidly and the doctors did not believe more treatment would stop it. The chemo, etc. made Adam very sick, needing platelets and blood transfusions often. Adam's parents and doctors decided that Adam should spend his time doing things that he enjoyed - take a trip, do his Make A Wish, play with his friends, go back to school — whatever he wanted.

Just one week later, Adam started to have pain in his chest. The doctors said there was a build up of fluid around one of his lungs due to the tumors but they felt they could drain it and do a procedure to prevent it from happening again. This happened on a Friday, 3 days before Adam was supposed to leave for his Make A Wish trip to St. Louis for Opening Day at the STL Cardinals. In an extreme turn of events, late Saturday night, Adam wasn't making the progress they expected and his heart rate was increasing.The doctors determined that more fluid was filling up in another location. By Sunday, the entire chest was filling with fluid. To the horror of the doctors and the Carter family, there was nothing more they could do for Adam. He was released to spend his final days at home with his family.

Adam was extremely sick and it seemed unlikely that he could go on his Make A Wish Trip. This was devestating for him and therefore heartbreaking for his family. After a lot of discussion, it was determined that he was too sick to go on Monday, but they would make every effort and expedite all the plans to get him to the game on Wednesday. Adam held on - and he got his wish. On that Wednesday, he was an honorary Coach for the St. Louis Cardinals and he got to meet all players, including his favorite Albert Pujols.

Currently, Adam is taking one day at a time and his family is making every moment count.

Here are a few things about Adam written by his Aunt Gaggie:

		"When Adam was born I cared for him when his Mom went back to work for the last two months of school before summer break. My own children were all in school and I wasn’t working at the time. I love babies anyway, but this was special for me because Adam is my youngest sister’s baby. He was a joy and it was difficult for me to give up having him with me 5 days a week when the summer came and his Mom was home again. I like to think that we have always shared a little something special because of the time we shared way back then. Over the years, I have watched as Adam has become the wonderful young man he is. His caring attitude for others is a great part of who he is. His classmates have voted him to be the Christian Leader of their class every year from Kindergarten thru the 5th Grade. They care a great deal about him and all of the kind and generous things they have done for him since he became ill are testimony to this.
		Adam has a wonderful sense of humor. Whether it is joking and teasing his older sister, Maegan, or laughing with his dad, who by the way is his “best bud”, he always brings a smile to everyone's face. He is an avid sports fan ... all kinds of sports - football, baseball and basketball. When he began playing on the Decatur Catholic Bulldog team last year, we went to several of his games. Not only did he score several touchdowns, but enthusiastically cheered on his teammates when he was on the sidelines. And anyone who knows him, knows of his passion for the St. Louis Cardinals. Adam is a very deep thinker. I believe that many adults might not come up with some of the questions, especially as he is going through this difficult time, that he has had for his parents and the doctors. He is learning a great deal, at his young age, about a disease that I wish he had never heard of. I know that he listens when the doctors are talking to his parents and processes their theories about his illness in his own way. He may not like what they are saying, but he knows that this is what he has to do to get better and follows their direction. I could go on and on about the wonderful qualities of Adam, but I will finish by saying that Adam is my HERO." - Gayle Heneghan (Adam's Aunt)