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.

BUT - Cancer does not define Adam!

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)