Prince George Citizen Article from Saturday

Boy Still Fighting Leukemia
Written by BERNICE TRICK
Citizen staff
Friday, 26 September 2008

An 11-year-old Prince George boy continues to receive treatment for the leukemia cancer he was diagnosed with in early summer.

Sam Goertzen is doing as well as can be expected, according to his father, Gerry.
"Sam's back in Prince George taking regular chemotherapy treatments at Prince George Regional Hospital, but returns to the B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver each month for further treatments," he said. "He's going through the treatments well, and Sept. 26 marked the countdown day for three more years of treatment until September 2011."

Sam has acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is not only the most common, but the most treatable cancer among children, who have an 80-to 85-per-cent survival rate.
He continues to attend his Grade 6 classes at Cedars Christian School, but because his immune system is depressed, he sometimes can't take the risk of catching anything that could compromise his recovery.

"Right now he's in school, but when the flu season begins, he won't be able to attend," said Gerry.

Throughout it all, Sam tries to face each day with a smile and a sense of humour. "Those drugs are powerful, but he continues to conquer it the best that he can. He's really quite an amazing kid."

The Goertzen family has received a tremendous amount of support from Cedars Christian School, where Gerry is the principal, and the rest of the community.
Just prior to the end of school, 56 students and staff shaved their heads to raise $10,000 to help the family with expenses, said Gerry, who is grateful to all who have helped.

A long-time Cedars Christian School supporter, together with Northland Dodge, has provided the family with a 2006 Dodge Caravan, replacing their aged vehicle to make the trips to Vancouver easier.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a type of cancer that causes the body to produce too many white blood cells, usually occurring in children under 10 years.
The number of abnormal, or leukemia cells, grows quickly, crowding out normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets the body needs.