THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 7, 1995 TAG: 9503070231
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Long : 108 lines
``It's a terrible thing to watch a child dying right before your eyes,'' Scott Holt says. ``Especially when that child is yours.''
Only months ago, 4-year-old Jason Holt lay listless at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk. The harsh fluids of chemotherapy flowed through the boy's veins, attacking the rapidly growing tumors in his abdomen - but ravaging the rest of the body as well.
Jason had Berkitt's Lymphoma, a rare and fast-spreading cancer that attacks the lymph system. His chances were not good.
So it is all the more wonderful that today, after four months of treatment, the tumors have vanished - and Jason is considered cancer-free, says Dr. William Owen, a pediatric cancer specialist at Children's Hospital.
``We never thought we'd see this day,'' said Jason's father, a Smithfield police officer. His wife, Melinda, repeated the exact sentiment.
``They kept telling us four months of treatment,'' Melinda Holt said. ``Four months. Four months. That's all they could say. There wasn't a lot of hope.''
Jason's prognosis was so dim before he began chemotherapy in September that doctors couldn't guarantee him Christmas, the Holts recalled.
His problems began last September with stomach pains so severe that his parents rushed him from their Wakefield home to Southampton County Hospital, where he underwent surgery for what doctors thought was probably a simple bowel blockage.
During the surgery, doctors discovered a problem with Jason's large intestine and feared he had a tumor in the small intestine. He was sent to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters for more tests.
The tests confirmed a tumor in the small intestine - and Berkitt's Lymphoma.
About six in 1 million children are diagnosed with Berkitt's Lymphoma each year, and Jason is the first case in two years at Children's Hospital, Owen said.
``They told us we had a better chance of winning the lottery than getting this disease,'' Jason's father said.
Between 60 and 70 percent of patients with Berkitt's Lymphoma see their cancers go into remission, Owen said, and the survival rate is about 65 percent.
The disease is known for its ability to double the size of its tumors in only hours, Owen said.
``With Jason, one day it was just a tumor in his small intestine,'' Scott Holt said, ``and the next week his abdomen was diseased from the waist down.''
The hardest part of Jason's illness, the Holts agree, was watching their son suffer through the side effects of chemotherapy, the only treatment known for Berkitt's Lymphoma.
``There were times,'' Scott Holt said, choking back tears, ``that he couldn't even hold his head up. He was as limp as a dish rag. Skin and bones. I'd carry him to the bathroom and back. And when he was in bed, he would just lay there - and not talk. We'd watch cartoons together, and he'd hold my finger.''
``At one point,'' Melinda Holt said, ``he didn't even want to swallow, he was in so much pain from the mouth sores caused from chemotherapy. He had to be given large dosages of morphine.
``Then, at one point, fluid began blocking his airway and he began choking. He stopped breathing three times in 24 hours. We had to keep his airway clear with a suction pump until the airway healed.''
Through all of this, the Holts say they drew their strength from the Smithfield community that rallied to the family's side, supporting them through blood drives and an auction that raised $15,000 for medical costs.
As of last week, the Holts said about $30,000 total had been raised for the family - against medical bills of more than $500,000. One 10-day stay for Jason cost $137,000, Scott Holt said.
The family's insurance pays for 80 percent, he said, and the Holts say they are not sure how high their total medical expenses eventually will be.
But worries about medical expenses do not compare with the joy the Holts are experiencing now.
They say they will never forget the day their son's cancer was judged to be in remission.
``We danced around for a couple of days,'' Scott Holt said. ``And I held him most of the time, kissing on him.''
``The first year is very critical,'' Owen said. ``If he stays cancer-free for one year, chances of a full cure are great.''
Life is returning to normal for Jason. On a recent visit to the Smithfield Police Department, he was scolded for running in the office.
``Would you like some bumps on your backside?'' Scott Holt warned his son.
As Jason's eyes got big and his head began to shake ``no,'' Scott Holt couldn't help but smile.
Last September, the Holts didn't expect Jason would see Christmas.
Today, Jason is looking forward to chocolate eggs at Easter. MEMO: Contributions for medical expenses can be sent to Friends of Jason
Holt, Bank of Isle of Wight, 1803 S. Church St., Smithfield, Va. 23430.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II, Staff
Scott Holt and his 4-year-old son, Jason, live in Wakefield. About
six in 1 million children are diagnosed as having Berkitt's Lymphoma
each year.
by CNB