THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 25, 1995 TAG: 9505230093
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
Nobody was talking cancer.
On this balmy evening, chemotherapy, hair loss and death were the farthest things from the minds of about 50 young cancer patients, their siblings and the Medical College of Hampton Roads Big Buddies who had assembled at Golf-O-Rama on South Military Highway.
This was a night for a hole-in-one.
``Hey, did you see that?'' squealed Mario Gee, an 8-year-old from Virginia Beach, as he sank his golf ball with a single stroke into Hole No. 2 at the miniature golf course.
His brother, Napoleon, 12, and Big Buddies, 24-year-old Tom Johnson and Dana Erickson, 25, shook their heads in amazement.
``You're not as good as me, Tom,'' the youngster chided Johnson, a first-year med student who towered above him. ``You can't do that.''
Seriously satisfied with himself, Mario gave an enthusiastic high-five to a bystander, then skipped off to Hole No. 3. The rest of his golfing party followed along behind him, giggling at the glee of this pint-sized wonder who seemed worlds away from being sick.
But for most of his young life, Mario has fought hard against the ravages of cancer.
``It gets bad when he gets sick,'' said his brother, Napoleon. ``But I don't realize he's got it most of the time. To me, he's just my brother.''
Behind the foursome, medical student Kim Moore was waiting her turn to putt. Her Little Buddy, 7-year-old Jeffrey Dell, and his sister, Verkisha, 8, were clowning around, trying to climb the side of a plastic mini-mountain. Fellow Big Buddy Jerry Strohkorb aimed for the hole.
``When you think of cancer, you think of old people,'' Strohkorb, a 24-year-old Texan, said as she glanced at Jeffrey. ``But as a Big Buddy, you see how a young child, who is so much alive, has to deal with it. It really gives you a different perspective than you get in a classroom.''
Like most of the medical students at the outing, Moore had no idea about the particulars of her Little Buddy's cancer. She wasn't there to learn about medicine; her purpose was to offer these kids some support and an entertaining distraction from the daily anxieties of having cancer.
``I just never thought to ask about his cancer,'' she said. ``Right now, we're just having fun.''
Another medical student, Jennifer Campo, echoed her sentiments.
``Once you start hanging out with them,'' she said, ``you realize they're just kids, and you forget about all that.''
For the last year, a group of about 65 of these first- and second-year medical students have matched up with dozens of young cancer patients and their siblings, age 5 to 17, for monthly outings to the circus, Tides games, the movies and picnics. They call the group ``SMILE,'' an acronym for Students Make It A Little Easier. The Virginia Division of the American Cancer Society is the group's sponsor.
The students' primary objective is to give these seriously ill children and their families time away from cancer, the hospital and all the stress of being sick. But their role isn't simply to entertain. When cancer rears its ugly head, the medical students are there to offer a sympathetic ear, a supportive shoulder or an amusing diversion. Visiting the hospital, dropping off games and books, or sending get-well notes is all part of being a buddy, they contend.
And it's not just the sick kids who need their help.
``So many times, the kids who are diagnosed with cancer get all the attention, and their siblings feel kind of left out,'' noted Campo, a 23-year-old New York native. ``They need somebody to make them feel special, too.''
Parents also need some relief.
``When they drop the kids off, the parents seem so glad for a break,'' said Jeff Bocchicchio, a 29-year-old student who plans to specialize in pediatrics. ``Cancer is really hard on the families; it takes a lot out of them. They need to get away from the routine and the stress once in a while.''
Community support for the group has been strong. Business owners like Golf-O-Rama's manager, Dave Bishop, said he donated use of his facility to the group because he understands all too well how traumatic childhood illness can be on families.
As an infant, his 4-year-old son, Justin, was hospitalized for three weeks at the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, suffering from pneumonia.
``I feel like they saved his life,'' Bishop said. ``I was there at the hospital every day, and I saw parents who weren't as fortunate as we were. Their kids weren't coming home. It helps make me feel like I'm paying back when I can help out worthwhile groups like this one.''
For the busy med students, going golfing or to the movies with these kids helps them see that good medicine involves far more than physical treatment. In the long run, they believe, these kids will help them become better doctors.
``I'll gain a better understanding of my patients by doing this,'' Bocchicchio said. ``These kids are cool. After going through cancer, these kids really understand life. They're not regular 9- and 10-year-olds anymore.
``I know I'll learn a lot from them, and at the same time, I'm having lots of fun.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
Dana Erickson helps Mario Gee with his round of golf while his
brother Napoleon watches from behind.
by CNB