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"The making of I Had A Tumor, It Wasn’t A Rumor"

On February 23, 1993 our son Ross was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, a rare form of cancer. He is now in his 8^th year of remission. Ross’ triumph over this dreaded disease was an inspiration to his family, friends, and community.

In the fall of 1999, at age 13, Ross was invited to be the luncheon speaker at the Wisconsin State American Cancer Society meeting. Unsure of where to start writing a 20 minute presentation, Ross and his mother, Tina, began by looking at photographs from this very difficult time. Every day after school they sat down at the computer and talked about the lessons they had learned along the way. Ross dictated while Tina typed and eventually the story was told. The presentation grew to include 20 slides of Ross’ life since cancer, a video segment of Ross’ interview with Cindy Crawford on Good Morning America, and a poem written by Tina, explaining a mother’s pain as she watches her child suffer. This book is the edited script from that presentation. Also included are 30 tips entitled "Making Life With Cancer Easier To Swallow" which was written by Ross during treatment.

Our reasons for printing and distributing this book are many:

Ross’ happy ending offers hope to children recently diagnosed with cancer and to those who love them. In the hospital, we were surrounded only by other families struggling with chemotherapy, radiation, and many other issues. It would have been comforting to know that children do survive and move forward after diagnosis.

Also, because the text was written by a child, it appeals to and is easily understood by children. His usage of adult terms like "chemotherapy" and "oncology" are honest and clear. Difficult issues like the death of Ross’ friend Jolene are also addressed in an upfront manner as part of the cancer experience. Children with cancer know that some people die from cancer, but they often hold their fear inside, afraid to talk about it until it becomes a huge monster. Addressing these uncomfortable issues opens the door to conversation, a vital step forward in living with cancer. Ross knows he was lucky to survive and his positive attitude, despite the possibility of facing death, comes shining through as part of his cure.

Lastly, it is our hope that Ross’ message, "research can cure cancer" will inspire the public to give generously as well as to encourage their legislators to support more federal funding. From Norman Schwartzkopf to the Ross Romenesko Team, each of us can make a difference in the fight against cancer.

Please e-mail us at: Romy96@aol.com with your feedback.

A special "thank you" to the Appleton Golden K Kiwanis and Menasha Corporation for funding this project and facilitating its printing.

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