SUDDEN SUFFERING: Houston boy, 3, survives fight with cancer

At the beginning of May in 2011, Evan Harris was acting like any other boy his age. He was energetic, inquisitive and generally rambunctious.

But a week later, the 17-month-old Houston resident’s demeanor had changed drastically. He had an ear infection that wasn’t getting better, and he became lethargic and had difficulty moving.

“It was getting worse,” Evan’s mother, Shannon, recalled. “He was leaning his head toward the side, and he started throwing up every morning. We didn’t really know what was wrong, but we took him to the doctor.”

Evan was diagnosed with a brain tumor, specifically a grade-3 ependymoma. On a scale of 1-to-4, four is the worst.

“They found it, and two days later they had to remove it by surgery,” Shannon said. “In the two days time after they found it, he couldn’t walk any more –– it got that bad that fast. Before, we didn’t realize there was anything wrong; he was just a normal boy doing everything normally.”

Evan’s tumor was located in the back of his head near the spinal column and was cutting off fluid to his brain. Doctors told his parents that quick action was necessary.

“We didn’t even have time to think,” Shannon said. “He went from being normal to not being able to walk in about a week. They said they needed to do the surgery, and we said ‘OK.’

“We found out later that throwing up in the morning is a sign of the ependymoma.”

The surgery, performed at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield (now Mercy), was successful. Evan is now 3 1/2 and is once again acting like a normal boy.

“We had a very good surgeon, and they were able to remove it all,” Shannon said. “We were told that if any of it was touching his brain stem, they would have to leave it. But we were fortunate that it was kind or wrapped around the spinal column, but wasn’t touching. They followed up with 32 rounds of radiation to make sure, because if there was one cell left it could start all over again.

“They say the first five years following surgery are the most important, as far as recurring goes. So we’ll see.”

Following surgery, Evan spent six months being fed by a tube and dealt with significant paralysis to one side of his face and body.

“They told us beforehand that he probably wouldn’t be able to eat,” Shannon said. “Now he’s eating again, he’s walking again, and he’s learned everything all over again.”

Evan’s successful surgery took place on May 8, 2011 – Mother’s Day that year.

“It was a good Mother’s Day for me,” Shannon said.

Late last month, Evan and several family members enjoyed a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., as guests of the Make a Wish Foundation, an organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

“He wanted to see Mickey Mouse,” Shannon said.

Evan will be among the cancer survivors honored this Saturday at the annual Relay for Life gathering in Houston. The event, which has a fundraising goal of $38,000, is set for noon to midnight at the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce Fairgrounds on North U.S. 63.

Here is the schedule for the 2013 Texas County Relay for Life:

• Noon: Opening ceremony, including presentation of colors, national anthem, invocation and parade of teams.
• 1 p.m.: Dedicate a lap and relay races.
• 2 p.m.: 60s and 70s hour, scavenger hunt.
• 3 p.m.: Three-legged race, 80s hour, derby races.
• 4 p.m.: 90s hour, frozen t-shirt contest, line dancing, BINGO.
• 5 p.m.: One performs, noise makers craft.
• 6 p.m.: Survivor ceremony and lap.
• 7 p.m.: Backwards lap, One performs.
• 8 p.m.: Skipping lap, 2000s hour, live auction.
• 9 p.m.: Luminaria ceremony, silent lap and fight back ceremony.
• 10 p.m.: YMCA lap, relay contest.
• 11 p.m.: Macarena lap.
• 11:30 p.m.: Closing ceremony lap.

We didn’t even have time to think. He went from being normal to not being able to walk in about a week.”