SCHERERVILLE | It started with a black eye that appeared out of nowhere and wouldn't go away.
In the year since his worried parents took him to an ophthalmologist for that black eye, little Drew Perschon has endured surgeries, chemotherapy, three stem cell transplants and radiation treatments to fight a little-known childhood cancer called neuroblastoma.
Drew's story has inspired many who know the 2-year-old through his Web site and newspaper articles. Now the little boy with the big smile and his battle to beat cancer will be featured during tonight's national telecast "Stand Up To Cancer." The one-hour fundraiser will be simultaneously broadcast at 7 p.m. on all three major TV networks.
National news anchors and major celebrities including actors, athletes and musicians will tell the stories of those who have fought back against the many forms of this disease that kills 1,500 people every day in America.
That Drew's story and photo will be among those highlighted during the program surprises his parents, Kate and Rob Perschon.
"We have a 'family' around the country of those with neuroblastoma and a Web site where we promote our kids and awareness of this type of cancer," Kate Perschon said. "They told me about the 'Stand Up To Cancer' program, so I sent in a photo of Drew and his story to the program's Web site."
Several weeks ago, the Perschons were notified about Drew's inclusion on the TV program.
"All we've been told is that an 'A-list' celebrity will read Drew's story and show a photo of him," Kate said. "We don't know if it will be on for 20 seconds or a minute. There are a lot of people whose stories will be told that night."
However, it's the spotlight on neuroblastoma that Drew's parents want most from the telecast.
"People need to know how little funding there is for pediatric cancer research," Kate said. "There are at least 10 kids we know in Northwest Indiana with different kinds of cancer. We hope people will watch this big TV event and be inspired by Drew."
Neuroblastoma causes cancerous tumors to grow on nerves, usually first in the abdomen, affecting the adrenal glands that are part of the body's "flight or fight" response system. A fast-growing cancer, neuroblastoma metastasizes to other parts of the body, and most children's neuroblastomas aren't diagnosed until the cancer is in Stage 4, Kate said. At Stage 4, the tumors have spread and there are secondary cancer sites.
Drew's black eye was a secondary cancer site, Kate said. He also had blood and bone-marrow involvement by the time he was diagnosed Nov. 6.
"There are 650 kids diagnosed with this type of cancer each year," she said. "In this country, six in 1 million children will have neuroblastoma. That's some lottery to win."
Drew has been cancer-free since April thanks to aggressive treatments. The tot's hair is now growing back after the chemotherapy, and he has more energy, his mother said. The major side effect is a weakened immune system that leaves Drew vulnerable to infection. That means the family takes major precautions, including removing carpet and some furniture from their home.
