The Contraband

Issue date: 1/19/70 Section: News

Diagnosis:
Corbin was discovered to have rhabdomyosarcoma in May 2005. Rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive soft tissue tumor that can arise anywhere in the body.
Corbin's Story:
Not long after his third birthday, Corbin climbed into bed with his parents so that his dad could scratch his back. It was then that Corbin's father, Clint, discovered a lump that would lead them to their pediatrician. The very next day - Mother's Day - found Corbin, with his mother and father, traveling to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to begin treatment for the aggressive tumor.
Corbin's mom, Heather, had no idea what to expect upon arriving at St. Jude. "I saw other children who had lost their hair. Some of them looked like they didn't even know they were sick. They were riding tricycles, being pulled around in little red wagons. And still the cry from my heart was 'not my child.'"
At St. Jude:
To shrink the tumor, St. Jude treated Corbin with 12 weeks of chemotherapy. Surgery followed in order to remove the tumor entirely, and everyone hoped that the surgeons would find no evidence of the tumor in surrounding tissue.
Corbin's parents learned after four hours of surgery that their hope was a reality. The surgery was a total success. "I cannot tell you the desperate, painful ache that left my heart," Heather said.
Having completed treatment in March 2006, Corbin participated in a St. Jude tradition - a "coming-off-chemo party." Complete with cake and ice cream, balloons and confetti and a special song performed by nurses and doctors, the joyful celebration marks the end of chemotherapy for the patient who is guest of honor and serves as a source of strength for other patients and their families who are seeking hope.
Novel treatments - and the research behind them - are what makes St. Jude unique. Discoveries made at St. Jude are shared freely with doctors and researchers all over the world, thereby helping to save lives worldwide.

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