Connor's Story

Connor is a fun-loving nine year old with a great smile and a silly sense of humor.  Like most nine year olds, he likes G.I. Joe and , Scooby Doo, and Play Station. But Connor's not like most boys his age.  He is critically ill and battling for his life. 

In the fall of 2001, shortly after his seventh birthday, Connor's mom Rhonda received a call to pick him up from school. They  ended up in the emergency room at Nashville's Vanderbilt Hospital.

An X-ray showed the boy's bladder was stretched to three times its normal size and he was unable to urinate without a catheter. Doctors found a mass, about 5 centimeters in diameter, between his bladder, urethra, and rectum. A biopsy confirmed the doctors' suspicions. Connor had rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer which attaches itself to muscles and is only found in children.

The news took Connor's parents' breath away. The first time you hear the word ''cancer'' and the doctors are talking about your child, unanswerable questions take over. The first is usually ''Why?'' Then, ''How could God allow this to happen?'' Followed by, ''Why can't it be me instead?''

Connor was a very sick little boy. The first thing doctors had to do was insert a catheter directly through his abdomen into his bladder.

Doctors do not like to give radiation to children, but in Connor's case it was unavoidable. The painful burns and blisters are enough to bring a grown man to his knees, and they are not something a little boy should have to endure.  Having to watch her little boy suffer was torture for Rhonda.

After a year of surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and  thousands of injections — most administered by mom — Rhonda and Eddie were informed that Connor's cancer was in remission.  All the treatment had been worth it.  Connor was himself again, enjoying his Game Boy.

Now, it is May, 2003.  Connor's cancer has returned with a vengence.  The end of this month, Connor will undergo a major surgery which will require four doctors and take several hours to perform.  They will remove his bladder and urethra, as well as his colon and rectum.  After the surgery, Connor will most likely be unable to walk because he will lose part of his pelvic bone.  

Once again, Connor's parents find themselves thrust into the nightmare of helplessly watching their child battle cancer.    Once again, they are devistated.  They request your fervent prayers for their only child and they are hoping for a miracle for their son.

Connor has been “adopted” by the 1,600 volunteer members of The HUGS and HOPE Club, an Internet group that sends “happy mail” to hospitalized children.  The goal of The HUGS and HOPE Club is to put smiles on the faces of suffering children and give them something to look forward to as they battle life-threatening illness.

Connor looks forward to mail and enjoys the encouraging letters and cards he receives each week from HUGS and HOPE Club members around the country.  It gives him a reason to get out of bed, a reason to look forward to tomorrow, and a reason to smile.

Connor’s photo and story (along with a mailing address) are posted with over a hundred other sick children on the HUGS and HOPE Club’s web site at www.hugsandhope.com.  We encourage you to visit the site and join us in  “sending smiles across the miles.” A small effort on your part can  brighten the day for children like Connor who may not have much to smile about.

Email:  [email protected]

Visit his web page at http://www.hugsandhope.com/feb02.htm

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The HUGS and HOPE Club was started by a disabled grandmother as a way to help alleviate as much suffering as possible by spreading love and hope to children and their families battling cancer and other serious diseases. For more information about the HUGS and HOPE Club, email [email protected] or read the frequently asked questions on the website at http://www.hugsandhope.com/faq.htm