Blood Cancer &
 Leukemia

Leukemia Cancer News - Return to Menu

Surprises for leukemia survivor and his family

By: KEITH PHUCAS, Times Herald Staff

04/16/2006 - BRIDGEPORT - Since Joe and Theresa Tomchick's son, Joey, was diagnosed with leukemia four years ago, the family's life has been full of hope, anguish and uncertainty.

Doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia predicted that Joey's chemotherapy treatments would have him cancer free by the fall of last year, Mrs. Tomchick said, but a blood count in July showed his condition had worsened. "They found the cancer was back," she said. "It was on my birthday. It was devastating."

Last Thursday, the couple sat at the kitchen table of a new townhouse on Beech Court discussing their son's condition.
The Tomchicks have wondered often since Joey's initial diagnosis what it will take to cure him, and how they would pay the exorbitant medical cost. In February, the 15-year-old underwent a bone marrow transplant.

It took about five months to find a bone marrow donor. The procedure itself was uneventful, Mrs. Tomchick said.
"Two hours and it was done," she said. But the eight days that led up to the procedure were harrowing for Joey who underwent radiation treatments twice a day. It left him vomiting blood as he purged his system of the cancerous marrow.

Joey was in the hospital for another six weeks. Eating and drinking was very difficult for him. "He was in such pain," Mr. Tomchick said. "Drinking water (felt) like chewing up glass and swallowing it."

Through the family's ups and downs, they've been humbled and heartened by the outpouring of support from family, friends, neighbors and complete strangers.

The community has turned out in force for fundraising events. There was a "Beef and Beer" and "Casino Night" at Goodwill Fire Company. A local stickball tournament drew as many as 600 participants, Mr. Tomchick guessed. Upper Merion middle and high school students have also organized events.

The current treatment has compromised Joey's immune system, and physicians told the Tomchicks they would have to get him out of their musty house or risk him getting an infection. The couple were at a loss as to what to do.
"He can't come back to the house," Mr. Tomchick said. "What are we going to do?"

Yet the couple has been as surprised by their neighbors' generosity as by the unpredictable changes in their son's health.

Joe Galleo, a homebuilder and borough councilman, offered the family the new townhouse to live in for the next year while Joey recuperates. Galleo is building homes on the site of the former Bridgeport High School.
"(Galleo) said 'the place is yours rent free,'" Mr. Tomchick said.

There are so many people to thank: Joe Battisto for giving Galleo the idea about the house; Bridgeport Little League coaches Chris Baker and Jim Dolga, who organized the stickball tournament; Russ Lyons, Tomchick's boss at Builders Prime Windows and Supply Company. Lyons hasn't penalized Tomchick for leaving work early to travel to Children's Hospital to see his son. "He's never docked me an hour," he said.

The Bridgeport Elks Club and Ancient Order of Hibernians also helped to raise money. "There's probably people out there we've missed (thanking)," Mr. Tomchick said.

For now, Joey is quarantined in the basement of the new house. He only interacts with his parents. Contact with others could make him sick. Because his illness has kept him out of school, Joey has a tutor. It may be a year before he can return to school. "What he misses most is his friends," his mother said.

Hearing Joey cough downstairs, Mrs. Tomchick got up several times in the course of an hour to make sure he was OK.
Once, after coming back upstairs, she unzipped a black suede case on the table and pulled out a leather championship wrestling belt she had bought for her son. "He's The Comeback Kid," she said.

Site Map | Acute Myelogenous Leukemia