MINNEAPOLIS -- After 50-year-old Steve McKee was
diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer last year, his oldest son
Mitch took it upon himself to try to make the disease disappear -- if
only for a moment.
Mitch McKee
CBS News
"Kind
of flush it all away and kind of have him forget about it for that
moment, and have everybody forget about it for that moment -- just be
happy," Mitch said.
It was a plan only a 15-old boy could
dream up. Knowing how proud dads can be when their sons do well in
sports, Mitch, a wrestler, decided he would try to win the Minnesota
state high school wrestling championship for his dad, even though Mitch
was only a freshman at the time.
"He might not be here next year, so I knew that this was the year to do it," Mitch said.
This
colossally ambitious undertaking began in weight room. All summer,
Mitch got up every morning at 6:00 a.m. to lift. And he practiced --
even when there wasn't practice, he practiced. As a result, Mitch won
his first match of the season -- and his second.
Steve McKee
CBS News
In fact, the kid won so many matches, he not only qualified for the state tournament, he made it to the finals. And
this was it. All he needed to do was win this one last match, and he'd
be the state champion in his weight class. All he needed to do was pin
this one last opponent, and that cancer -- for one moment -- would
disappear.
After the match, even the losing wrestler did a
winning thing. He congratulated Mitch's dad, told him to stay strong.
While Mitch, on the other hand, had far fewer words. He held his dad.
Just held him.
Mitch hugs his dad after the match.
Vanessa Schlueter
"For him to do it, for me, it was very emotional," Steve McKee said. "All the emotions you could ever have were right there."
Asked if he forgot he was sick, Steve quipped, "Was I?"
"Yeah, life was definitely perfect at that moment, you know?" Mitch said. "I just wanted to stay right there forever."
Mitch
McKee definitely did right by his dad. But he had one thing all wrong.
He thought he needed a huge victory to make his dad feel better, when
all he really needed was the love behind it. To contact On the Road, or to send us a story idea, email us.
Another inspiring piece from Imagine, U Chicago publication:
Patient
advocate, spokesperson, fundraiser and law student, Ally Bain has not
let inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) stand in her way.
A
well-known figure in the IBD community since her early teens, Bain was
instrumental in drafting Ally's Law, which mandates restroom access for
medical emergencies. The legislation first passed in Illinois and is
currently in effect in 15 states. During college, Bain expanded her
advocacy work, spreading awareness and raising funds for the Crohn's and
Colitis Foundation of America. Now in her first year of law school, she
plans to pursue a legal area that includes a public interest component.
"Her
resilience in the face of her disease - and what she has accomplished -
are an inspiration to her physicians and to many patients," said David T
Rubin, co-director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. Rubin
began treating Bain for Crohn's disease in 2005 when she was 15, shy and
afraid of doctors. Today, he regularly invites her to speak to patients
about IBD, and the two often work together to educate the public and
government officials.
NOTHING LESS THAN REMISSION
Bain
still remembers what Rubin promised her the first time they met: "You
will be in remission within six months." She responded well to
infliximab, a biologic therapy that targets an inflammatory protein in
the body. Over the past decade, the regular infusion therapy has kept
Bain's disease in remission. She continues to see Rubin every four to
six months for monitoring.
"I tell my patients to
expect nothing less than remission," Rubin said. "And if they are not
there, we will keep working on it. We want all of our patients to have
the stability and good health Ally has achieved."
Rubin
encourages patients to stay informed about IBD and the advances in
treatment and research. "The more patients know, the less out of control
they feel," he said. Rubin and his colleagues share the latest
information about the rapidly changing field through regular community
education events and social media.
At the University of
Chicago Medicine, patients can expect individualized care for Crohn's
and ulcerative colitis as well as access to the latest clinical trials.
On the horizon: a gut-specific biological therapy that targets
receptors only in the bowel, reducing side effects.
In
addition. to offering innovative therapies and leading-edge technology,
the IBD Center ties clinical work to basic and translational research.
Studies focus on identifying the causes and understanding the mechanisms
behind IBD, the function of the microbiome in digestive diseases, and
the role of environment and diet.
Posts
Patient
advocate, spokesperson, fundraiser and law student, Ally Bain has not
let inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) stand in her way.