On December 14, 2007, a bomb hit the Fleming family when 4 year old Sam Fleming was diagnosed with High-Risk Neuroblastoma--a rare form of cancer that occurs in young children.  Until Thanksgiving 2007, Sammy was not sick nor did he show any signs of illness.  

Since that time, Sammy has been in and out of hospitals (more in than out); has received 10 cycles of chemotherapy thus far; a harvest of his bone marrow stem cells for possible transplantation in the future; bone marrow aspirations and biopsies; numerous blood and platelet transfusions; has had a tedious 20-hour operation to remove a very large tumor covering his organs; and has had two more operations as of this writing.  He has been poked, prodded, scanned, x-rayed, and a port inserted in his chest over and over again.  Sammy has lost his hair and has all the nasty side effects that come with chemotherapy.  But the cancer still remains in several areas of his body including his bones. Throughout this ordeal, Sammy remains an amazingly brave, resilient and good-spirited little boy.  He has been an inspiration to all those who meet him and has been nicknamed “IronMan Sam”.

Although Sammy and his family live in Grapevine, Texas he will receive treatment at Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York City which has given them the most hope.   There, Sam has undergone surgeries and experimental treatments.  About a year ago, he started receiving monthly treatments of 3F8 antibodies at Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital.  These treatments, which he is still receiving, are given for 5 consecutive days and then, after treatment, he usually has a bone marrow aspiration and scans.  He stays in New York for about 10 days and then flies back to his hometown in Grapevine Texas.  The treatments are very hard on Sam, experiencing pain and hives.  His blood counts are usually very low requiring blood transfusions and/or platelets several times each month.  We believe the treatments are working because we recently received good news that the bone marrow is clear of the cancer, although the cancer still remains in other areas of his body.   Side effects of some of the treatment have caused him to need an additional upcoming surgery once his bone marrow recovers.

This has taken a toll on the family physically, emotionally and financially although they have not complained about anything.  Their only focus is getting the best treatment for their son.  Sam, now 6, has a younger brother, Ben, who is 4 years old.  It has been very difficult for Ben too, because he misses his mommy when his mommy is with Sam in the hospital and daddy has to go to work.   These two brothers are going through very difficult times in a very courageous way.  Please keep Sam and his family in your prayers.

There are tremendous expenses that are not being covered by insurance. This information is being shared with you so that the next chapter of this story may be a happy one. 

I also thank all of you for keeping Sam in your prayers so he can battle the cancer within him.  May God Bless Sam and All of You who continue to pray for him.  You can receive updates on Sam at https://www.carepages.com/carepages/samfleming 

Thank you all for joining us in helping the Fleming Family. We greatly appreciate your support and please come cheer on the IronManSam Team at The WhiteRock Marathon this December 13th!