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Drew was very competitive as a young child, motivated to do everything his older sister did. As he grew older his sports acumen became apparent and he was asked to play ball on the older boys’ team, hitting the only home run in the game.
In December of 1993 he developed what was thought to be the flu, which caused him to miss several school and family events due to the sickness. In January Drew seemed to be getting better, yet residual symptoms were stubbornly holding on. In February and March he noticed vision issues which may have been the cause of constant vomiting, which would occur without warning.
Drew’s parents took him to get glasses, it was then they were told they needed to take him to a specialist. This specialist told them there was something behind Drew’s eyes and they needed to take their seven-year-old to get an MRI.
After the MRI, the doctor told Drew’s parents that they needed to take him to the hospital because there is a softball-sized tumor in the back of his brain. Drew was not told why they were going to the hospital.
Drew had just watched the 1993 Free Willy movie and enjoyed it quite a bit. So while at the hospital on March 4th, 1994, he held his baseball and watched Free Willy again while waiting. Then he found out the hospital was giving him a bed. This raised questions in his young mind. Of course, Mom and Dad couldn’t share with what was going on, but Drew was growing concerned.
Drew’s gym teacher suggested that the University of Michigan (UofM) hospital would be able to give better care. So he was transferred by ambulance to UofM March 7th of 1994.
After arriving at UofM, Drew was put in a room with 20 doctors, who took turns examining him, poking and prodding. Understandably, seven-year-old Drew started to “freak-out!”. He said this was the first time in his life that he would talk to no one except his Mom, who would relay the information to the doctors.
[7 year old Drew] asked his Mom if he was going to wake up with her, or in heaven with his Grandma.
The family was ultimately informed that Drew needed surgery but had only a 10% chance of surviving. Each subsequent week would reduce the chances by 5% of the remaining percentage, so time was of the essence.
Drew arrived in his room and a shunt put in his head, which tethered him to the bed. Only then was he told he was going to surgery. Even then Drew was still not fully aware of what was going on, but trusted his Mom and Dad.
As he was about to go to surgery, he [Drew] asked his Mom if he was going to wake up with her, or in heaven with his Grandma. Mom said; “Certainly you’re going to wake up with me.”
After surgery, which took much longer than anticipated, Drew woke up in his room, the lights were off, and nobody was there. He was, in his own words; “Freakin’ Out!” since he wasn’t with Grandma OR Mom, was he in Hell?
Drew quickly summoned the nurses, who had Mom paged and she was able to calm him down. It was then that Drew asked his Mom if he had cancer. Overwhelmed by the situation, Mom broke down crying and told him that the surgery was for cancer.
Drew says; “I remember talking to God and saying; ‘God…, I’ll accept this cancer, as long as You go through it with me’.”
I remember talking to God and saying; ‘God…, I’ll accept this cancer, as long as You go through it with me’
The doctors put a tube in Drew’s chest so they could administer shots directly without having to give him another poke. He really liked that because he had already received numerous shots in the arms.
Drew’s weekday routine was chemo treatment, lunch, physical therapy, then occupational therapy. After a couple weeks, radiation treatment was added at the end of an already long day. It was very taxing for this 7 year old. But Drew remembers setting a record of watching Free Willy 10 times in three days.
7 year old Drew after surgery
Up to this point Drew was still not speaking to the doctors since they said he would never walk again or talk normally. So, one day, in a deliberate act of defiance, Drew not only talked, but sang to prove to his Neurosurgeon that he could do what he was told he could not do. In fact, he not only walked, he also ran a little bit.
Drew liked one Neurosurgeon in particular because he would frequently tell jokes to keep things lite. However, one day as Drew was preparing for the radiation treatment, no jokes came from this favored Neurosurgeon. Instead, he told Drew that said he was moving out of the state soon.
Ultimately, when all the various pressures peaked, Drew cried out again and again that he wanted to go home. Well, in order to accommodate this, the doctors created a list of requirements to be met before Drew could be home. Included on this list were daily travel and food requirements. It would take a committed team of people to meet the needs.
The family shared these needs with their church congregation and within just a day or two, every requirement was met for the next month, so Drew got to go home. It was very encouraging to see how God provided through their church family.
Sadly, Drew would have to endure another tragedy that year. His parents separated in October. It was absolutely devastating to this young boy.
Drew was so upset by his parents’ separation that he told God that if He would not keep his parents together, he had no more use for Him. It’s wonderful that we serve a God Who is strong enough to allow us to be totally honest with Him about our feelings.
About this time, the Wish Foundation got wind of Drew's cancer situation and offered him a wish to be granted. Well, Drew said his only wish was to have his parents stay together. Of course, the Wish Foundation could not grant that. So they asked if there was anything else they could grant. Since Drew loved Free Willy so much, the foundation arranged for Drew to go to Sea World and he got to personally work with the Orcas.
Make A Wish Sea World trip 1
Make A Wish Sea World trip 2
Drew was told he would be considered cancer free about 8 years after the surgery. When that day finally came, he was ready to celebrate, but the nurse said the timeframe had been changed to a full 10 year period for all cancer survivors, so he would have to wait another 2 years.
Young adult Drew in a suit
As sorrowful as he was, Drew prayed; “OK God, we’ve been through this before… as long as You’re with me, we can get through this again.” God told Drew; “I am the Author and the Maker. Whatever happens to you, I can overcome.”
Almost 20 years after his childhood surgery, while in Arizona, Drew broke his hip. He ended up getting X-rays on his chest also and was told he had a tumor in his back. As sorrowful as he was, Drew prayed; “OK God, we’ve been through this before… as long as You’re with me, we can get through this again.” God told Drew; “I am the Author and the Maker. Whatever happens to you, I can overcome.”
Although the surgery required cutting through a couple vertebrae, the tumor was removed successfully. Drew has experienced not one, but two miracles in his life.
Drew closes with this statement; “Even though there have a lot of ups and downs, God is still there, and that’s what counts.”
Every year on March 8th Drew celebrates being cancer free. So, he invites friends and family to celebrate God’s miracle healing in his life.
Drew celebrating being Cancer Free in 2019 with family and friends
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