By Khalida Sarwari
After seven rounds of chemotherapy, a bone marrow and stem cell transplant, 27 rounds of radiation and surgery to remove a tumor, 3-year-old Ty Murray is finally cancer-free, and now his parents are raising money and awareness to find a cure for the disease.
Carmen Murray, a deputy probation officer, and her husband Scott Murray, a supervising probation officer, held a fundraiser on Saturday that raised approximately $15,000 for Band of Parents, a nonprofit comprised of families from across the U.S. and around the world whose children are diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer.
Today in San Jose, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor Liz Kniss presented the family with a proclamation in support of their dedication to fighting neuroblastoma, which Ty developed when he was just 16 months old.
“I commend the Murrays on their courage and strength as they fight for their son’s life, and their ongoing efforts to raise awareness about childhood cancer,” Kniss said. “Of course all cancers present a challenge, however childhood cancer is devastating to families, and we need to shine
light on the struggles families face.”
Doctors had told Ty’s family he was considered high risk, and that his five-year survival rate was 30 percent. But in April, Ty was declared cancer-free.
The journey has been a long one.
It started two years ago at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, where Ty had blood and platelet transfusions, x-rays, bone marrow aspirates, and biopsies. His treatment continued at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where Ty will receive an antibody treatment until March 2011.
“Ty is our little fighter and has never shown signs of slowing down, even throughout this entire ordeal,” Carmen Murray said. “He is so strong and continues to power through it with a smile on his face. We are blessed to have such a wonderful, loving, and active little boy and know he will beat this cancer.”