Newsmaker
Monday, June 1, 1998
Name: Cory Bacon
Age: 13
Education: Eighth-grader, Kalama Intermediate
Hobbies: Drawing
At age 4, Maui resident Cory Bacon nearly lost his life twice while undergoing 18 months of radical chemotherapy to treat a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. Youth attests to miracles
He had a grapefruit-size tumor obstructing his large intestine, rectum and bladder.
Thereafter, he went through five years of X-ray treatment.
Now, at age 13 and after years of suffering, Cory is cancer-free.
He was chosen as Hawaii's representative in a national telecast to raise funds for children's health programs in Canada and the United States.
Cory and his family joined 61 other children for a trip to the White House in Washington, D.C., and to Orlando, Fla., where the youths took part in the national telecast of the Children's Miracle Network Champions this past weekend. The network raised $152 million in 1997.
The 62 children represent 12 million children treated annually at Children's Miracle Network's 170 participating hospitals in North America.
Hawaii's participating hospital is Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children. A Hawaii fund-raiser will be held on June 7 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on K5.
Cory's mother, Janet, says her son has developed a deep compassion for people's suffering as a result of his illness, and he looks forward every year to attending a camp for youths with cancer.
"That's his favorite thing," she said.
She said her family is grateful for the support they received while staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Honolulu when Cory was receiving treatment.
She said the house not only helped the family financially by providing housing and transportation to the hospital, but also gave an opportunity to share their child's sickness with others going through similar difficulties.
"We saw we weren't the only ones going through this," she said.
Janet Bacon says Cory now goes for annual medical checkups.
He's also able to dream of a future.
"He wants to be an artist," she said. "He wants to be a doctor. He's not really sure at this age."
Gary T. Kubota, Star-Bulletin
