My younger brother Mark was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on December 27, 2007, when he was seven-years-old. Before Mark was sick, he was an active little boy, always with his friends, playing sports and drawing. A few months prior to being diagnosed Mark complained of his back hurting and was told numerous times that it was just a recurring fracture. After about three months, a doctor finally sent Mark for an x-ray and found that his bones were not as dense as they should have been. From there, there were blood tests and many other tests to result in a diagnosis of leukemia. Mark was in the hospital for about a month with intense treatment and he always had a smile on his face. At first, he didn't know that he had cancer; he only knew that his blood was sick. How can you tell your eight-year-old son that he has cancer? He spent his eighth birthday lying in a hospital bed.
 
Mark has been in outpatient treatment for the past three years. So many people think that his fight ended a few months after diagnosis, when in fact they are incorrect. Mark has been battling his cancer, his extra viruses and many other things with such courage. By the end of his treatment, which will be April 16, 2011, he will have had forty straight months of chemotherapy. As a little boy, this takes a huge toll on his body. Mark was supposed to lose his hair twice. The first time, he didn't lose it, which was rare, and the second time the doctors told him that he would lose it for sure, so he shouldn't get upset. Mark made a bet with his doctor that he wouldn't lose his hair fully. He never did. This is just one story of the determination and heart Mark has put into fighting his disease.
 
Mark has had to live with his cancer as a burden for three years now. He is a star player on the basketball court and baseball field. Even with his cancer and treatment slowing him down, his effort and strength has brought him to be one of the best players of his age. This is unbelievable for a child who takes about forty pills of different chemo a week and receives chemo once a month intravenously.
 
Mark is my hero, and a hero to so many others. Though he might not know it, he has changed my life. He has given me a gift of hope. He has given me a gift of love and he has given me a gift of strength. His favorite song is titled 'Not Afraid' and this is just one thing that describes him so well. He is a hero to so many.
 
Written by Mark’s Sister, Sarah Farrell
11/10