In the Champions series, NH goes in search of the stories behind the participants in the many sporting events in our province. In this third episode we meet five-year-old Glen. When Glen was two and a half he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer. Now he is cancer free and he is participating in the Zandvoort Circuit Run.
Prior to the running event, the family already practices for a day in the dunes near Bloemendaal. Glen is full of energy and that’s a small miracle. Unlike other forms of childhood cancer, the cure rate for neuroblastoma is alarmingly low. Only 30 to 40 percent of children survive the disease.
Glen received continuous treatment until he was four years old. He underwent chemotherapy, surgery, stem cell transplantation, radiation and then another six months of immunotherapy. As a result, he is now one year cancer-free and can live like any child.
Healthy appetite
Glen was lucky. But there is still a high chance that the tumor will come back. “If that happens, it may not be possible to treat him. But we can now see how much energy and healthy appetite he has and that gives us a lot of confidence that things will continue to be good”, says mother Paulien hopeful.
A good cause is linked to every event that Le Champion organizes. Villa Joep is the charity of the Zandvoort Circuit Run and is committed to conducting more research into neuroblastoma. Participants can make a voluntary donation when registering. Founder Leontine Heisen is also present. She started the foundation with her husband twenty years ago after their son Joep died of neuroblastoma cancer.
“We promised to Joep’s deathbed that we would ensure that more money is collected to ensure that the children who become ill in the future can get better. And now we see that thanks to countless donations to Villa Joep, much more research is now being done into this rare form of cancer. And hopefully there will be a cure one day,” says Leontine.
In the program Champions Sibel Önemli goes in search of the stories behind the participants in the many sporting events in our province. A healthy lifestyle is paramount here. This program is made in collaboration with Le Champion.