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Andy Horstman beating cancer
OTTOVILLE— Summertime is typically known for good weather and outdoor activities like baseball. However, one area 11-year-old noticed a problem with his swing last summer.
“I played baseball last summer and I couldn’t hardly swing the bat,” said Andy Horstman of Cloverdale.
Though his parents, Emma and Jerry, thought their son had inherited their lack of athletic prowess, the young Horstman’s difficulty at home plate was caused by a brain tumor. The family took notice when the school year began last fall.
“We noticed his handwriting was sloppy when he went back to school. The farthest thing from my mind was a brain tumor,” said Emma Horstman.
At parent/teacher conferences, Horstman’s teacher indicated her student had been tripping at school. His mother did not wait another minute before calling their family doctor.
Because Horstman could not stand or jump on one leg, the doctor scheduled an MRI for the day after Thanksgiving. A tumor was detected, which turned out to be Medulloblastoma, a cancerous brain tumor that commonly occurs in the first decade of life and accounts for 20 percent of all childhood brain tumors. Though headache and nausea are common symptoms, Horstman suffered from neither.
A few days later, Emma and Jerry Horstman drove their son to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
“On Nov. 27, the doctor called and wanted us on the road in an hour because he knew it was a long trip and they had scheduled a day of appointments for the next day,” she said. “They did an MRI and a spinal tap, which they put him to sleep for. A lot of bloodwork had to be done and Andy didn’t like being poked a lot.”
Doctors did not hesitate to remove the tumor, which meant the young Horstman had to undergo brain surgery.
“He was taken to a children’s hospital there because they don’t do those kinds of surgeries at St. Jude. The tumor was removed Dec. 1 and they said it hadn’t spread to his spinal cord, so we are very fortunate,” she said.
Though Andy Horstman says he has taken the whole ordeal in stride, the surgery did make things a little rough.
“I had a lot of nausea and vomiting for about a week after the surgery,” he said.
Because the cancer can return, the Ottoville Elementary Student endured radiation treatment after recuperating from the procedure.
“He had to have 31 treatments of radiation therapy Monday through Friday through the month of January, which he got very sick from; it was just a terrible time,” Emma Horstman said.
The difficulty was caused by more nausea and vomiting. Horstman got to come home for the month of February and the nausea subsided after a week.
“I really enjoyed being home,” he said.
The month did not last long enough, though, for the young Ohio State fan. After the short break, he went back to St. Jude for chemotherapy.
“He’s getting four treatments that are a month apart. Each treatment is three days of treatment with one day of rest. Right now, we’re in the middle of it and it’s really amazing that we’re home this weekend. His white blood cell count came up, so they let us come home and he goes back in for treatment on Wednesday,” Emma Horstman said.
“The chemo kills all the cells in his immune system, so they harvested stem cells from his hip bone and reinfuse them the day after his day of rest.”
Jerry Horstman stayed in Memphis for two weeks in the beginning, but his wife has been at their son’s side the whole time. Mr. Horstman returned to Memphis with other family members to visit his son and wife for Christmas. They initially stayed at a Ronald McDonald House before moving to a similar facility which provides accommodations for families needing to remain near St. Jude for more than three months.
After all Andy Horstman has been through, the prognosis is good.
“They’re optimistic and hoping for a full recovery, especially because it did not spread to his spine. It will be at least 10 years of check-ups though, after the chemo. We’ll go down every three months for two years, then every six months for up to 10 years, maybe even longer, they said,” Emma Horstman said.
In the meantime, her son remains at St. Jude, where he has a busy schedule of medical treatment and much more.
“He goes to school one hour for three days of the week, occupational therapy for two days and physical therapy four days of the week. Days get pretty long, especially when he’s feeling tired,” she said.
When he has energy, the young Horstman plays air hockey and other games in the recreational facility at the hospital. He has also attended Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Tigers games. A Lima man visited Horstman with some Ohio State gear and there has been a great deal of community support throughout the Tri-county. However, the ordeal has been difficult for the Horstman Family.
“It has been hard. It’s a shock you can’t imagine to hear your child has a brain tumor,” Emma Horstman said.
A fund has been set up at Sky Bank in Kalida for those who wish to make continued donations to the family.
#1 — Added 2 years, 11 months ago
My family attended the benefit on Saturday and it was absolutely wonderful to see the community come together for this family. The entire parish center where the benefit was held was packed. When you looked across the room all you could see was people everywhere. I’m glad so many came to support such a good cause. The support from the children at school has been great too, making sure to send Andy cards to let him know that they are thinking of him. Andy looked wonderful at the benefit and I’m glad he was able to be well enough to make it home to see it all. Keep Strong young man!! You’ll be home for good soon!! We are all praying for you!!
Posted on April 17, 2007 at 7:11 am by Elston's
#2 — Added 2 years, 11 months ago
“When he has energy, the young Horstman plays air hockey…”
Dear Andy Horstman ~
All of our Air Hockey Athletes wish you good health and a speedy recovery. Pro Air Hockey lessons are yours if arrangements can be made.
Many Blessings to you and your family ~
Michael L. Rosen (646) 489-3300 cellular
Commissioner ~ Major League & Recreational Air Hockey
United States Air Hockey Association (USAA) President
USAA World Rankings: # 6 Doubles, # 31 Singles
Posted on April 17, 2007 at 10:40 pm by Michael L. Rosen