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Our son, James Goebel, is walking proof of the power of Band of Parents-funded clinical trials and research.
In December 2020, when James was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma, it was a “head-to-toe” diagnosis. In addition to his primary tumor, he had over 20 lesions of disease all over his small, four-year-old body. Our energetic, spirited child was suddenly overtaken by this rare, aggressive disease. We proceeded with standard frontline treatment starting with many rounds of high-dose chemotherapy and soon learned the devastating news that James had chemo-resistant disease. Despite two twelve-hour plus surgeries that involved removing the primary tumor off his aorta and near his spine, the large majority of his neuroblastoma remained.
Facing the reality of James’s chemo-resistance brought such deep pain and fear, but we were told by his doctors that we had an avenue of hope left – a highly effective immunotherapy, Humanized 3F8, the original clinical trial that sparked the creation of Band of Parents grassroots efforts. The parents that founded Band of Parents saw the dire need for improved treatment options and rallied to fund Hu3F8 many years before James’s diagnosis. After several rounds of Hu3F8, James’s over 20 lesions of disease cleared and he was declared no evidence of disease (NED). The parents that came before us, and the community members that donated to fund Hu3F8, ultimately saved James’s life. James is now enrolled in the neuroblastoma vaccine trial, also funded by the Band of Parents, and remains in remission.
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