Imagine hearing that your mom or dad was diagnosed with cancer and had limited time to live. Luckily, this is not a common occurrence for most students. But for second-year criminal justice student Eric Villeneuve, this situation is very real.
Villeneuve, his parents and his brother have always had a very close relationship. But in December 2012, his family received heart-breaking news that would bring them even closer. His dad, Tom, was diagnosed with Sézary Syndrome, a rare form of lymphoma cancer affecting the body’s T-cells.
“My dad is 57 years old and he’s been very healthy up until this point in his life,” Villeneuve said. “He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, loves to cook, and enjoys sports.”
The causes of Sézary Syndrome are currently unknown. The cancer is a leukemic form and final stage of mycosis fungoides, which causes an itchy, red rash to grow all over the body.
“He had these constant rashes which would not go away and luckily his dermatologist decided to test for it,” Villeneuve said.
According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Sézary Syndrome is commonly found in men and women between 50 and 60 years old. However, the cancer can still strike people of any age, no matter how young or old. It’s also very difficult for doctors to diagnose people with the syndrome. The rash patients develop tends to look like other skin infections, such as eczema.
According to Genetics Home Reference, in most studies of people with Sézary Syndrome, the median life expectancy after being diagnosed was two to four years. There are many treatments for the cancer depending on what stage it has reached, but they are not always successful.
“He has undergone one chemo treatment which started to work, but stopped,” Villeneuve said of his father’s journey to recovery. “Now he is undergoing a second round, and once in remission he will undergo the stem cell transplant.”
When patients receive large amounts of chemotherapy, their bone marrow gets destroyed. His dad needs a marrow donor if he has any chance of surviving. That is why Villeneuve is holding Test for Tom.
“We are doing whatever we can to help him,” Villeneuve said. “There will be one drive in our local community back home, one drive at the local community college and a drive planned at Catholic University.”
If you or a friend would like to get tested for his match, Test for Tom will be held tomorrow, Feb. 28 in the Russell House Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The testing process is simple and painless. There will be no needles and no blood required—just a swab of the inside of your cheek is all that’s needed.
If you are a match, Be the Match will contact you about information regarding donation. Giving bone marrow is very similar to giving blood. It’s not the most enjoyable process in the world, but you’d be saving someone’s life.
This is a time for us to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. If it were your mom or dad, you would want people to do the same for you. So set a reminder in your phone and bring your friends to go get tested and possibly even save a life.