2007 Medical Miracles Honoree, Drew Rice
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| Matt, Kim and Drew Rice with Irwin Zucker,
UHS Foundation Chairman and UHS President/CEO George B. Hernández, Jr. |
When nine-year-old Drew Rice is fast asleep he probably dreams about the roar of the crowd as he walks off the mound, having just pitched his first no-hitter. Pretty typical dream for a boy his age, but what makes Drew's dream so special is the "walking" part. That's because Drew Rice only has one leg.
Drew, along with his parents, Matt and Kim Rice, were the honored guests at the 2nd Annual University Health System Foundation Medical Miracles Galaon May 10, 2007 at San Antonio's Westin Riverwalk Hotel. The event raised funds to support the Foundation's Nursing Scholarship program and the Peveto Center for Pastoral Care at University Hospital.
Over the course of the evening, attendees experienced a wide array of emotions as they learned about the Rice family's battle with cancer. Many were moved to tears and deeply inspired, as Matt Rice shared what is truly an unforgettable story of courage and faith.
On April 28, 2004, six-year-old Drew was in the backyard jumping on the trampoline when he injured his knee. What Matt and Kim thought was just a minor injury turned out to be the "unthinkable." A cancer tumor had been "hiding" behind his knee. It was big - covering about two-thirds of his entire thigh. And it was bad - Ewing's Sarcoma, a very rare form of bone cancer.
Drew's difficult battle began with chemotherapy the following month. He lost 10 pounds and was down to just 39 pounds when it was time for the next step - surgery. The Rice family had heard good things about Dr. Ronald Williams in the Department of Orthopaedics at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. He is one of the most respected orthopaedic oncologists in the nation, and the only one in all of South and Central Texas.
Their first visit to Dr. Williams' office was unforgettable. "He flipped up an x-ray on a screen and, like an attorney, started building a case for amputation," Matt remembers. "I was blown away." They expected to hear about donor bones or maybe fusion of the knee, not amputation.
"It was important to teach Drew's dad that losing a limb involves a grieving process," Dr. Williams recalls. "I told him to expect Drew to get angry, but assured him that young people seem to figure it out."
"We prayed and prayed for a miracle," says Matt. In fact, the day before the operation they asked for another CAT scan, just in case they got their miracle. They didn't and Drew was admitted to University Hospital that night. "It was a real faith struggle," Matt admits. The next morning they carried him to the operating room, Drew crying the whole way. He woke up from his operation with a prosthetic in place of his leg.
"We encouraged him to get up," says Dr. Williams, "because the sooner he became mobile, the better." That is not how Drew, almost seven years old at this point, saw things. "He was scared of physical therapy," says Matt. "He'd be hitting, throwing things and screaming bloody murder. He was mad."
They still had a long battle ahead. "We all cried a lot," says Kim. "He would sleep with his prosthetic on. If I took it off, he'd cover his face, or put a blanket over it." They were becoming increasingly concerned about Drew's inability to cope with his new reality. "He's gonna have to look at it and touch it," they cried to Dr. Williams. "He will, when he does," was the doctor's reply. He was right.
The week of his last chemotherapy session, Drew threw the blanket down and looked at his stump. "That was huge," smiles Matt. "He was still ticked." But it was a start.
Drew finally went back to school with crutches on January 5, 2005. A few months later he asked to go watch a friend play baseball. "And we kept going back and back," remembers Matt. One day Drew had an idea. "Dad, I want to play baseball," he announced. "Why not?" thought Matt. "Absolutely." said the folks at the YMCA.
Baseball was the best medicine ever. On the baseball field, Drew says "I'm like everyone else." He played that spring, and hasn't stopped since. He changed in other ways too.
One day the Child Life specialist at University Hospital called with a favor. She asked Drew how he'd feel about coming up to the pediatric unit to talk to a young man who had just had his leg amputated. Drew said yes. "It was a 15-year-old boy named Johnny," Matt remembers. "Drew brought him a soccer ball. He even signed it."
He has returned several times to visit other children. "He is an inspiration to them, and to everyone in the unit," explains Child Life Coordinator Rebecca Charlton. "It is such good therapy to help someone else," agrees Kim. The sad part of these visits is the fact that two of the children, including Johnny, have since died from their cancer. "I don't understand why Drew is OK and others are not," she adds. "I believe God has something special planned for him."
If you ask Drew what that "something special" might be - he'll likely tell you he's going to be the first Major League pitcher with a prosthetic leg. And don't put it past him. Drew has far surpassed the goals his doctors and therapists have set. He is the pitcher of his Little League team. And cheering him on are the two biggest supporters of his dreams. "I cry every time I watch him pitch," says Kim. "I am so proud and happy." Matt says he often overhears parents in the stand say, "Hey, there's something wrong with that kid's leg!" His proud response is always "No, that's my son and he doesn't have a leg."
We were especially thrilled to recognize Officer Price, not only for his personal victory and willingness to share his experience with others, but because of the high esteem in which we hold the entire San Antonio Police Department. University Hospital is often the place where officers are brought after being injured in the line of duty. While our dedicated emergency medical and surgical trauma teams strive to provide excellent care to every patient, it is accurate to say they are truly honored to provide service to our police officers and their families during these difficult times.
When Jane left the hospital two months after the shooting, she promised to educate the community about the importance of supporting University Hospital's Level I trauma program.
