In February, 2013, a 15 year old Ethiopian boy came to our clinic from Nazareth, about 30 miles south of Addis Ababa with his parents. He complained of headaches and a droopy right eye. I was very concerned.
His CT scan came back showing a mass a bit larger than a golf ball behind his eye. This could certainly be a cancer, but I needed to know what type.
Ethiopian ENT doctors would not do a biopsy, saying it was too dangerous. I made some calls, and learned of a visiting ENT doctor from Minnesota. I reached her in her hotel at 10PM. "I'm sorry to bother you at night," I explained, "but I have a teenage boy who needs a biopsy of a large lesion behind his eye."
"Your timing is great," she said, "I fly out tomorrow. Have him come to the clinic on an empty stomach at 8AM." She managed to do the biopsy under local anesthesia through his nose. And she carried it to the US, and sent it to my favorite pathologists at the University of Rochester.
After weeks of study and special stains, the report came back: "embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the orbit." This is potentially treatable.
We came up with a plan: initial chemotherapy in Ethiopia. Then I would try to get him to America for radiation therapy. Then more chemotherapy in Ethiopia. His doctors were not terribly optimistic, but agreed that he did have a chance of survival. He had multiple cycles of chemotherapy in Ethiopia. I made a trip to India to bring back chemotherapy meds. In late July, 2013 I flew with Bef to Detroit to the wonderful Dr. Jeff Forman, who agreed to do his radiation therapy for free. Dr. Forman said to me privately "I did not think this would work, but it was worth a try."
Bef finished chemotherapy and was feeling pretty well. He restarted school. But he became homeless: He phoned me on a Wednesday and said "I have to move out this weekend." I offered him a bed in my home. Bef moved in and commuted to school from my house. He ranked #1 in his class.
Later, I sent 2 patients, including Bef, to Camp Good Days and Special Times, a camp in upstate New York for kids with cancer. A Rochester woman took Bef into her home and sent him to the Harley School, a fine school in Rochester. After graduation, Bef was awarded a full scholarship by the University of Rochester.
In May, Bef graduated from the Hajim School of Engineering with a degree in biomedical engineering. He was awarded the Richard Eisenberg Engineering Award for his research and interest in material science.
It has taken a village to get Bef to this point: oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, nurses, x-ray facilities, and host families, all volunteering their services.
Bef has started work at a genetic engineering company in Boston. Next stop? As he said in the Rochester video: "I want to go to medical school and be like Dr. Hodes - help other people."
Bef, we look forward to your return here as a doctor!