Children fighting leukemia

Press, 24 February 1984, Page 13

Children fighting leukemia

“Fighting Back,” a Canadian documentary to be shown tonight on One, is the story of four remarkable young people. Ranging in age between nine and 16 years, two of them girls and two boys, the youngsters have one thing in common: all are fighting for their lives against leukemia. Most of the filming for “fighting back” was done at the War Memorial Children’s Hospital in London, Ontario, where the children were being treated.

The title of the film arose from the deep respect for the children and their parents, and for the hospital staff, that the producerdirector, John Kastner, developed as filming progressed. “What is so impressive about the children,” he says, “is how easily they fool you into thinking they are really not suffering very much. There are few outward signs of their disease. Mostly they appear normal, cheerful, even healthy to the layman’s eye. But eventually you realise that they are, in fact, very ill — and doing an heroic acting job. Finally you understand what an awesome effort it takes for these children to act ‘normal’ while consciously waging a life-and-death struggle." The children in “Fighting Back” are markedly different in personality; and each digs in against the disease in his or her own way. Michael Cluff, aged 13, is the high-spirited, fun-lov-ing comedian of his class. Told he was going to die, his family refused to accept the verdict, closed ranks behind him, and determined to prove the doctors wrong. Karen Clark, aged nine, keeps up a sunny, childishly happy front through difficult tests which will determine her chances of growing to adulthood. Tony Coutinho, aged 16, is a handsome teenager who has been battling his illness for years. After a 10-year remission, he discovers that the leukemia has reappeared. Theresa Pickett, aged nine, is a quiet, shy little girl, pale and delicate. She has to face a decision which would be difficult at any

age — to accept painful treatments which might or might not succeed, or to just let go. The warmth and strength of the bond formed between the children themselves, their parents, and the staff of the War Memorial Children’s Hospital headed by its chief of haematology, Dr L. L. De Veber, is a touching element of the film. “They’re like one big, close family,” says Kastner. “If one child has a crisis the whole group, the other families and the medical staff, swings into action and rallies round the hurt one to give comfort and support.” Another unexpected development as far as John Kastner and the production team were concerned was how important a role the film-making itself came to play in the families’ struggle.

“These kids seemed to seize on the film-making as a vital distraction from their illness,” says Kastner. “In the eyes of their friends they were no longer ‘victims,’ but important TV stars. It made a big difference to some of them. Tony, for instance, had been held at arm’s length at school until filming started; but suddenly he was big man on campus, a celebrity.”

Michael Cluff, the born ham, played the role of TV star to the hilt. Even when he became extremely ill,

and the worried crew wanted to stop shooting, he would have none of it. “Finally I understood why,” says John Kastner. “The film had become his way of keeping the shadows away. When we left each night, the shadows would close in again.” “The film gave Michael something to live for,” agreed his friend and fel-low-patient Tony Coutinho. John Kastner’s last major documentary, “Four Women,” won many honours for Canadian television, including the International Emmy Award for the best non-fiction television programme and top prize at the Varna (Bulgaria) Film Festival for medically-re-lated films around the world. He hopes that this film will ultimately be helpful in combating leukemia. Even though the leukemia picture has never been brighter than it is today, with half the young victims living five years or more, millions of dollars are needed each year to maintain. the depth of research responsible for the gains made so far.

But although “Fighting Back” is about cancer, a many-faceted disease, it is also about the courage, dignity and compassion which humans are capable of when their brethren are hurt — particularly their very young brethren.