Keith Houston- 6 yr. brain tumor survivor; 13 yr. testicular cancer survivor

1996-It all started when I was doing my usual Dad thing, changing my son’s diaper and he kicked me…and 4 days later, it still hurt. Friday I was getting my gear ready to start my full time job on Monday, but at 4:15 pm, I was diagnosed with aggressive testicular cancer. Thanks to my doctor, within 30 minutes, I was enrolled in a program for cancer patients without insurance and on Monday, I had surgery. I knew that banking sperm was a decision that my wife and I had to discuss and since we had been blessed with a girl and a boy, we opted out. The cancer had metastasized to my lung wall but hadn’t penetrated the wall. 13 radiation treatments later, I was a survivor.

2002- I was acting supervisor on duty at EMS headquarters when I suffered a grand mal seizure when I was dispatched to ironically-a seizure call. I was unable to seek medical treatment until shift’s end and no one gave me an CT scan. After losing my job, I began working for another agency, where my second grand mal seizure occurred. Due to their loss the previous year of a medic to a brain tumor, I was given an CT scan and told that I had six months to live. After my first surgery, my wife knew where to take me for treatment. I went to Duke and met with Dr. Henry Friedman who had spoken about a clinical trial that had increased survival-the monoclonal antibodies regimen. I have a port into my left lobe where my treatment was given. This trial is now the GLASS-ART trial and being offered in other clinical trial sites.

I am six years cancer and necrosis free! I believe in God, I believe in life, and I LIVESTRONG!