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Live From...
Brain Tumor Survivor, Mother Speak
Aired August 05, 2002 - 14:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to talk now to a young man who's overcoming the odds again his brain tumor. Frederick Kunitz and his mom, Beatrix Fourie, are joining us today.
Thank you so much for being here.
You just got back from South Africa.
FREDERICK KUNITZ, CANCER SURVIVOR: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Yes. And what is this around your neck? I'm checking this out right here.
KUNITZ: A shark tooth.
PHILLIPS: A shark tooth?
KUNITZ: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Did you catch a shark?
KUNITZ: No, I didn't.
PHILLIPS: Where did you get the necklace?
KUNITZ: I bought it on the beach.
PHILLIPS: All right. So you had a good time?
KUNITZ: Yes, it was nice.
PHILLIPS: Frederick, teach me and educate our viewers about your brain tumor. Tell us what it is you are dealing with?
KUNITZ: Well, brain tumor (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is the name. And it is not fun, but I have to deal with it. I get headaches, and my eyesight isn't all that good and everything, but I'm OK.
PHILLIPS: Well, I have talked to some of your friends, I've talked with many people at the Brain Tumor Foundation for Children, and they say you are an exceptional young man, that you are very strong and very well spoken and doing very well in school. Why don't you tell me what gives you so much strength, why you keep pushing on?
KUNITZ: I just figure that I should live my life and I shouldn't worry too much about it and just try to be strong and just go on.
PHILLIPS: Just like everybody else, right?
KUNITZ: Yes.
Mom, he is doing us. Why don't you tell us about how your son -- I bet he inspires you every day, doesn't he?
FOURIE: Oh, yes. He's amazing. I actually sometimes don't know where he gets the strength from to even carry on on a daily basis. He is doing tremendously well. Although he has a lot of problems, obviously, with school work and so on, he managed to make the honor roll with a 95.86 percent. So I was very proud of him.
PHILLIPS: Wow! You are on the honor roll. You didn't even tell me you were on the honor roll. You are too humble, you know that? Brag a little bit more about Frederick.
FOURIE: He is a very inspirational kid. He has such a lot going for him. He's very bright and intelligent and he's, honestly, probably the most wonderful person to look up to. He inspires his sisters and everyone else round him he touches. And they fall in love with him.
PHILLIPS: I can see why. It's those blue eyes too.
FOURIE: Yes.
PHILLIPS: All right.
So besides charming everybody, what do you tell, let's say, I know you've probably met a lot of other kids your same age that have brain tumors. I've had a chance to meet a lot of them too. What do you tell each other, other kids that maybe just found out they got diagnosed with a brain tumor. What would you say to them, Frederick?
KUNITZ: I would say that you should be strong and try to live your life to the fullest because there is really nothing that you can do other than be strong.
PHILLIPS: What do you tell your mom when you mom may get a little emotional at times. What do you tell her?
KUNITZ: Just tell her that I'm going to be fine and don't worry about me.
PHILLIPS: You are getting tears in your eyes.
But you do worry about him, don't you?.
FOURIE: Yes. It is a very difficult life to live, you know. Every day you kind of have this sword hanging over your head and it doesn't go away.
PHILLIPS: You've received a lot of support not only from Frederick saying Mom, it's going to be OK, but the Brain Tumor Foundation for Children. Now there's this exhibit here in Atlanta, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), teaching kids, hands-on experience, on learning about their brain and tumors. Tell me how you have found support outside. Obviously, Frederick's strength has inspired you quite a bit. But what else you have learned about this and that, Look, he can make it years and years?
FOURIE: Yes. I think that the whole Brain Tumor Foundation and the Little People's group that he belongs to a tremendous support group for us emotionally and in more than that. I mean they are family; we're all part of this thing that we have to battle. And it is amazing how strong you get from just listening to other people. And I just take my hat off for all of the doctors and researchers out there working to try to find a cure for the horrible disease that no one ever need to have part of their life.
PHILLIPS: Well, Frederick, you say you thought about being a scientist, right?
KUNITZ: Yes.
PHILLIPS: So what do you think? You want to work on finding a cure for brain tumors?
KUNITZ: I think that would be a good thing, yes.
PHILLIPS: And will you come back and talk to me about when you do that?
KUNITZ: Yes, I will.
PHILLIPS: Very good. Thanks for being with us.
KUNITZ: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: All right, Frederick and Trix, thanks a lot.
FOURIE: Thanks for having us.
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