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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Diana Weidle, Nina Weidle, Hal Meeks Jr.
Aired August 04, 2002 - 07:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Brain tumors, believe it or not, are a leading cause of cancer deaths in children. They affect not only the child, but the entire family. So how do you know if your child is sick? And what do you do if your child is diagnosed with a brain tumor? There is hope and there are ways to learn about and understand this devastating challenge. It just takes a little research, expert care, and of course some faith.
Here's CNN's Kyra Phillips with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything you do and everything you are comes from your brain.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the most complex organ in the human body. It causes the most difficult challenge for 3,000 children a year. Just ask 15-year old Ricky Seamiller.
RICKY SEAMILLER, BRAIN TUMOR VICTIM: Yes, it's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
PHILLIPS: Ricky has a brain tumor, an abnormal growth in his brain.
SEAMILLER: You just live every day like anybody else.
PHILLIPS: What exactly causes a brain tumor is still a mystery, but what Ricky does know is that he has a lot of support. Meet his mom Liz.
LIZ SEAMILLER, RICKY'S MOTHER: I always encourage him that he's just like everyone else. There's no limitations. Go as far as you can go. I mean, it just -- every day, just encourage him to do things. And he does.
PHILLIPS: That is why Ricky is here, at the Sitrek (ph) Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. "Brain, the world inside your head" is a 5,000 square foot, hands on exhibit. Education and inspiration for children who just want to understand what's happening to them.
JULIE EARNHART, BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION: This is the perfect place for the kids to come and learn a little bit more about the part of the body that's being affected by this very challenging disease. PHILLIPS: Challenge yes, giving up, never.
GREGORY, HAS BRAIN TUMOR: I want to be a preacher. I want to just do whatever I can to give back to God, to thank him for everyday that he gives me, every second that I have lived.
PHILLIPS: Seconds of life providing a lifetime of inspiration to Greg's mother Kay.
KAY, GREGORY'S MOTHER: I just couldn't believe that this was happening to us. And Gregory said, "Mom, now listen. I want you to take a deep breath. Breathe in, breath out. Do it three times and then calm down." He said, "It's going to be alright." I mean he had faith that was unbelievable.
PHILLIPS: Unbelievable faith, insurmountable courage.
Ricky says he's going to be an astronaut, brain tumor or not.
RICKY, HAS BRAIN TUMOR: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) like Neil Armstrong (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLAWAY: That report was from Kyra Phillips.
And joining me now to talk about this topic is 10-year-old Diana Weidle. At 8 years old, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. And she beat it. She's now living a healthy life. She's joined by mother, Nina. And Hal Meeks Jr. is president of the Brain Tumor Foundation for Children. He's also with us today to talk about this.
Thank you so much for being with us. And Diana, I want to start with you. I know you had surgery when you were eight-years old, that's right?
DIANA WEIDLE, BRAIN TUMOR SURVIVOR: Yes.
CALLAWAY: What are your memories of fighting this brain tumor?
D. WEIDLE: My memories are getting really (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I remember after surgery, I was laying in bed, and I just -- I didn't feel well.
CALLAWAY: Was radiation the worst part of it all?
D. WEIDLE: Yes.
CALLAWAY: Now I know you told me that your stomach hurt, that you felt terrible and your throat hurt.
D. WEIDLE: Yes.
CALLAWAY: Who was there to help you through all that?
D. WEIDLE: My mom that helped me. And afterwards, she would cradle me in her arms.
CALLAWAY: Well, that wouldn't be hard to do, because you're adorable. Nina, you know, how's she doing? She looks great.
NINA WEIDLE, DIANA'S MOTHER: She's doing fabulous. We're do fortunate to have the medical care that we have here and her attitude was tremendous, I think. You know her attitude and her fight really helped us all get through it. She's doing wonderful.
CALLAWAY: Do you think, and Diana, I want you to answer this as well -- Nina, do you think that she had any idea what kind of battle she was actually fighting, how big it was?
N. WEIDLE: No, not really, not at eight-years old. You know, she knew that there was a tumor and that we had to get rid of it. And we took it out. And then, she needed the treatment so that it wouldn't come back.
CALLAWAY: Nina -- I mean, Diana? How did you feel? Did you have any idea what was going on, how big it was?
D. WEIDLE: Not very much.
CALLAWAY: Were you scared?
D. WEIDLE: Yes.
CALLAWAY: Let me bring in Hal and talk about this and the treatment. I know that Diana has said how much people were there to help her out. And it's amazing how many foundations and organizations are out there to help children with this. I cannot believe it is the number one issue for kids right now, when it comes to cancer?
HAL MEEKS, JR., BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION: Well, part of that, there's good news to that statistic. And one of the good side of that is that leukemia deaths are down among children. So that with the progress being made in leukemia, brain tumors have now become the leading cause of death of children.
But of course, the prognosis for children with brain tumors is much better now than it was 30 years ago.
CALLAWAY: Are there special issues that a child deals with when they have a brain tumor that you perhaps don't deal with when you have leukemia?
MEEKS: Well, brain tumors can't be lumped together. The issue with brain tumors are type of tumor, and location. And the prognosis for each child is different, depending on those two major factors.
CALLAWAY: Right.
MEEKS: So I think, of course, there are different types of leukemia as well.
CALLAWAY: Right. MEEKS: But the progress that's being made in treatment of brain tumors has come about because of new surgical techniques, advances in MRI and advances in chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
CALLAWAY: Let me ask Nina about this. Nina, what, you know, a parent's worst nightmare. The child's not feeling well. And when you hear this, how did all this begin?
N. WEIDLE: Diana complained of some headaches, intermittent headaches and some blurred vision. Took her to the eye doctor. And you know, you think she just kind of needs glasses.
CALLAWAY: Right.
N. WEIDLE: So when they sent us to the ER and they told us there was a tumor, you can't believe it's happening. And then, you know, your just -- motherly instinct is like well, we've got to fight this. We just have to do what we have to do. And you battle through it. And you know, fortunately for us, things are going great.
CALLAWAY: Did you know who to turn to? I mean, right there, were there people offering you help?
N. WEIDLE: Oh, absolutely. I mean, well, of course, the hospital itself, the people were great, but our community really rallied around us. we're not from here, so we don't have a lot of family around, but between the church, the school...
CALLAWAY: Right.
N. WEIDLE: ...the whole community, we've had a lot of help.
CALLAWAY: Diana, you are just a beautiful young lady. I'm so glad this has all turned out well for you. And I know that you see a lot of children that have battled this. Do you, you know, do you have any words of wisdom for them or anything you'd like to say to them?
D. WEIDLE: I wanted to say that they're not alone. They need to know that. And that there are a lot of other kids that are getting -- that have or had cancer. And that they need to know that they're very special, and that the Lord has something special for them in the future.
CALLAWAY: Diana, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. You are an incredible young little girl. Thank you so much for being with us.
Nina and Hal, thank you also for being with us.
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