>>VIC MICOLUCCI: BATTLING A LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS IS SCARY FOR A KID. BUT THERE ARE
A LOT OF WAYS TO EASE THE FEAR
AND THE PAIN OF THAT
EXPERIENCE. AND WE’RE HELPING
YOU DO THAT TODAY WITH OUR
NEMOURS DAY OF GIVING HERE TO
TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES
AT NEMOURS ALAN ROBERTSON AND
HIS MOM. LYDIA, GOOD MORNING
TO YOU BOTH.
>> GOOD MORNING ALL RIGHT.
THERE YOU GO.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: THAT’S THE
SPIRIT TO ALLAN. WE KNOW THAT
YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH. I
WAS READING UP ON YOU. YOU
TRULY INCREDIBLE. YOU WERE
JUST 17 WHEN YOU DISCOVERED
THAT YOU HAD A RARE BRAIN
TUMOR. LET ME TELL YOU, HOW
DID YOU MANAGE WHAT CAME NEXT?
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT’S SUCH
A DIFFICULT JOURNEY THERE.
>> I JUST HAD TO BE AS
POSSIBLE POSITIVE POSSIBLE
BECAUSE IT’S JUST A
LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE SUPPORT
OF PEOPLE AROUND YOU. IT’S
IT’S VERY DIFFICULT. AND FOR
ME, I LIKE TO BE ACTIVE WHILE
DOING RUNNING AND SOCCER. SO I
JUST RAN AWAY FROM ALL THE
PROBLEMS. YEAH, CERTAINLY. BUT
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: YOU HAD TO
ADDRESS TO THE DOCTORS, THE
SPECIALIST, THE STAFFS. HAD TO
TAKE CARE OF IT. LYDIA MOM,
WANT TO TALK TO YOU. YOU AND
ALAN SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT
NEMOURS AND YOU CONTINUE TO DO
SO.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: WHAT STANDS
OUT TO YOU ABOUT THE MOORE’S
AND THE PEOPLE WHO WORK BEHIND
THE SCENES TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE PATIENT CARE IS TOP NOTCH.
>> THAT CONSTANT ONE OF THINGS
THAT I SAW FROM THE ONSET WAS
THAT EVERYBODY AT THE MORGUE
STAFF SPECIAL COLLEGE CASE
THAT UP TO MALA JACE. THAT
PSYCHIATRY IS EVERYBODY WORK
TOGETHER AS A TEAM. I SAFE
BECAUSE THE CONNECTION THEY
DID WITH OTHER DOCTORS WHO ARE
NOT PART OF MORGUES, ALSO
REASSURED ME THAT. ALLEN WAS
IN GOOD HANDS EVERYBODY AT THE
MORGUES, IT’S FAMILY. THERE
ARE A THERAPEUTIC SESSIONS.
I’M JUST WAITING IN THE
WAITING ROOM. YOU KNOW, ART
MUSIC THERAPY THAT SOCIAL WAS
VERY HELPFUL AS WELL BECAUSE
THEY CONNECTED US THAT WAS
PART OF THE CARE FUND AND SO
THAT THEY HAVE GIVING IS ALL
ABOUT THAT, TOO, YOU KNOW,
PROVIDING FOR FAMILIES LIKE I
WENT ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF
WITHOUT I SUGGEST GO SHOW MY
FACE AT WORK JUST TO KEEP MY
JOB. BUT I NEVER WENT WITHOUT
MY MORTGAGE PAYMENT PAID. I
ALWAYS HAD FOOD ON THE TABLE.
I ALWAYS WAS TAKEN CARE OF.
AND THAT’S BECAUSE OF PEOPLE
FROM NEMOURS. THE SOCIAL
WORKER WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR
US.
>> I LIVE IN.
>> I HAD A MIX GERM CELL BRAIN
TUMOR. IT WAS VERY RARE, BUT I
PREFER HE GOT YOU KNOW, ABOUT
ALL THE THINGS THAT HE’S GONE
THROUGH AND WE WOULDN’T HAVE
DONE THIS WITHOUT THE MOORE’S
AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
PART OF THAT TEAM.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: SURE, SURE.
AND CERTAINLY YOU BROUGHT UP
THE COMPASSIONATE CARE FUND.
SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT THEY
PROVIDE HELP FILL THOSE GAPS,
HELP FAMILIES JUST LIKE YOURS.
AND THAT’S CERTAINLY WHAT WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT. WHAT WE ARE
RAISING MONEY FOR. ALAN, WANT
TO TALK ABOUT YOU TO HAVE THAT
KIND OF RELIEF AS YOU’RE GOING
THROUGH THESE TREATMENTS TO
KNOW THAT YOUR FAMILY IS GOING
TO BE OK, THAT YOU’RE GOING TO
ABLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
>> JUST TO JUST TO HAVE THAT
PIECE AT THE END OF THE DAY
WITH TREATMENT AND EVERYTHING.
I WHEN I FIRST GOT DIAGNOSED,
I THOUGHT THE WORLD WAS ENDING
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE
GOING INTO MY BRAIN AND 6
BRAIN SURGERIES. 6 ROUNDS OF
CHEMO FOR TREATMENTS OF
RADIATION LATER. I’M JUST
THANKFUL THAT I HAD SUCH A
GREAT TEAM TO HELP ME AND SUCH
A GREAT FAMILY TO ASSIST ME AS
WELL.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: YEAH. AND
FINALLY, ALAN, I WANT TO ASK,
HOW ARE YOU DOING? EVERYBODY
WANTS TO KNOW HOW ARE YOU
DOING? YOU LOOK GREAT. YOU
SOUND GREAT. GIVE US AN
UPDATE.
>> FEELING FANTASTIC. COME
CANCER FREE. AS OF RIGHT NOW
AND I’M A STUDENT PHYSICAL
THERAPY. ASSISTANT. HELP BACK
IN THE FUTURE.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: WOW. A GREAT
JOB. AWESOME. SO MAYBE YOU END
UP WORKING WITH NEMOURS. THAT
IS TRULY INCREDIBLE. WILL.
THANK YOU TO YOU AND MOM FOR
COMING ON. WE APPRECIATE YOU
SHARING YOUR STORY. AND WE’RE
SUPPORTING YOU. 100% OF THE
WAY. SO WE ARE CONTINUING WITH
OUR PHONE BANK, THE NUMBERS
RIGHT THERE ON THE BOTTOM OF
YOUR SCREEN. YOU CAN CALL YOU