The following is from a flyer we passed out yesterday during our yard sale. The details of what we are doing are within.....
The Kline Boys Fund
Who are the Kline Boys?
The Kline Boys are Christopher and Alexander, sons of Tom and Bonita Kline and brothers to Tommy of Sunnyside. Christopher, Alexander and their father Tom all had brain/spinal tumors.
What Happened to Them?
In the fall of 2002 then three year old Christopher was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was treated with chemo and radiation. In January of 2003 Tom, Christopher’s father was diagnosed with lung, brain and spinal cancer. After chemo and radiation, which helped him to deteriorate quite rapidly, he passed away on May 31, 2003. On January 31, 2004 Christopher died after a long and courageous battle. A year and a half after Christopher’s death the younger brother, Alexander underwent emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor the night before his fifth birthday. At this point, the same doctors who said “coincidence” over the first two diagnoses declared this must be genetic and why hadn’t we done genetic testing. The testing revealed a genetic disorder called Li Fraumeni. One additional surgery in October removed Alex’s tumor again. Subsequent radiation helped the tumor to grow and spread. On May 6, 2006 Alexander died. He was buried next to his Father Tom and brother.
What Is LiFurmani Syndrome?
With LiFurmani the P53 gene is broken. P53 is the gene that corrects diseased cells so that they replicate as healthy cells. If you have LiFurmani you are unable to correct diseased cells. This makes you unable to naturally correct or destroy cancer cells allowing them to replicate faster in the body. Tumors, in a person with Li Fraumeni, undertaking chemo or radiation will grow and spread faster with these treatments.
Because of this condition, Li Fraumeni patient’s tumors become the most deadly regardless of the actual tumor type. Often multiple tumor types will be found in the same biopsy and current medical science has no answers. Almost everyone dies. Current research on this and similar disorders is limited to observation of families with the condition. No attempts to solve the problem are being sought right now. Noted brain tumor nutritionist Dr. Jeanne Wallace believes that if Li Fraumeni were solved, approximately fifty other cancers would be resolved as well.
Goals of the Foundation
1. To create awareness in the brain tumor community about Li Fraumeni. To push for testing in all brain tumor children for genetic disorders to ensure their treatment will not speed up growth and spread of the tumor.
2. To fund research for a non-toxic cure to genetic disorders that cause or encourage pediatric brain tumor growth.
3. Our hope is also to provide resources where patients and parents diagnosed with LiFurmani can find the help they need.
Contact us at: klineboysfund@yahoo.com
www.caringbridge.org/visit/alexander
www.caringbridge.org/ny/christopher
