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Koopman back on the lacrosse field less than nine months after cancer diagnosis

Tuesday, May, 13 By Evan Mugford
Staff writer

It all began with a bump | a mass located above the collar bone.

Seventeen-year-old Pete Koopman of West Newbury didn't think much of it last October, and neither did his family, including his mom, Beth, a nurse at Anna Jacques in Newburyport.

After all, Pete was an active kid. He played football, wrestled, and carried around a 25-pound backpack. They all figured it was probably a muscle contusion or strain.

In most circumstances, ignoring a lump on a teenage lacrosse player's collarbone would seem justified. However, in only a short span of time, Pete and his family were introduced to a new way of life.

"It was around my birthday last October when I first noticed it," said Pete, a sophomore at Pentucket Regional High. "I had asked my dad to buy me a cowboy collar, and coincidentally, after the first day I used it, it appeared. So, at first, I thought it was some swelling from wearing it."

Even after Koopman iced it, and took Ibuprofen and Motrin, the mysterious lump didn't decrease in size.

"It was a lump that kind of resembled having swollen glands when you have a sore throat," said Pete's mother, Beth.

While watching his son play football, David Koopman also observed that Pete, usually an aggressive running back and linebacker for his undefeated JV squad, seemed sapped of energy.

"Pete didn't want to draw attention to anything that would inevitably take him out of the lineup or sideline him," said David. "There was that natural | 'It's okay, it'll go away, I'll play through it.' | reaction. But unfortunately it just kept getting worse."

With concern growing about his unusual condition, the Pentucket football coaching staff decided to halt Pete's participation until he was cleared by a doctor.

"We went to a pediatrician and had Pete have an ultrasound and an X-ray of his chest," said Beth. "They give it to you on DVD to look at, and as we were watching it in bed one night, I knew immediately that it didn't look good.

"There was a large mass right underneath his breastbone, and it was pressing against his airway," said Beth. "A doctor eventually called, and Pete and David rushed in to the Children's Hospital in Boston."

'Avoiding the word cancer'

Despite everyone's words of comfort, Beth recognized the inevitable months of struggle for her son.

"I thought it was cancer right away," said Beth. "The signs were all there. When he first had ultra sounds, there was a slight chance that maybe it was a cyst. But once we got to Children's and they sent us to the Hematology/Oncology floor | for cancer and blood disorders | I already knew what they had in mind."

Although the results seemed to be clear, the diagnosis wasn't as prompt as the Koopman family had hoped.

"When we first arrived at the hospital, I remember everyone avoiding the word cancer," stated Beth. "It was Pete who broke the ice when he looked up at the doctor and asked, 'Does this mean I have cancer?'"

"The reason they never spoke it aloud was because Children's is very thorough," explained David. "They wanted to be absolutely sure that cancer was exactly what it was.

"That took a number of days due to scheduling conflicts and tests," recalled David. "But it was definitely finalized in our eyes when we were brought to this floor one night, and everyone around us was showing the effects of cancer."

"We still didn't get the word until four days later," said Pete's father. "That was probably the longest span of time I've ever gone through."

Peter was diagnosed with Stage IIB Hodgkin's lymphoma, meaning that the cancer was in two regions on the same side of the body. It's a totally random affliction that is more common in young men between the ages of 15 and 35.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell. Symptoms include the painless enlargement of lymph nodes, spleen, or other immune tissue. So far in 2008, there have been 8,220 new cases of such disease.

Although Hodgkin's lymphoma is malignant, it remains to be one of the most curable forms of cancer if it is detected in the early stages.

"They try to break it down to people who have symptoms and people who don't," said Beth. "Pete never had any classic symptoms, like night sweats, fever, weight loss, malaise | at least that we knew about.

"So that gives him a better chance of a complete recovery from Hodgkin's," said Beth. "Hodgkin's lymphoma patients have a cure rate of about 85 to 95 percent, and because he has the non-symptomatic, it puts Pete in the 95 percent cure rate."

'The reality of what I was up against'

Pete's first reaction was a profound moment of clarity and soul-searching.

"When the doctors came in that night, I was trying to listen to what they were saying. But as they kept explaining, I just couldn't keep my mind from wandering," said Pete. "At the time, they were probably the longest and deepest thoughts I've ever had.

"It was the reality of what I was up against," said Pete, whose primary care practitioner is Dr. Arlene "Andy" Androkites of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. "Yeah, it was hard to deal with, but after some more time, it came to me that this isn't the end and that plenty of people survive this and move on. I knew I was going to be alright."

Nearly eight months later, Pete Koopman is alright. The cancer is in remission, meaning he is not currently being treated for the disease. And those who have had the misfortune of running into him on the lacrosse field can vouch for how well the defensive midfielder is coming along.

But the journey hasn't been easy. Pete underwent a neck biopsy, and surged through months of chemotherapy. As the treatment's impact poisoned the cancerous cells, it also took a toll on Pete's immune system and his natural resistance to the flu and winter colds. The chemotherapy's "collateral damage," according to Pete's father, included losing his hair, nausea, decreased energy, an untold number of tests, mixed emotions, and of course missed opportunities.

Even despite the grueling chemotherapy cycles, Pete persevered.

He remained in school and continued going to classes on an out-patient basis. He joined an indoor lacrosse league in Tewksbury. And thanks to a great offer from the Jimmy Fund and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Pete joined 30 other in-treatment youths (18 and under) to Red Sox spring training for three days and two nights. He met Jon Lester (a survivor of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Clay Buchholz, and received an autographed ball of the 2007 championship team.

An overwhelming show of support

From new allies to relatives, life has been altered for nearly everyone that has come to know Pete.

"I'm very proud of what he went through," said Pete's father. "And it's a great life lesson. He didn't complain once. I didn't hear him say "Why me? This is unfair." I'm very proud of him for attacking it head-on and going through it.

"It's made me appreciate my children to the fullest," continued David, "as well as the whole support system. From Dana Farber and the Jimmy Fund, the doctors and nursing staffs, to our neighbors and churches like St. Paul's in Newburyport and All Saints in West Newbury. It gives you a new perspective when you're up against a life-threatening situation. You really see humanity at its finest."

"I think the biggest thing is that I didn't realize how much support we had from people all over the community," said Beth. "People were praying for us, thinking about us, and always asking about Pete. From my coworkers to people at the pharmacy, other parents, teachers, and all of our friends and neighbors who would bring over meals."

"Support came out of the woodwork," explained Beth. "It was amazing."

Pete's brother Jared, a sophomore at Central Catholic, sees his older sibling in a new light.

"What he's been through physically and mentally is just incredible," said Jared, 15. "I try that much harder in school and in sports now because of Pete. I definitely look up to him."

The greatest gift

Other friends like Shane Sloban, a teammate on the football team, and Dylan Martini, a close friend of both of the Koopman brothers, were initially shocked by the news of Pete's illness.

"It was during practice that myself and the team had noticed the growth on Pete's neck," said Sloban. "After he went to get it checked out, his parents called me soon after and explained that he had lymphoma. I had a hard time grasping how this could happen because Pete lives a pretty healthy lifestyle. He's very fit, and he trained often; it was just such a shock.

"He's been very inspirational for me," said Sloban. "He's just come such a long way. To find out that he was on the path to beating this disease is just amazing."

Martini is equally proud of what Pete has accomplished.

"It was sad to hear at first because Pete is such a good football player," said Martini. "But the way he's been pushing through and staying strong, it's no surprise to me that he's already back on the lacrosse field."

One of the first people to show concern was Steve Hayden, now a close friend of the family.

"I was upset for him," said Hayden, head coach of the Pentucket football team. "But the best and strongest thing for him was that his mom and dad, as well as Pete, were super-positive.

"We knew he had something in his neck," said Hayden, whose own brother has been diagnosed with cancer. "But we prayed for him and still do, and we know how he feels. Pete's been so good, so optimistic. He's a great kid."

The ordeal isn't over yet. The tumor is gone, but Koopman is still required to get bi-monthly checkups at Dana Farber. Otherwise, his life is free of any reminders of the disease.

"Staying true to myself, my friends, and my family is what keeps me motivated," explained Pete, who hopes to make enough physical gains to be back to his usual form for football next fall. "The process has been stressful for me and my family, but it's definitely brought us closer."

Pete notes that his bout with lymphoma has made him more confident and more of a risk-taker. But any improvements in character take a back seat to Koopman's greatest reason to feel thankful.

"Just being alive," Koopman says is his greatest gift.