By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN – Zachary Combs is like any other 5-year-old boy. He likes Spiderman, playing with toys and watching cartoons. He also has a younger sister, and the two tend to bicker back and forth.
But Zachary is going through something that most kids his age don't have to. Less than one year ago, a cancerous tumor was found on his kidneys. It was removed, and everything seemed to be fine. However, a recent check revealed the cancer is back.
It all started with a stomachache last October. Zachary's mother, Amy Backus, took him to the doctor, and, after several tests, it was revealed that he had a tumor. "That was scary," Amy, who lives in Buchanan with her family, said Wednesday. "But they did surgery and it looked like everything was taken care of."
Things seemed fine with Zachary for a few months. But in July, Zachary was back at the doctor's office with more stomach pains. Doctors diagnosed him with Neuroblastoma, a cancer of the sympathetic nervous system, a nerve network throughout the body that carries messages from the brain.
Neuroblastoma is a solid, malignant tumor that manifests as a lump or mass in the abdomen or around the spinal cord in the chest, neck or pelvis. It is a form of cancer that occurs in infants and young children and is rarely found in children older than 10 years.
Amy explained that Zachary's is a Stage 4 "it's the worst stage," she said.
Zachary has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments since finding out he had the disease. His mom admitted he has his good and bad days. Wednesday seemed to be a good day for Zachary, who proudly wore a Spiderman mask around his head. "I have the costume too," he said.
Zachary and his sister went about playing and laughing like every child should.
"It's been hard for us, but we're taking it day by day. We travel back and forth to Bronson (in Kalamazoo). He had to have a blood transfusion on Aug. 7, and actually he has been doing really good since then. It's made him stronger," Amy said.
Zachary will have to undergo about a year of chemo treatments, which will not only make things difficult, but expensive as well.
That's why a benefit for Zachary is being held at Wal-Mart this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A bake sale and car wash will be available, with all monies raised going to Zachary and his family.
"Zachary is such a great kid," Kim Gard, a Wal-Mart employee said.
Another benefit will be held on Sunday, Aug. 26 at the American Legion Post No. 51 in Buchanan from 2 to 8 p.m. This will be a spaghetti dinner, which will include door prizes, kids games, raffles and tip boards.
Some items being raffled off include a Michael Jordan poster, a framed Chicago Bears poster, a free oil change at Zolman Tire, gift cards from local restaurants and much more.
Fifth Third Bank has also set up an account in Zachary's name for those wishing to donate. "We want to help him out in anyway we can," Gard added.