Upper Marlboro Youth Takes on Cancer and Wins

Imagine your young son has a sinus infection, and that infection spreads to his brain, necessitating multiple brain surgeries and an extensive recovery time.

Now imagine, that a mere year later, your younger son, who’d barely even had so much as a cold in his short life, is diagnosed with a blood cancer. This scenario became reality for William and Janet Mosby of Upper Marlboro, who’s then five-year-old son Zane was diagnosed with Leukemia while his older brother was recovering from multiple brain surgeries.

“He was our healthy child,” recalls Zane’s mother, who describes hearing the news the news that he had blood cancer as “surreal.”

“It was like the floor shifted beneath me and the walls came caving in,” she said.

Within moments, the Mobys were signing paperwork and Zane had his first surgery to place a port for his chemo, that very day.

It all started when Zane's parents noticed that he’d been losing some weight and complaining about pain in his legs. His mom though it was from jumping down several stairs at a time, something five-year-old boys are wont to do.

Then, she noticed some deep bruises, bruises that were so bad she could not believe she would not remember the injury that caused them. They took him to the doctor to get him checked out, and things seemed fine.

The following week, Zane became lethargic and disinterested in activities that he normally enjoyed. His doctor performed a blood test and the next morning, the family received a call telling them to go immediately to the Emergency Room at Children’s Hospital. That’s when the family received the diagnosis and the rollercoaster of cancer treatment began.

The Mosbys were overwhelmed with information, and some of the information they found on the Internet was terrifying. That was when they turned to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).

“We looked at LLS as a sound source of credible information in terms of what we were dealing with, in terms of Leukemia, and what it meant and treatment,” said Zane’s mom, who added that the information from LLS allowed them to make informed decisions about Zane’s course of treatment.

Treatment was not easy on Zane, or on the rest of his family. For three-and-a-half years, the young boy endured blood transfusions, taking up to 22 pills a day, numerous spinal taps, and endless lab work and hospital visits.

Zane’s mom had to take leave from her job in the school system to keep up with his many doctors appointments and treatments, and eventually ended up resigning. Her husband’s problems with his back and diabetes keep him from working consistently, so the cost of treatment and prescriptions has been a particular hardship on the family.  They are incredibly grateful for the LLS prescription reimbursement program, and the mileage reimbursement program that helped them afford Zane’s life-saving medications and doctor visits.  

Through all of this, Zane has remained positive. While in the hospital for a blood transfusions, Zane's mom asked her son if he realized what was going on.

Zane said to her, “‘I understand mommy that I have cancer, but it doesn’t have me and I’m going to beat it.”

“That has been his attitude this whole time,” she said.

Last summer, the Mosby received the news they’d been hoping for - that Zane was cancer free.

The Mosbys have alway been dedicated volunteers and donors to numerous causes, so they were eager work with LLS. On Monday, they will participate in the LLS Leukemia Golf Classic Hosted by Brian Orakpo, where they will meet several of the Washington Redskins.

Although Zane is a Baltimore Ravens fan at heart, his mom is a lifelong Redskins fan, the whole family loves football and is looking forward to the event.

Zane is still dealing with the side effects of some of his medications, but he is well on his way to the life every nine-year-old boy should have.

Now in full remission and off all of his medications, Zane is back at school at Woodmore Elementary, where his favorite subject is health, although he hopes to be an author when he grows up.

In his free time, Zane loves to swim and play games with his older brother, Jordan, and their father. He also raises money with Pennies for Patients, an LSS youth fundraiser.

Zane’s battle for cancer has thoroughly changed his family's lives.

“Things that used to be important really aren’t important anymore,” said Zane’s father. “When you are fighting for your child’s life you choose your battles differently.”