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Jul 14, 2009 3:35 pm US/Central
8-Year-Old Plano Boy Ends Battle With Cancer
PLANO (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Connor Cruse told his classmates and teammates never to give up. That's the way he pushed through the pain, and Tuesday more than 2,500 people came to celebrate the life of the 8-year-old who battled cancer for four years.
"So little is done for pediatric research," said Connor's father, Tait.
He and others who knew Connor said he never complained. Fellow students said he often did not want to take his pills. But up until May of this year, Connor was still playing baseball with his team after painful treatments and trips to other states. His parents recently took him to Guatemala for treatments that are still considered experimental in the U.S.
The Tuesday funeral was held at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, and many children were there to remember the friend they lost Friday.
Conner was first diagnosed with nueroblastoma cancer four years ago. He underwent numerous surgical procedures and treatments. His health was improving. Connor returned to school with his classmates. But his parents said doctors diagnosed Connor with a new form of cancer in January -- a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, an aggressive form of the disease.
Tait and Joy Cruse say the treatment for his first cancer caused the tumor. "The radiation is what caused the second cancer in Connor, so they've got to find better treatments than radiation," said Connor's mother.
Connor and his family used
this website to keep friends informed about his health, and to campaign for more funding for pediatric cancer research. Joy Cruse says she plans to write a book. The website will be used to continue their campaign, and the Cruses plan to speak to groups who want to know more about the disease and how it affects families.
Connor's friends said they miss the boy who was quick to display his trademark thumbs up.
"He was probably the bravest boy I've ever met," said Ann Rene Cione, who has known Connor since pre-kindergarten. "He was battling cancer for a long time."
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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