Suburban Chicago family goes to Capitol Hill to bring human face to pediatric cancer
A suburban Chicago family recently traveled to Washington, D.C., — not just to see the sights, but to be the sight for lawmakers.
They want their son to put a face on the plight of childhood cancer.
Alexander Brown got to leave his school in Hinsdale, Illinois a little early on Wednesday, so he and his family could tell his story to CBS News Chicago. The story went that Alexander was at a baseball game one afternoon, and in an ambulance a few days later.
His parents were shocked to hear the words "aggressive brain tumor."
"Pediatric cancer is the most unfair thing that you can imagine," said Alexander's dad, Matt Brown. "You're talking about children."
All before he could even read yet, Alexander had brain surgery, radiation, and two rounds of chemotherapy.
"Where his tumor was found impacts balance, and he isn't as fast as the other kids," said Alexander's mom, Christy Brown.
Alexander packs a lot of personality. He giggles and makes playful noises with his toy microphone as he sits on the stairs at home, and plays with the family cat.
But his parents want everyone to realize he is a kindergartner with cancer.
"He is the kind of sunny, happy kid that makes him the perfect poster child for the unfairness of childhood cancer," said Matt Brown.
Alexander and his family hope to raise awareness about pediatric cancer research. He appears in several social media videos posted to LinkedIn, asking for help in funding that research.
But Alexander's fight for sick kids didn't just stay on social media. He took it in person to the nation's capital.
"We don't work for anybody. We're not formally a part of any particular organization that sent us there," said Christy Brown. "We bought our plane tickets and said, 'Hey, let's try to go make an impact.'"
The Browns visited more than a dozen congressional offices — putting a cute face to a horrible disease in pediatric cancer. Alexander rode a members-only train in the U.S. Capitol, and then joined lawmakers on the congressional floor.
Alexander's big sister, Charlotte, was amazed at the access.
"We're super lucky," Charlotte said.
Remember — Alexander is only 6. When asked about his favorite part of the trip, he said it was "so much Skittles."
The candy came from a meeting with U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-Illinois).
"He's a kid that's bouncing all over like little kids do, and you know, but for his shaved head, you wouldn't think he's any different from any other kid," Castles said, "and then the conversation just got sad."
It became sad as Casten thought about the uncertainty of cancer research funding with all the changes happening under the current administration.
"And they're sitting there saying, 'What should we do?' and it was hard like, what do you? Like, what do you say as, you know — forget about as a member of Congress — as a parent?"
Casten's advice is to share the story of the funny little boy and his not-funny battle with people on both sides of the aisle. That is the plan for the Browns.
"Every single congressperson has constituents that face this issue," said Matt Brown.
