Boy Loses Battle With Rare Form Of Brain Cancer Weeks Before Getting Life-Saving Treatment
MOON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Pittsburghers have been rallying over the past week to help a Moon Township boy battling a rare form of cancer get a life-saving treatment.
The money has poured in and the operation day was set; unfortunately, Connor Patsilevas' family now says the little boy has lost his battle with brain cancer.
He was a typical vibrant 8-year-old boy just one year ago.
But over the past year, a cancerous tumor in his brain stem, something called DIPG, has grown and slowly robbed Connor of the ability to walk, talk and even eat.
As his condition advanced, his mother Alyson, father Chris, and big sister Alexis became "Team Connor."
As an avid baseball player, they made sure Connor got to spend some time with the Pirates, and the family made a trip to visit Mickey and friends, all the while mom and dad were working to find a cure.
Trials were offered and rejected because they rarely offered more than a couple more weeks of life.
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The Patsilevas believed there had to be more, so they found a procedure being done in England with success.
Chris Patsilevas said last week: "I mean his birthday is in September, and if we don't do thism he won't see it."
So they concentrated on hope, and with your help in the past week, they raised the $200,000 needed for the drug and the San Francisco medical team to make it happen.
The operation was set for June 1. The flight was set for a week from Saturday.
But on Tuesday morning, after sharing the news of the scheduled procedure with KDKA Radio, Chris said Connor stopped breathing, and despite heroic efforts, he could not be revived.
While they've been fighting to save their son, Chris and Alyson have also believed they were fighting for all the children with DIPG.
"Once we get it here, and they see it works, then these parents who have had no hope, will have some hope," Chris said last week.
