Local Racer hoping for his Children’s Wish
Two days after his third birthday, Jacob Neubauer was diagnosed with cancer. “What’s leukemia?” his dad Jeff asked as he hung up the phone at work. That phone call sent three-yearold Jacob and single dad Jeff on a journey no one wants to take.
“When I heard it was blood cancer I knew I just had to stay positive because Jacob was a strong little kid and he just loves to fight – he’s always been a fighter,” said Jeff.
Luckily, there’s a protocol for treatment for leukemia and Jacob’s response was textbook during the three-and-a-half year treatment at B.C. Children’s Hospital. “We were so lucky,” said Jeff. “When we were there I met so many unfortunate parents who went through hell. You know Jacob was my hero for how he fought through it all and he would go once a month for what they called a spinal tap.”
When a patient undergoes intrathecal therapy, the doctor performs a lumbar puncture by inserting a needle into the spinal canal. To make the patient as comfortable as possible, local anesthesia or sedation/anesthesia is administered. The doctor then removes spinal fluid to examine cancer cells and replaces it by injecting fluid that holds chemotherapy drugs such as methotrexate, cytarabine or hydrocortisone, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.
Most of the kids are sedated but coherent during the procedure, said Jeff.
“So Jacob would say things like ‘oh dad, I love you but you have three eyes and your head’s really big’ and he was the only kid that would look forward to that because we’d spend the whole day together,” said Jeff. “He called it the funny room.” Despite Jacob and Jeff making the best of a bad situation, Jacob did have to take daily chemotherapy pills, lost his hair and endured everything cancer patients must during the three-and-a-half year treatment plan.
Jeff quickly changes the tough subject by saying how grateful he was to his parents, Linda and Ron Fleming, who took care of Jacob through those tough times, while Jeff had to retain his job as an automotive painter.
Jeff and Jacob came to Prince George five years ago, after Jeff’s significant other moved from the Lower Mainland to take a job with Northern Health.
“Jacob is now cancer free and the people at B.C. Children’s Hospital have been amazing,” said Jeff.