My Brother, Erik

In November, 1986, at age 5, Erik was dignosed with muscle cancer. My dad found a lump (about the size of a golf ball) above Erik's left ankle. He was taken to our family doctor, who promptly sent him off to Children's Hospital. To halt the cancer's progress, Erik had his leg amputated below the knee and went onto chemotherapy.

Mom had contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan soon after and in January 1987, Erik's wish was granted to go to Walt Disney World to meet Mickey Mouse. I cannot tell you enough good things about the Make-A-Wish Foundation; they are a truly wonderful organization.

At this point, Erik was basically dying. He had stopped eating, talking, smiling, laughing and otherwise responding to the world. Our first stop on our wish trip was EPCOT Center where we rode Journey Into Imagination, sponsored by the Eastman Kodak Co. When Erik saw Figment, the ride's mascot, he laughed for the first time in almost 2 months! Something about Figment *sparked* Erik. The next day at our hotel, he asked for scrambled eggs (remember that he had not wanted to eat previously). When we returned from our wish trip, we attended a Shriner's Breakfast and Erik ate six dinner plate sized plates of scrambled eggs. From there on, he got better and better.

Erik was later considered 99.9% cured and stayed that way for 2 years. Then, the cancer returned to his little leg; he'd been misdiagnosed by his prosthetic doctor for 5 months. The cancer had then spread to other areas of his body and the fight was on again. The picture at right is Erik and I at Walt Disney World on a later family trip. Whenever he had a battle to fight, we would go to the park because the Disney magic worked for him.

Over his six year battle, we made 12 trips to Walt Disney World to see Figment.

Erik did die in July 1992 at the age of 10. He had endured 3 and a half years of chemotherapy and radiation. Muscle cancer is a particuarly difficult cancer to treat. His doctor at the University of Michigan Medical Center does credit the Disney magic and Figment with his longevity.

In 1995, friends at Kodak had Erik's photo placed in the pre-show at Journey Into Imagination. The show was Capture a Smile; it played before guests would see Captain EO. For five months, Erik's smiling face was seen by approximately 5 million people. The most remarkable part about that is this: all the rest of the photos in that pre-show are staged--they are models. Erik's photo was the only 'real' and natural picture.

During the summer of 2002, my Mom and I happened upon Billy Barty.com; Billy Barty was the actor who had given Figment his voice. We learned that his relatives, the Copelands, were preparing a book, titled Within Reach on Billy Barty's life, told through those whose lives he touched. As they were looking for contributions, we submitted Erik's connection to Billy Barty. Within Reach is now available through Barnes & Noble.com.
Just a little clowning around...!


Beware the hand!	Can you do this?