March 3, 1997

Cancer can't cancel show for 10-year-old

Oshawa boy on chemotherapy still to act in school play

By Tracy Hanes - Special to The Star

For David Schneider, the show must go on . . . and neither cancer nor chemotherapy can stop it.

The 10-year-old Oshawa boy landed a major part in a school play, but the next day doctors discovered a tumor on his spinal column.

David's show will go on . . .

SAL SACCO FOR THE TORONTO STAR

David Schneider breaks from rehearsing You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. The 10-year-old won't let removal of a spinal tumor and chemotherapy stop him from playing Linus in a school play.

It was last summer when the St. Christopher Catholic School student started experiencing abdominal pain, which was first diagnosed as constipation.

By October, the pain had become so severe he couldn't sleep and had started to lose the function of his legs.

But that didn't stop David from auditioning for for the part of Linus in his school's production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown.

On Oct. 21, the day after learning he'd landed the Linus role, his alarmed parents, Michael and Joyce Schneider, rushed him to emergency at the Hospital for Sick Children.

A tumor was found lodged between his spinal cord and column and he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's large cell lymphoma.

``We went to Sick Kids on our own initiative and it's a good thing we did, because the tumor was on its way to severing the spinal cord,'' said his father.

On Oct. 22, David underwent an extended biopsy to remove part of the tumor and began chemotherapy treatments, which will continue every three weeks until fall.

When the chemo made his hair fall out, Michael Schneider and one of David's friends shaved their heads to boost his spirits. David has been in remission since December and the prognosis for his recovery is excellent.

Teacher Rose Longhurst, who is in charge of the play, said his illness came as a shock to the school community.

``When David was diagnosed, we thought we were going to cancel the play, because we didn't think there was any way we could go through with this,'' she said.

``But Michael said David wanted to go through with it and the cast has been very supportive,'' Longhurst said. ``He's been so dedicated learning his lines and making practices, even when he's suffering.''

David, who wants to be a cartoonist when he grows up, also designed the poster for the play.

Joyce and Michael Schneider are drama teachers at Monsignor Paul Dwyer High School in Oshawa, where the play will be staged.

David's sister, Mary, 12, is playing Snoopy, and the play's director, David Cardinal, is a former student of the Schneiders.

David's mother has taken a leave of absence from her teaching job to be home with him.

David is able to attend school less than half-time, due to nausea, fevers and other side-effects of chemotherapy.

Friends and family have rallied around David and when he's in Sick Kids for treatment, he stays in touch with his family via the Internet, with a laptop purchased through a school fundraiser.

``After chemo, I feel tired, and I lose my appetite and my taste buds don't work,'' David said.

But his parents say his cheerful optimism is helping him get through treatments and he's given encouragement to another St. Christopher's student, Jessica Whitney, who is at Sick Kids being treated for leukemia.

``He's a very precocious child, very full of life and spiritual,'' said his mother. ``He's been doing visualization exercises, imagining the cancer cells being zapped and that's helped a lot.''

The Schneiders have joined a local support group, Families Of Related Cancer Effects, which is working to improve the quality of follow-up support.

``This is a learning process for all of us and another parent told me we've now joined the, `It Only Happens to Other People's Children Club,' '' said his father.

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown will be staged at Monsignor Paul Dwyer High School at Rossland and Stevenson Rds. in Oshawa at 7 p.m. April 4. Tickets are $3.

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