MICHAEL'S STORY

It's a good thing Michael Driscoll spoke up about the small lump he felt under his thick, dark hair. His mother, Melissa, would never have noticed it if he hadn't pointed it out to her.

Melissa's heart sank when she saw the small, black scab on her son's scalp. She knew it didn't look good. Fortunately, this happened while they were both sitting in their dermatologist's office. The dermatologist took a biopsy and was reassuring, but Melissa could tell she was quite concerned, too.

A few days later, on the way home from basketball practice, Michael learned he had the deadliest form of skin cancer. He was only 15. His dermatologist immediately arranged a referral to Leonard Sender, M.D., medical director of The CHOC Cancer Institute. Michael's parents still remember how Dr. Sender called them back that very same day.

"Dr. Sender told us it would be okay, and that he had worked with numerous young patients with melanoma," Melissa recalls. "I got the feeling that everything would be okay. Dr. Sender would make sure of it."

During the subsequent surgery to remove the melanoma, 39 nodes were removed from the right side of Michael's neck. One was cancerous, and Michael's cancer was classified as stage III melanoma.

AN AGGRESSIVE COURSE OF TREATMENT
The Driscolls carefully researched Michael's treatment options and obtained second opinions from other specialists. Surgery was a given, but not every specialist agreed with how far to continue treatment. Some recommended a "wait and see" approach.

Dr. Sender firmly disagreed. "He said, 'No, this is melanoma. You need to treat it aggressively,'" Melissa Driscoll recalls. "We listened to everyone and prayed about it. We looked to guidance from God on which way to turn, and it all fell into place."

Michael and his parents decided to take the aggressive approach, and he began receiving treatment at CHOC in July 2004. After the first month, Michael continued receiving treatment at home. His father, Mike, gave him injections of interferon three times a week for the next 11 months. Michael remembers always feeling tired and a headache that lasted an entire year. He lost some weight and his hair thinned a little.

Showing maturity far beyond his years, Michael never complained. He just made the best of it and tried to rest as much as possible. Although Michael missed several school days, he was able to keep up with his studies. That year, he even managed to play the small forward position on his school's basketball team.

A YOUNG LIFE BACK ON TRACK
Michael?s treatment finally ended in August 2005, and he continues to receive follow-up care at The CHOC Cancer Institute. The latest tests have shown that Michael is in remission. Still, Michael has to be vigilant about wearing sunscreen and hats, and he must stay out of the sun as much as possible.

Academically, Michael is on track as a junior at Santa Margarita High School. Earlier this year, Michael started volunteering at CHOC at Mission through his school. He spends eight hours a month working with the staff and patients on the pediatric floor. At such a young age, Michael knows better than most people, exactly what these patients are going through. But he also knows there are many reasons to be hopeful, especially when cancer is caught and treated early.

And for that, he can thank his mom. Realizing that every-one is at risk for skin cancer, Melissa Driscoll has been routinely taking her children to the dermatologist for years.

"People don't always think about taking kids to a dermatologist, but melanoma does happen. I believe in being proactive and taking my children in for an annual check-up. They all have very fair skin and a lot of moles, which are key risk factors for melanoma," she says.

Melissa is quick to give credit where credit is due for Michael's good outcome. "Dr. Sender is our hero. He has the aggressive personality needed to beat this demon called cancer," she says. "And I think while medicine is very vital to beating cancer, prayer is the force behind any medication and every believing doctor. God is the reason for Michael's success."