Cancer strengthens father, son bond By Kristin Bender

ALAMEDA -- Jim Pixton and his 1-year-old son Porter share a sad and baffling bond -- last year they both were diagnosed with blood cancers.

Doctors say Porter's juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia and Jim's non-Hodgkins lymphoma are neither environmentally nor genetically related. Porter has a rare type of chronic childhood leukemia doctors say affects four children in a million.

Cancer hitting two people in the family of six in three months was a bad coincidence.

But, the family has taken the upheaval and turned it into something positive. In September and October, they will lead three Light the Night fund-raising charity walks in the Bay Area. Jim will also throw the first ceremonial pitch at Tuesdays' Giants game to raise awareness about the walks and get people involved.Severe trial

The last year has been the toughest of their lives, but they are together and hopeful.

Sitting in the living room of his 1870 Alameda Victorian Jim, 37, says he feels fortunate to have been in remission for nine months. He feels well enough to ride his bike, work in his law office and carry his two girls, ages 5 and 6, upstairs at the same time.

But it's bittersweet, really.

Youngest son Porter was born with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). Blood tests show his blood platelets are lower than normal and his white blood cells are higher than normal, his parents say. Although he doesn't look sick, the leukemia is harboring in his 20-pound body.

Every day without a "flare-up" is a positive step.

If he survives to the age of 4 without the cancer erupting, doctors have told his parents, he could outgrow it. It's a slim chance, they know.

He turns 2 on Nov. 25.

Curing this type of cancer will require chemotherapy, radiation and definitely a stem cell transplant. But treatment now would be risky because his brain is not developed enough to fully handle the radiation.

"Leukemia is bad, but this is the worst," says Jim.

Leukemia is the leading cancer killer of people younger than 20, but it affects adults too. Every five minutes someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer and every 10 minutes someone dies, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Jim's wife, Jennifer, 34, remembers back to the day in March 2004 when a team of cancer doctors and social workers gathered in the doctor's office to deliver the bad news about Porter.

"When they first told us about it we thought, 'Kids get leukemia all the time. Why is there this whole team of people here?' Then we found out that we got the rotten ticket," she says.

Because Porter was also born with Noonan syndrome, a distant cousin of Down syndrome, but less severe, he faces a higher risk of also developing JMML.

Children with Noonan syndrome often have down-slanting eyes, a webbed neck, congenital heart disease, short stature and chest deformity. About a fourth have mental retardation, but not Porter, his parents say.

Solid foundation

So, with a strong 15-year marriage, a solid Mormon faith and three other children -- Parker, 8, Emma, 6, and Eliza, 5 -- to care for, the Pixtons forged ahead, bound and determined to keep Porter healthy for as long as possible.

They checked his spleen daily for changes, an enlargement can signal trouble. They watched for fever, pale skin, excessive bruising and kept a close eye on his moods, eating habits and behavior. They followed doctor's orders for blood tests and visits with oncologists.

One of the things we are always watching for is -- does he continue to thrive? Is he responsive and happy? his dad says.

Because their two oldest children are adopted, there was only one hope for finding a match if a stem cell transplant is needed. It was found in Eliza, Porter's biological sister. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society says chances of finding a perfect match are 25 percent.

Knowing that, they went on with life, carting kids to gymnastics and Little League and taking family biking treks.

They read books and prayed at dinner each night, and Jim, an avid cyclist, joined the society's Team in Training program. The program prepares people to do 100-mile bike rides, marathons and triathlons. Participants have raised more than $595 million for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research and patient services since the program started more than 15 years ago.

Jim says he joined to "do something" to cope with his son's cancer. He set his sights on a 100-mile bike ride called the High Sierra Fall Century near Mono Lake. Trim, athletic and a former college basketball player, he was accustomed to riding 100 miles weekly while in training.

That was March 2004 -- nearing the end of the winter cold and flu season -- and Jim was at the end of a bothersome cold. His glands had been swollen. He'd been feeling run down.

But he went to his law office, took care of the kids and set his sights on training and getting the family involved in the training program, which made Porter an honoree when Jim joined the bike ride.