‘If I can beat cancer twice, I can do it three times’

Sept. 26--FORT WALTON BEACH -- For most kids, turning 13 is a milestone because you're no longer considered a kid -- you're a teen. But for Mickelluh Denis, celebrating that milestone this past March meant he had beaten the odds.

In 2007, at 6 years old, Mickelluh, or Micke, was diagnosed with colon cancer. In 2010, it came back. After years of treatment, he was just about to celebrate three years without chemotherapy when doctors found polyps throughout his small intestine, stomach, gallbladder and duodenum, which connects to the pancreas.

"Doctors said he would never make it to his 13th birthday," said his mom, Rachael Hoover. "We thought he was good, but now we are just waiting for these polyps to turn into cancer."

Micke was just 5 months old when his mother, Rachael, found that she had a genetic disorder that causes its victims to develop adenomatous colon polyps, which increase the chance of cancer in the stomach, colon and small intestine.

The doctors gave two options, neither of which was simple. Option one, Rachael said, is a procedure in which the tumors are burned off to prevent them from growing, since they are fully formed on to the organs. This is only done at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio and Micke's insurance won't cover it.

The procedure insurance will cover is the Whipple surgery. The surgery involves removing parts of the pancreas, small intestine, gallbladder, bile duct and stomach and would make him a candidate for dialysis. It has a 79 percent death rate.

<p>"Doctors told me they've never had a child this young," Rachael said. "No matter what, he will have to have scans and go through chemo for the rest of his life.

"All I want is to see my son grow up."

Although it is a new procedure, Micke and his mom are in favor of the first option, but without insurance, it comes with a $40,000 price tag. To help cover medical bills, Rachael's friend set up a GoFundMe page for Micke last month. Almost $3,000 worth of donations from friends, family and even teachers, have come in, but that is nowhere near the projected cost.

"It's hard for a family like us," said Micke's grandma, Terri Misita. "We don't know where to start."

Terri and her husband, John, sold their house in New York to move in with Micke and Rachael, who has had her own history of cancer and is due for a checkup now.

Having the support of her mother is "wonderful," Rachael said.

"Wonderful isn't the word," Micke added.

Micke is just as much a normal 13-year-old as he is a cancer survivor and fighter. He enjoys sports, likes to play video games with his friends and loves his Monday night Boy Scout meetings.

"Some days, I feel bad," he said. "But I keep going."

To keep going is exactly what the family strives for. Micke doesn't accept pity, but he does accept prayers.

"I pray every day to get better and to live a normal life," he said. "If I beat cancer twice, I can do it three times."

GO FUND MICKE: To donate to Micke go to gofundme.com/cm0tj4. Donations of any amount are accepted. Also, an account has been set up for Micke at any Bank of America. The fund's name is "Mickelluh Denis Medical Contribution Fund."

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Jennie McKeon at 850-315-4432 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @JennieMnwfdn.

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