Prep track notebook: NWC’s Henry dealing with tumor

Micah Henry hoped to challenge for a state championship this spring in the 3,200 meters.

Especially after the Northwest Christian junior took fifth in the State 1B cross country meet last fall and fourth in the 3,200 a year ago.

A brain tumor, though, put on hold Henry’s dream before the season started. He had to take the season off to engage in a battle bigger than himself.

When Henry isn’t in the early days of one of his rounds of chemotherapy, he attends practice. It’s his way of staying connected with his friends.

And when he has enough strength, he goes out for a one-mile run. It takes all the strength he can muster.

Henry started experiencing severe headaches near the end of the basketball season. In the course of two weeks, the headaches gave way to double vision.

So his parents made an appointment with a doctor, who couldn’t determine the source of the problem. So Henry was referred to an ophthalmologist, who suggested an MRI.

The MRI revealed a tumor about the size of a ping-pong ball on his pineal gland. His parents drove him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle the same day. He underwent surgery two days later to retrieve tiessue for a biopsy and to relieve pressure on his brain and optic nerve, allowing the spinal fluid to circulate properly, Henry’s father, Mark, said.

The Henrys waited 10 days for results. They learned the tumor was a germ cell tumor and it was later confirmed it is malignant.

“Things were moving so fast that I couldn’t comprehend what was going on at first,” Henry said.

“Our initial reaction was absolute shock,” Mark Henry said. “We were thinking it was some kind of inner ear infection affecting his balance. It’s one of those things you’d never envision.”

It was likely Micah had the tumor from birth, Mark said.

“They said it was common for 14- to 18-year-old males to have that type of tumor,” Micah said.

The course of treatment prescribed is highly successful, he said.

Henry is to have four 21-day rounds of chemotherapy. On the first day, a port that was inserted into Henry’s right upper chest is connected to a chemo drip for 10 hours. On the second and third days he gets a two-hour drip.

Then the chemo does its job for another 18 days before Henry starts another round. He just concluded his second round.

“When I start a round of chemo, it makes me want to barf a little bit,” Henry said. “I don’t have an appetite for a while but it slowly comes back.”

Recent blood work shows the chemo is working, Henry said. An MRI on Monday revealed that the tumor had shrunk.

Not long after his first round of chemo, Henry started to lose hair. So he shaved his head and wears a knitted stocking cap to keep his scalp warm.

Henry, who has a 3.97 grade-point average, will complete his final round of chemo by mid May and then start radiation.

Radiation will include 10- to 20-minute treatments a day for five to six weeks, culminating in mid July.

Doctors are hopeful that the tumor will have shriveled up and all the cancer cells been killed by that time.

“We’ve been blown away by the overwhelming support by our friends, family, church and Northwest Christian,” Mark Henry said. “There have been so many people praying for Micah.”

He said the cancer was isolated to the tumor and there are no signs of cancer elsewhere in his son’s body.

An assistant cross country coach had about 500 neon green rubber bracelets made with “Micahstrong” and “Psalm 28:7” printed on them.

All of Henry’s teammates and many of his friends wear the bracelets.

“He’s one of the most positive people you’ll ever meet,” teammate Jack Ammon said. “God has totally answered prayers. Cancer is cancer. But all the best possible stuff that could come out of it has.”

NWC track coach Stefan Fritsch is glad Henry decided to stay as close to the team as possible.

“What he brings to the team when he’s around everybody is amazing,” Fritsch said. “Everybody cheers up and there are more smiles and more laughter.”

Henry qualifies for Make A Wish. He’s leaning toward a family trip to Hawaii some time after all of his treatments have concluded.

Mark Henry said that learning his son had a cancerous tumor was difficult to swallow at first.

“We have to trust God’s sovereignty through this,” Mark said. “This is not a surprise to Him. Even when we don’t always understand we have to trust Him.”

Henry has been told that he can increase his running as his body strengthens. He’s hopeful he can build his running base back up this summer and be ready for cross country in the fall.

He has faith that everything will turn out well.

“I want to use this to help others,” he said. “I want to inspire others and tell them how it’s helped my faith. I’m strong enough to beat this with God’s help and the help of everyone who has rallied around me.”

Upcoming

The 53rd Mooberry Relays is Saturday at Rogers with 24 teams, the most the event has had in 10 years.

Most of the top Greater Spokane League athletes will be at the meet.

The meet begins off site at Spokane Community College with the girls and boys hammer throws. The running events at Rogers get underway at 9 with other field events following at 10.

• The Christina Finney Co-Ed Relays are Friday at Post Falls.

This is a new date for the annual event. In years past it was held the Thursday before spring break, but the meet was moved in hopes of better weather and more daylight.

The meet begins at 2:30.

This ‘n that

John Crawford has attended 50 of the 55 Pasco Invites. It appears the 55th event is his last.

“Unless something happens with my health,” said Crawford, 74, a retired Pasco coach and teacher.

Crawford has been slowed by Parkinson’s disease in recent years.

The track at Edgar Brown Stadium is named in his honor with Crawford’s name printed on the home stretch side.

Crawford isn’t sure who will take over organizing the event.

• Rogers’ Khalil Winfrey suffered a strained left hamstring in a season-opening GSL meet. He attempted a comeback last Saturday at Pasco.

He ran in the 100 prelims but he shut down his effort after a poor start, finishing in 11.46 seconds and not qualifying for the finals.

He said there’s nothing physically wrong.

“Everything’s fine. It’s just mental right now,” Winfrey said.

• There were a handful of area winners. But a number of other athletes had respectable times and marks. Here’s a sampling: Micaela Kostecka of Mt. Spokane, second in 800 (2:19.77); Zella Conley of Mead, second 100 hurdles (14.76); Scout Cai of Colfax, second in pole vault (12-0); Zechariah Herford of West Valley, second in 100 (10.74); Justin Janke of North Central, fourth in the mile (4:13.37); Joseph Heitman of Mead, fourth in 300 hurdles (39.68); Markus Taylor, Mica Jones, Ash Ruff and Sam Sjoberg of NC teamed to finish second in the distance medley (10:46.23); Jakobe Ford of Shadle Park, second in high jump (6-10); Clay Somes of Ferris, fourth in pole vault (14-9); Kaleb Taylor of Gonzaga Prep, fifth in pole vault (14-6); and Shamrock Campbell of Ferris, fourth in triple jump (43-3¼).