Wendy (Lewis) Holt hated to see her 14-year-old son, Matthew, in the hospital.
Diagnosed with leukemia April 21, Matthew had to stay in San Antonio's Methodist Hospital for 29 days.
"He started chemo immediately," Holt said. "He had an enlarged spleen, liver and lots of buildup in his kidneys."
Matthew, who lives in Kerrville with his father, Jimmy, has to trek to San Antonio four or five days a week for treatment.
"It's a four-year protocol," said Jimmy Holt, the head football coach in Leakey. "We have to travel daily to San Antonio for blood work. It's very time consuming."
Although down about having to deal with the disease, Matthew has a positive, determined attitude.
"He's very laid back," Wendy Holt said. "He's very funny, with a dry sense of humor that keeps the nurses laughing."
In the months after the diagnosis, the Holts have seen Matthew's medical costs skyrocket.
"Insurance helps, but the gas and other bills really take a toll," Wendy Holt said. "We've incurred almost $250,000 in medical bills alone, and we have to do this for three more years."
Even with the mounting debt, the family is hopeful for a positive outcome.
"Four or five years ago, the cure rate for this disease was 3 or 4 percent," Jimmy Holt said. "Today it's around 90 percent, so we are very optimistic."
As for Matthew, he's taking all this in stride and acting like any normal teenager would.
"No football or any contact sports," Matthew said when asked if there was anything he couldn't do since the diagnosis.
That's especially tough for a young man who was on the practice field at Leakey getting ready for next season when he received the news.
"We have to be very careful with Matthew catching something. His white blood cell count has been erratic, so he doesn't have the defenses to combat a disease. We just can't take a chance with infections," Jimmy Holt said. "But he's done great throughout this process. He hasn't complained at all."
Matthew's reward for a good year might be a trip to the beach next summer, something he missed this year.
The Holts have an account set up at Broadway Bank in Kerrville for people wishing to donate. The account is in the name of Matthew's grandmother, June Lewis. To see more of the Kerrville Daily Times or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailytimes.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, Kerrville Daily Times, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2008 Kerrville Daily Times, Texas