SAN ANTONIO – Noah Adams, 17, is battling Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer that affects about 200 children and young adults in the nation each year, according to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Adams’ life changed forever three months ago when doctors discovered the cancer after he injured himself while skateboarding. Since then, chemotherapy has required the Central Catholic High School senior to stay in the hospital for many days out of the month.
The journey has not only been difficult for Adams but also his family.
“We cry a lot. It’s hard. I mean, at 17, my son is going to be an amputee. And that’s hard. And it’s something we never expected,” said Adams' mother, Debi Harper, while holding back tears.
Adams has made the difficult decision to have his leg amputated to give him a better chance at beating cancer.
“So we’re scared, but we’re hopeful and we know that this is his decision. So we’re really excited for him,” Harper said.
Adams has relied even more on his 14 best friends during his health battle.
“It’s really helpful to know that I have that first line of defense, if you will, for like if I ever get down on myself and it’s awesome,” he said.
When Adams was chosen for Make-A-Wish, his wish was to give back to “the boys," but the organization couldn’t honor that.
Ma Hila’s Heart Project, a local nonprofit that helps families battling childhood cancer, was able to grant his wish.
On Thursday, they surprised Adams and his 14 friends with new Play Station 5 consoles during an event at Central Catholic.
“This whole ordeal really just caught me off guard,” Adams said.
Adams and Harper say they’re grateful for the prayers, meal trains and other community support the past three months.
“The support has been overwhelming in the best way possible,” Harper said.
Adams will undergo surgery on Oct. 21. Harper said after the surgery, her son will resume chemotherapy for seven months. He won’t be able to use a prosthetic leg until about a year after the surgery.
Adams will graduate in May.
“He actually is the first one, alphabetically, in his class. So he says, ‘Momma, I’m gonna lead those boys across the stage,’” Harper said.
You can follow Adams' journey by following this Facebook page.