Courage & Commitment: Teen cancer survivor fights for awareness

Trevor Smith and his mother, Charlie, thought they were living the perfect life. They were a beautiful, rich family with a large home in McCall and spent days on the golf course, lake or ski hill. They had no worries, didn't need to work and almost always played.

"I had the life of a princess,'' Charlie said.

Then reality struck in November 2002. Cancer and divorce changed their priorities and their lives — eventually making them better people.

"Before cancer, unfortunately, I thought about my life and didn't think about other people or helping them,'' Trevor, 17, said. "That has definitely changed.''

Trevor's not your typical teen, after surviving brain surgery and a year's worth of radiation and chemotherapy. He emerged from the fog of a debilitating illness devoted to making life better for other cancer victims.

"I can't stress enough how important public awareness is when battling cancer,'' Trevor said. "We must find a cure. We must be more accepting of those with cancer. We must recognize symptoms in children so they can get help and survive.''

Trevor is so passionate about improving public awareness to childhood cancer it consumes practically all of his free time. He lobbies congressmen, legislators, the governor and the mayor. He speaks at fundraisers and statewide cancer summits. He was selected to a statewide childhood cancer panel that will address issues related to the disease.

Trevor has met with the Boise schools' superintendent to ask that environmental science be a requirement instead of an elective, so teens can learn more about cancer-causing elements. He keeps up to date on topics such as the plight of nuclear testing "downwinders," and regularly writes his lawmakers to share his opinions.

His most recent project, orchestrated with his mother, is called "Trevor's Trek,'' a walk Saturday for childhood cancer awareness. This is the first year for the event, and it's unclear know how many people will participate.

"It doesn't matter if we have 10 or 100,'' Charlie said. "Reaching just one is better than none.''

The money devoted to the event — mostly for marketing — came from their own pockets. It's not a fundraiser, and there is no entry fee. It's simply a way to keep childhood cancer in the news. Mayor Dave Bieter will read a proclamation, and Trevor will speak to the participants.

At Boise State University's football game Saturday, Trevor will introduce Gov. Butch Otter, who will proclaim September childhood cancer awareness month. He'll tell the 30,000 football fans that cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among U.S. children up to age 14. Nearly 5,000 children in the Rocky Mountain area suffer from cancer, and more than 150 children are newly diagnosed each year.

"If you meet a child with cancer it will change your life,'' Charlie said. "It brought out the passion and compassion I've always had but didn't always share.''

Charlie and her husband, Ballard Smith, lived an idyllic life in McCall and hobnobbed with Idaho's rich and famous. Their 13-year-old son, Trevor, was a straight-A student, loved all sports and was popular in school.

Almost simultaneously, in November of 2002, the Smiths agreed to divorce, and a golf ball-sized tumor was discovered on the base of Trevor's brain. Charlie and Trevor moved to Boise and within days of diagnosis, a highly malignant tumor was removed after an eight-hour surgery.

The 12 months of 2003 were a blur.

Trevor was hit with radiation treatments five days a week for more than a year. He spent several days a month in the hospital receiving chemotherapy.

He slept through most days, could handle only two hours of homeschooling a day and had no friends. He lost his hair, weight and balance. He limped, threw up regularly and rarely left the house except for treatments.

Financially, they were fortunate. But physically and mentally, they had both reached rock bottom.

"I lost contact with the outside world,'' said Charlie. "I functioned only for my son.''

Trevor said: "She's been amazing. She's a huge factor in my success.''

Charlie will never forget the day her son delivered a life-changing message at the kitchen table — so weak with the disease he was hardly audible.

"I'm angry this happened to me, Mom,'' he told her, "but something good will come of it.''

The "good'' is their new life focus — caring for others and pushing people in power to find a cure for childhood cancer.

"I was a mild case compared to a lot of what I saw,'' Trevor said. "I want to cut down on the prevalence of cancer. I want people to know that cancer isn't contagious and that people should be more accepting of kids who look odd or walk differently because of treatments.''

Charlie is just as driven.

"My mom wasn't active in the community before, and now she's busy every day with cancer issues,'' Trevor said. "We have a better life; it has meaning.''

Trevor has been in remission for more than three years. He's a senior at Boise High School and a member of the golf team. He's very careful about what goes into his body. He doesn't eat french fries, have ketchup on his burger or drink soda. Instead of cake, he'll have a tomato after dinner.

"I have a tremendous will to keep those habits in place after what I've been through,'' Trevor said.

He promised his mom he'll never drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or do drugs, and he won't associate with those who do.

"I can't see harming your body in a way you have control over,'' Trevor said. "I want to stay healthy and earn a living at something that helps the environment and other people.''