Grant Recipient Benefits from Clinical Trial

Zeke Newbery sounds just like your typical 7-year-old: he likes playing with his siblings, baseball, reading and learning, and finding joy in life’s little pleasures. But there’s much more to his story than that.

Zeke, a Naples resident, was diagnosed with a brain tumor just three years after birth. Two years after his first surgery, Zeke’s tumor grew back. At 5, he underwent a second surgery, followed by chemotherapy to keep the tumor from growing.

Treating cancer is never easy on the body, but it can be an especially taxing on a young child. But Zeke, now 7, is always smiling, and now, he’s got a big reason to grin.

Zeke has found success through a clinical trial with Texas Children’s Hospital. His tumor has not grown at all in the six months that he’s been taking the new medication, AZD6244.

It’s a huge success for Zeke and his family, and our Grant Program helped make the clinical trial doable.

“The grant provided to us by Amber’s Antibodies has been such a blessing to our family because it alleviates a part of the burden during this time,” Zeke’s dad, Derek Newbery, says.

“The trial requires us to fly to Texas every 28 days, which adds to the craziness of our lives and scheduling, but knowing that at least a little bit of the financial burden has been carried by someone else is such a relief to our family.” Derek adds: “This money covers medical expenses and other costs, which allows us to live a little more worry- and anxiety-free.”

As of 2018, we have donated a total of $168,350 to 67 Southwest Florida families with cancer. To learn about more of our grant recipients, or to benefit from our Grant Program, click here. To donate, click here.