A wish comes true for Blaze
Puppy brings ‘a little bit of light in the darkness’ for Black Mountain child battling brain cancer
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 12, 2021
Blaze Crowder, who was diagnosed in February with Stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme, meets his new chocolate Labradoodle, Luke,” for the first time. Crowder, whose first name is Anakin, received the puppy from Make-A-Wish Central and Western N.C. Photo courtesy of Jessica West
In the hours leading up to his second brain surgery since being diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme earlier this year, 11-year-old Blaze Crowder was asked to make a wish.
“I wish to have a chocolate Labradoodle named Luke Skywalker,” said the boy whose full name, Anakin Edward Blaze Crowder, is a nod to the protagonist in the prequel trilogy of the Star Wars movie franchise.
A few weeks later, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Central & Western N.C., it came true.
Blaze, the oldest of six children in a Black Mountain family who was diagnosed in February with terminal brain cancer, met the newest member of his family, April 23.
“Pure joy,” Jessica West said of her son’s reaction to meeting Luke. “I’ve never heard him giggle that much in his entire life. He’s always wanted a puppy.”
The moment was “a little bit of light in the darkness” for West and her husband Ryan, who became concerned with their son’s health last fall.
“We thought he just wasn’t feeling well for a long time,” Jessica said. “By January he started having really bad headaches and we took him to see doctors, but at first they all mainly focused on his gastrointestinal issues and sent us home.”
The condition worsened Feb. 2, according to Jessica, and a head scan revealed a mass on Blaze’s brain. He was transported to Winston-Salem the following day where surgery to alleviate the pressure and drain the tumor was performed at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.
Ryan West and his son Blaze Crowder spend time together at home as the Black Mountain boy, who will be 12 this week, undergoes treatment for brain cancer. Photo courtesy of Jessica West
Additional testing determined the growth was cancerous, and a second brain surgery to remove the mass was performed Feb. 24.
“They were originally reluctant to remove the tumor because of its location,” Jessica said. “But, we were home for eight days after the first surgery and it grew at a rate of 0.3 millimeters a day. They had to remove it because it was growing so rapidly.”
The location of the mass was in the left hemisphere of the brain, which controls speech among other cognitive functions, but Blaze retained his ability to speak.
“He still writes, he still reads, he walks with the help of a cane,” Jessica said. “The doctors tell him every day he’s a walking miracle.”
However, a family trip to Florida in March that was intended to be a relaxing first vacation for Blaze turned into a fight for his life when he developed bacterial meningitis.
“We were going to go down there for a few days, and we ended up there for most of the month because he was in ICU on a ventilator and life support,” Jessica said. “We weren’t sure we’d bring him home, it was that bad.”
Blaze’s mother attributes the same determination that has allowed her son to continue speaking and communicating to his remarkable recovery from the infection.
“His will to live and fight to get better is incredible,” she said. “To go from the situation we experienced in Florida to have him back here at home, talking and now playing with Luke, has been a miracle.”
With no cure for Glioblastoma Multiforme, each day is precious, according to Blaze’s mother.
“We really don’t know what tomorrow will hold,” Jessica said. “When he met the puppy, it was the first time I’ve seen him react with pure joy in a very long time. It gave us all a little bit of hope, and moments like those are priceless .”
Jessica West cherishes every moment with her son, Blaze Crowder, who was diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer known as Glioblastoma Multiforme earlier this year. Photo courtesy of Jessica West
While treatment has made it difficult for Blaze to enjoy some of his favorite activities, the puppy is a consistent source of happiness.
“With his first name being Anakin, he really likes that he can now tell the puppy, ‘I am your father, Luke,’” Jessica said. “He loves Luke so much, and it’s soothing to see him have fun and not be so miserable.”
Caring for Blaze as he undergoes surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy has been a full-time job for Jessica and Ryan, whose other children are living temporarily with relatives in the area.
“We’re scattered right now, but we’re still together,” Jessica said. “We always get together on the weekends, and that’s our family time. We spend every moment we can together, because that time is more important now than ever.”
The support the family has received from the community, including nonprofit organizations like the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry, “has meant everything to us,” she said.
“The people in this community have been so amazing,” Jessica said. “I didn’t even have to reach out to the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry because (Executive Director Cheryl Wilson) contacted me as soon as she heard about Blaze.”
SVCM has connected the family with multiple resources to help them offset the financial impact of missing work to care for Blaze. A barbecue fundraiser held in the parking lot of Hunters & Treasures Pawn Shop in March raised $5,000 to support the family. Pepperoni’s in Black Mountain, where Ryan has been a longtime employee, keeps a donation jar for the West family on the counter.
“It goes far beyond financial support,” Jessica said. “Black Mountain Primary, where he went to school, has been great and Blaze has received hand-written letters from people supporting him. We’ve also received a lot of support from Mountain View Church, and too many people to name.”
The kindness of family, friends and neighbors has been immeasurable, she continued.
“It’s what’s helped us keep the lights on and be home to take care of our baby in a time of crisis,” Jessica said. “We wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of so many people.”
Blaze, who turns 12 on Friday, May 14, has impressed his family with his strength.
“Of course he’s scared,” Jessica said. “But, he’s only cried once through all of this. He has plenty of times he just wants to go back to being a normal kid again, but his positivity and strength during all of this has been inspirational.”
How to help
To support Blaze and his family as he battles Glioblastoma Multiforme, visit the BLAZES Journey Facebook page.