Franchise ResourcesGladiators go blue for a great cause
Janesville, WI – The Rock County Gladiators will add blue to their typical green and black this Saturday versus the Madison Mustangs in support of Zach Olson.
Zach is a typical ten year old 4th grader who likes the WWE, sports, fishing and playing video games except he has a disease that prevents him from being typical. Zach has Hydrocephalus, also known as “Water on the Brain”, and PNET (Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors) Cancer.
PNET Cancer is a rare form of cancerous tumors that affect the brain and spinal cord in children. Symptoms can include: Headaches, fatigue, seizures, double or blurred vision, back and/or leg pain and weakness in lower extremities. Zach was born two months premature to Miranda Olson and at one month old was found to have pressure building up on his brain from cerebrospinal fluid accumulation. At one month old he had a shunt installed and within the next five months went through four brain surgeries to relieve the buildup of pressure.
Over the next eight years Zach went through several different illnesses and surgeries, then at age 9 he started complaining of leg pains. Both Miranda and their family doctor considered these growing pains. Miranda then noticed Zach was in more pain and even started to haunch over. She took Zach to American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH) and he was diagnosed on Mother’s Day 2009 with PNET Cancer when a tumor was found growing down his spine from the base of his skull to his waist.
He immediately was put under a seven week process of Chemotherapy and Radiation treatments at five day intervals for several hours per day. Later Zach was then put through four months of more intense Chemotherapy treatments. During most of these treatments Zach got sick and had to stay in the hospital. During this time Miranda was taking care of Zach with trips back and forth to Madison for treatments and hospital stays when he got sick.
But because of lost time she was let go from her job with Home Health United. Miranda says she is not bitter about it though as her son is what counts, but she does thank her parents Ron and Terri Pass for everything, “I could not have gone through this without the support of my parents. They have been there for us whenever needed, regardless if it’s in the afternoon or at midnight.”
In January 2010, Zach had his last Chemotherapy treatment and in March 2010 had a MRI which originally came back that he was cancer free. But a week later they were called back up to Madison because after a closer look a spot was found, now on Zach’s brain. Again he was put on a Chemotherapy treatment process of taking a Chemo-pill everyday for two months. Zach got very sick and was not able to continue it. After a short time Zach again started a new form of the Chemo-pill with this one being five days on and three weeks off, which he is currently still on.
During this past year Zach has still kept his spirits up and even has helped out others in need by donating games to the hospital. As he says, “So other kids don’t have to be scared.” Zach was also a big part of getting his school to raise over $2000 in penny donations to Capital Candle lighters.
The Gladiators along with the Madison Mustangs will be supporting Zach by adding blue to their colors with use of tape and spat. Zach also will be an honorary captain for the game this Saturday and will do the coin toss. Each team is also donating signed footballs and other items for a raffle to help Zach out. There also will be a table set up for donations and selling the Zach’s blue wristbands. So please come on out wear your Green, Black or Blue to the game this Saturday at Monterey Stadium, 6pm kickoff and watch a great game and support a great cause.
