Arthur Wear continues to fight.
The 26-year-old has battled cancer from the age of 15. He beat the illness into remission once, but three years after that, the rare form of cancer – Ewing’s sarcoma – returned in 2019.
Chemotherapy was effective in treating the tumors that had been found in his body and he began radiation treatment on his lungs. But eventually, Wear was told by local doctors that all options had been exhausted. He sought another opinion at M.D. Anderson in Houston, which has a sarcoma center and specialized treatment for Wear’s illness. His road has only become tougher since then.
“I have so much I want to do in life,” Wear said. “I’m going to fight for my life until my last breath.”
Ewing’s sarcoma grows in bones or the soft tissue around bones, like cartilage and nerves. It usually affects people between the ages of 10 and 20. Regardless of where it starts, it can spread to vital organs like the lungs, heart and kidneys, and in these cases the threat is more serious. It’s unclear what causes Ewing’s sarcoma. It doesn’t appear to be hereditary, and research suggests it’s not related to environmental catalysts.
The illness affects approximately 200 children and young people each year in the United States.
When Wear was 15, he learned he had pulmonary embolisms and blood clotting. It was not until two years later that it was found the clot was caused by a tumor in his leg. On the day of his 17th birthday, he learned he had Ewing’s sarcoma. He underwent intense chemotherapy and blood and platelet transfusion, and the cancer went into remission until September of 2019.
Beyond his daily fight, there are other life complications that have come as result of his struggle – the financial burden is large.
Wear’s vehicle is in need of repair in order to get to and from his medical appointments. His car is also central to his income – he works as a grocery delivery driver to make ends meet.
Recently, a family friend began a GoFundMe to help raise money for Wear to repair his vehicle. That fundraiser has since been re-routed into an ongoing GoFundMe made by his sister, Victoria, last year asking for assistance for medical expenses. That page is titled “Arthur’s Battle.”
