The Realities of Childhood Cancer
- Famed illusionist Criss Angel and his wife, Shaunyl Benson, have been supporting their son, Johnny, during his acute lymphoblastic leukemia journey for most of the 7-year-old's life.
- Thankfully, Johnny just finished the last of his treatments. Now, the family is determined to share his story to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer.
- Being a parent and a cancer caregiver at the same time is a huge responsibility. It's important to take care of yourself and find the time to celebrate life's happy moments along the way.
Johnny Chrisstopher, 7, is the oldest child of famed illusionist Criss Angel and his wife, Shaunyl Benson. When Johnny was just 20 months old in October 2015, he was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL. After three years of treatment, his cancer went into remission.
Read MoreIn an Instagram post, Angel shared a video that showcased many of the highs and lows of Johnny Chrisstopher’s arduous cancer journey to date in an effort inform followers about what childhood cancer really looks like.
View this post on Instagram
“This is the most important post I have ever made – PLEASE share this with everyone,” the caption read. “TODAY OUR SON JOHNNY CRISSTOPHER WILL FINALLY RING THE BELL SYMBOLIZING HIS REMISSION AND THE END OF HIS TREATMENT! NO NETWORK OR STREAMING PLATFORM WILL AIR THE SHORT FILM WE MADE DOCUMENTING HIS JOURNEY – "1095" – because of the subject matter… but this is real life!
“I'm asking from my heart to yours if you would kindly REPOST or SHARE (LINK) YouTube: https://youtu.be/Rzad6l3d8ww this short film on your social media platforms – whether you love me or hate me – so that we can raise awareness and money to help kids battling for their lives right now. Much love, Criss & Shaunyl”
Benson shared another video that chronicled Johnny’s last three months of immune therapy.
View this post on Instagram
“Johnny Crisstopher will FINALLY ring the bell after 6 long years,” she wrote in her caption yesterday. “What a journey it has been, this nightmare we have lived twice since 2015.”
She went on to explain that these last treatment cycles were “tough” for the whole family, especially since they recently welcomed Johnny's little sister Illusia into their home after her early birth. But Benson expressed her gratitude for the “amazing support system” she’s been able to count on through the whole experience, and her pride in Johnny for putting up such a brave fight.
“We are so proud of you my Johnny boy,” she wrote. “This is ALL YOU â™¥ï¸ This chapter of your life will finally be behind you and I'm so excited for your future. I can't wait to finally see you ring that bell my love. Ring it hard because the whole world is proud of you!”
Understanding Childhood Cancer
Treatment advances in recent decades have lead to 84 percent of children with cancer now surviving five years or more, according to the American Cancer Society. This is up from 58 percent from the mid-1970s.
But according to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, more than 95 percent of childhood cancer survivors have significant health-related issues because of the current treatment options, and only 4 percent of the billions of dollars spent each year on cancer research and treatments are directed towards treating childhood cancer in the United States. Since 1980, fewer than 10 drugs have been developed for use in children with cancer while hundreds of drugs have been created exclusively for adults.
Dr. Elizabeth Raetz, director of pediatric hematology and oncology at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, reminded us in a previous interview that there is still reason for hope.
"There are also targeted treatments and different immunotherapies that have been studied in adults and have now moved into clinical trials for children and there has been a great deal of excitement in the community about that," Dr. Elizabeth Raetz told SurvivorNet.
Caring for a Child with Cancer
Still, navigating a child's cancer diagnosis can be tricky, and Angel and Benson have a lot on their plates right now. Especially given the fact that the family recently welcomed a third baby on November 5, 2021, and they are still supporting Johnny through the last of his cancer treatments.
Similar to Angel and Benson, Jayne Wexler knows all about filling the simultaneous roles of parent and cancer caregiver. Her son, Justice, was also diagnosed with ALL, but he has since recovered. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Wexler explained how she managed to be a mother and a caregiver all at once.
"I Try To Stay Strong, But Sometimes You Need To Cry": Playing The Role of Cancer Caregiver and Mom
"Being a caregiver is a huge job," Wexler said. "Fortunately, my husband and family were very supportive … it's really hard to see your child go through this. If it could be me, I would take it in a second. You just go on auto-pilot and you just do what you have to do."
But that doesn't mean it was always easy. Wexler admitted that as a parent caring for a child with the disease, you don't have a lot of time to sit down and deal with your own emotions.
"You don't have that much time for yourself," Wexler said. "I try to stay strong, but then sometimes you just want to go and cry, and you need to cry… it's good to cry."
The survival rate for children with cancer has improved over the past few decades, but pediatric cancer is still an incredibly hard thing for a family to go through. In her own caregiving experience, Wexler found therapy to be a great way to process everything happening to her family. Regardless of whether it's therapy or participating in your favorite activities or something entirely different, it's important to find ways to also take care of yourself as you're taking care of your child.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.