Family Stunned by Outpouring of Love From Their Neighbors After Two “Drunk” Men Defiled the Grave of Their Son, 9, Who Died of Cancer

“He said, ‘We don't know how to tell you this,’ and then he just showed us the video," Clopp told The Post.

We don't know the specifics of Christian's case, but we do know that brain cancer differs from other cancers, in that it usually doesn't travel to other parts of the body, according to Dr. Melanie Hayden Gephart, Brain Tumor Neurosurgeon at Stanford University Medical Center. "The way that brain tumors are graded is very different than the way that tumors are graded in other parts of the body,” says Dr. Gephart. "For the most part, tumors that originate from brain cells themselves don't travel to other parts of the body. That's quite different than other types of cancer, like breast cancer and lung cancer, that do have the potential to travel to other organs, including to the brain."

So doctors have to look closely at the cancer cells in order to grade the cancer, or tell you which stage your cancer is at. "So the way that we grade them ishas to do with how quickly the cells are dividing, what cell we think is misbehaving, and then how abnormal do those, uh, do those cells look?" says Dr. Gephart, who was not specifically discussing Christian Clopp’s case.

The most common type of brain cancer, called glioblastoma, is also the most malignant. "The challenge in treating that tumor is that it, it diffusely migrates throughout the brain," says Dr. Gephart. "And even at the time of diagnosis, we know that there are small tumor cells that have actually traveled even potentially to the other side of the brain or down into the spinal cord."

Because it's so diffuse, treating this disease can be especially difficult. "That makes our treatments very challenging because, even though I know that if I can get out at least 80% of the tumor, I'll improve, overall, the patient's outcome."

And surgery isn't an option. "It's not a surgically curable disease, meaning that we need radiation and systemic chemotherapy to help contain the disease," Dr. Gephart continues. "At this point, I don't feel like we have good, durable cures, but we have well-tolerated treatments that can improve the patients' quality of life and give them, also, additional time."

The two year survival rate for glioblastoma is very low, but there are some patients who are living past the typical period of survival.

Clopp got in touch with the police while posting the video to Facebook to see if anyone could identify the two people. The photo was removed for violating Facebook laws, but the police arrested Bryan Bellace, 23, of Egg Harbor City, and Daniel Flippen, also 23, of Hammonton.

Bellace was charged with lewdness, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief, along with  having an open alcoholic beverage in a park, which violates a local ordinance.

Flippen, who police said filmed the video, also was charged with having an open alcoholic beverage in a park

Flippen, who police said filmed the video, also was charged with having an open alcoholic beverage in a park

Clopp’s also responded by saying that he hoped the two men would get some help and “turn their lives around.”

“There's obviously something very wrong in their lives that they have no regard to feelings or for the property of others,” Clopp continued. “Ultimately, I would love to see them get help for that and to turn their lives around.”

As an ex-officer, Clopp is used to a lot, but he’s particularly disturbed by the their behavior. “They're laughing and joking about it, saying as they did it that it was a memorial," Clopp said. "I'll give them the benefit of the doubt it looks like they were under the influence of alcohol. Perhaps that's the reason why they did it, I don't know.”

“We live in a world today where emotion is kind of gone from everything,” Clopp continues. “We need to have empathy for others and to respect the property of others. It's also really important to just think before you act.”

In the meantime, Christian’s memorial plaque remains an ode to the spirit the Clopp family lost to cancer, reading, “A child who made the world a better place through his courage, faith, smile, laughter and love of others. May your memory and inspiration live on forever.”

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