ItÆs official: 'Frank' the tumor is dead

[jamotto]

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The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. - A 9-year-old boy who nicknamed his brain tumor ÔÇ£FrankÔÇØ and whose mother launched an online auction to help pay for his medical bills is now cancer-free, his mother said Tuesday.

ÔÇ£Frank is dead!ÔÇØ an elated Tiffini Dingman-Grover said by telephone from her Sterling home as the family prepared to head to a press conference in Washington, D.C.

David Dingman-Grover had most of his tumor removed Feb. 2 at the Skull Base Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The family learned the results of a biopsy on the tumor at midnight Monday. The family was crowded around the phone on ÔÇ£pins and needlesÔÇØ waiting for the call from DavidÔÇÖs surgeon, his mother said.

ÔÇ£(David) is so mellow ÔÇö heÔÇÖs so easygoing. He was just like, 'Really? Great! Cool!'" Dingman-Grover said of her sonÔÇÖs reaction to the good news. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs like, 'Honey, is that all?' He says, 'Did you ever think it wouldnÔÇÖt be gone?ÔÇØÔÇÖ

Auctioned bumper stickers

David was diagnosed in May 2003 with a grapefruit-sized malignant brain tumor called a rhabdomyosarcoma, which was causing blindness and headaches.

He nicknamed it ÔÇ£FrankÔÇØ after Frankenstein, who scared him until he dressed up as the monster for Halloween.

The size and location of the tumor initially made it impossible for doctors to remove, his mother said. Chemotherapy shrank it to the size of an apricot, but David needed a specialized biopsy to determine whether the tumor was still cancerous.

To help pay for the pricey procedure, DavidÔÇÖs mother auctioned off a bumper sticker on eBay that read ÔÇ£Frank Must Die.ÔÇØ Donations poured in from across the world and, after hearing about the familyÔÇÖs financial struggle, the surgeon offered to perform the biopsy for free.

Dr. Hrayr Shahinian, who performed the surgery, had said it went very well, but the family was waiting to see if another round of chemotherapy was needed. The family used the thousands of dollars in private donations to help pay for other medical fees.

DavidÔÇÖs mother said she took away something positive from the ordeal.

ÔÇ£I used to be very pessimistic about people in general,ÔÇØ Dingman-Grover said. ÔÇ£It wasnÔÇÖt until this that I realized there are people out there that really do care that I donÔÇÖt even know.ÔÇØ

The boy could be heard giggling Tuesday morning as his mother tickled him.

ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs been such a tremendous experience,ÔÇØ Tiffini Dingman-Grover said. ÔÇ£And believe it or not, IÔÇÖm glad I experienced it, because I have been given a wonderful gift ÔÇö and thatÔÇÖs to realize how precious being a mother is.ÔÇØ

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[Guest Grayfox]

good for him... now the next step: getting over the teasing at his hyphenated name... although id probably want mine hypehnated too if i was named after someone on sesame street