Dec 20, 2002 By Amy Karpinsky 6 min read

The cancer patients of Children’s Hospital’s oncology ward will receive a special delivery this Christmas, thanks to the efforts of a local family that is fighting the same enemy. In late November, 21-year-old Robert Ruddle came up with an idea to collect money for presents to distribute to the children who have to spend the holidays in the hospital while battling cancer. Ruddle, a senior at California University of Pennsylvania and a member of the student government, first recruited the student government to become involved. The idea quickly took off when that group pitched in $230.

In just three weeks, Ruddle and his family members were able to collect enough money to buy more than $2,000 in toys for the hospitalized children.

Ruddle’s knowledge of how hard it is for families with cancer-stricken children comes from first-hand experience. Ruddle’s brother, 15-year-old Jason Santore, is fighting a battle with a rare form of bone cancer known as Ewing’s sarcoma.

Santore’s cancer story begins more than a year ago, when he began experiencing shoulder pain. However, when he first sought medical treatment in August 2001, he was misdiagnosed and told he was suffering from a fracture.

Several months later, on Feb. 1, 2002, a day his mother will never forget, the Laurel Highlands student found a lump on his shoulder. On Feb. 28, the test results revealed that Jason had cancer. In May he underwent surgery to remove his right clavicle, and the tumor and radiation treatment began in July.

Although Jason Santore is “clean,” he has lost his hair and will have to undergo five more months of chemotherapy. Despite his ordeal, Jason remains upbeat.

“You just don’t know with cancer. We have him clean today, but we don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” said his mother, Barb Santore.

Santore, who is also Robert’s mother, said that during the time spent in the Pittsburgh hospital, the family has come to realize that a lot of families living through the horror of having a child with cancer are struggling financially as well as emotionally. That is the reason that she so strongly supported Robert’s idea.

“We wanted the kids to have a nice Christmas and to know there are people who care,” she said.

Santore said that while her family isn’t wealthy, at least she and her husband are able to work, and she knows that’s not the case with many families of cancer victims.

She estimated that 50 cancer patients, ranging in age from babies to 20-year-olds, will be in the oncology unit during Christmas week. Jason has to go back in for treatment Dec. 27.

The effort generated 100 or more toys, and Santore said Ruddle and family received donations of both presents and money. The family finished buying the gifts only on Wednesday. The family planned to take half of the gifts to the hospital on Wednesday and the rest Friday.

“We want each child to get at least one present,” Santore said.

The collection of gifts was gathered in front of the Santores’ Christmas tree, awaiting delivery to Pittsburgh. The 9-year-old boy that Barb Santore called the inspiration for the idea was also on hand.

John Stewart, who will turn 10 on Dec. 29, hasn’t let “eight surgeries at the age of 9” take away his good spirits.

John, who had his left arm and shoulder amputated last year and had a portion of his lung removed this year, became friends with Jason during their stays in the hospital. “John inspired us,” Barb Santore said.

Santore also became friends with John’s mother, Denise.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t meet Denise,” Santore said.

John Stewart lives in Rochester and still must return to Children’s Hospital periodically for chemotherapy treatments. He suffers from bone cancer known as osteocarcoma.

John’s cancer story also began in August 2001, when he broke his arm.

He said he kept falling on his arm, and after one of the falls, he went to a hospital emergency room for X-rays and then got an MRI. After the MRI, the doctors discovered a tumor.

Denise Stewart said John had the surgery to remove his arm and shoulder for Thanksgiving 2001 and then had a portion of his right lung removed this Thanksgiving. John is looking at six more months of chemotherapy.

“We’re going to keep battling,” Denise Stewart said.

Although Jason and John are both suffering through what most boys will never have to experience, they were all smiles for pictures with the gifts and eager to share their stories. Barb Santore said the boys are the favorite patients of the nurses at Children’s Hospital. John has been known to ask a doctor before surgery if he got enough sleep the night before.

John joked that he has to hang out with Jason because that is the only way he can get into the teen lounge at the hospital.

Jason’s father, Bruce Santore, said that during their time at Children’s Hospital, the family has come to meet many children who are suffering through a disease that can strike anyone, regardless of their social standing.

“Unfortunately, they are very mature. They have to grow up before their time,” he said.

At the oncology ward inside Children’s Hospital, due to contamination concerns, the nurses will distribute the presents instead of the gift-givers. But business cards listing the names of contributors will be attached to every present.

The cards say: “Happy Holidays from California University of Pennsylvania Student Government, Jason’s Journey, Cerini Harley Davidson, Fayette Tire Company, CVS employees of Waynesburg, K-Mart employees of Uniontown, Paroda Physical Therapy and Fayette Home Care Green Team.”

Barb Santore, who works at Kmart, received donations from employees, and Bruce Santore secured contributions from fellow employees at CVS in Waynesburg.

Bruce Santore said the gifts will help families already struggling with the high cost of cancer treatment. For example, he said, one prescription for Jason costs more than $3,000 per month. While insurance often covers most of the expense, with multiple prescriptions and co-payments, the costs quickly add up.

“It’s an expensive disease. Almost every parent is in major plastic debt. If nothing else, we know it has to help,” he said of the gifts.

Saying he is thankful to everyone who donated, Ruddle noted that a lot of the children who are being treated for cancer think nobody cares but their parents.

“We want to show them that somebody else cares, not because we have to but because we want to,” he said.