Harris County commissioners spare job of woman battling cancer

  Pooja LodhiaHOUSTON (KTRK) -- A woman who's worked for Harris County for more than 20 years is suffering from cancer and is too sick to go to work. Her family claims the county had threatened to fire her, but now she's getting support from the county and the commissioners.

It's a situation that could happen to anyone. Luckily, this woman had family, friends and strangers who care very deeply about her.

Emilio Trevino's voice breaks as he introduces Harris County commissioners to his mother, Francis Thurman.

"I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, a rare type of breast cancer," she told commissioners.

Francis is currently undergoing an aggressive chemotherapy regimen. She can't eat, she can't drive and she can't work.

"At a certain point, you don't want to do chemo anymore," she said. "You get sick, you're nauseated and you're hungry but you can't eat."

Francis has worked here at the county's voter registrar's office for 23 years. But she just learned she could lose her job for taking too many sick days. She was told she had four days to come back or she would lose her job and health insurance.

"My mother is a fighter and responsible employee," Emilio told commissioners.

Francis' son and her co-workers went to Commissioners Court Tuesday to plead with count leaders to give her the time she needs to recover. And Team Francis got what it came for.

"You know, we're family," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said. "For the tax assessor, right before Christmas, to say in four days you're terminated, that's just not appropriate."

County officials promised to work with Francis and look into changing policies to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.

"I feel so blessed and I would like to encourage others that don't give up. Just reach out, and if someone doesn't reach back, keep reaching, keep reaching," Francis told us.

Now the county hasn't come up with specific plans to deal with this situation but Francis says just knowing that they're working on it gives her relief. She says knowing that will make it easier for her to get through treatment.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Family in Houston for cancer treatment gets ripped off

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A family facing a tough cancer battle together is now facing even more trouble after they were ripped off while their daughter was receiving treatment.

The family had driven hundreds of miles to Houston, trying to save her life. Now that costly trip is becoming even more expensive.

It has been a tough few months for the Eric and Laura Smith and their family.

"Our daughter has a sarcoma and this is supposed to be one of the best clinics in the country," said Laura Smith, mother of Grace.

Grace Smith turns 20 years old on Saturday. She'll spend her birthday in chemotherapy at MD Anderson with her parents by her side.

"She's really, really been an inspiration to everybody, really," said Grace's father, Eric Smith.

But this trip from the family home in McRae, Georgia, to save Grace's life took an even tougher turn Monday night. Eric spent the night at the hospital, while Laura stayed at a motel near Buffalo Speedway and the South Loop.

"This night she was actually up, tossing and turning and bending over trying to get some relief," said Eric.

But what happened next left the Smiths floored.

"And I go out and find out all four of our tires had been taken off of our car," Laura said.

Sometime on Monday night, thieves had taken the tires off of the family car as it sat in the parking lot of the motel.

"I couldn't get to the hospital and I was devastated," said Laura.

The Smiths filed a report with the Houston Police Department.

The car was still sitting in the parking lot without tires Wednesday. The Smiths going back and forth to the Texas Medical Center by shuttle.

But as upsetting as the theft was to them, the focus remains on Grace.

"I just broke down and started crying, it was very overwhelming," said Laura.

"Being aggravated, being upset about it is not going to help anything," said Eric.

The Smiths say they have insurance and help from their church back in Georgia, but fixing the damage and replacing the tires will cost about $5,000.

They say they will be here for about three weeks and more trips to Houston for cancer treatment are likely in the future.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Houstonians make strides against breast cancer

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The stormy weather Saturday morning couldn't keep thousands of Houstonians from committing to the fight against breast cancer.

They participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5-K walk at Reliant Park.

Cancer survivors and volunteers wore pink shirts for the event.

The American Cancer Society aims to raise $400,000 for breast cancer research from Saturday's walk.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Woman: Employer fired me after cancer diagnosis

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston woman says the reason she lost her job was because she got breast cancer. Now she's suing to protect her rights.

The woman used to work at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and thought her boss would stand by her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. So when she was fired it was a total surprise.

Five months after getting hired at the Crowne Plaza Hotel as the conference meetings director, Janet Hustus received devastating news from her doctor.

"When you're told you have cancer, it's very scary," Hustus said.

Hustus went to her general manager, Jerry Mathers, about her treatment and surgery schedule. She missed about eight weeks, and four days after returning, she was fired.

"I was devastated, I didn't know what I was going to do because I had reconstruction surgery that I had to do. I had follow up visits that I had to do. And I didn't know how I was going to pay for it," Hustus said.

Hustus has now filed a lawsuit against Crowne Plaza. Her attorney contends this is a case of employment discrimination.

"Our position is that they terminated for her disability or perceived disability. She had cancer, had subsequent surgery," said Hustus' attorney.

The attorney for the Crowne Plaza Hotel sent us this statement:

"My client just received the lawsuit today and will take a serious look at all of the allegations. I understand that Ms. Hustus worked in a sales-related position and was fired for reasons unrelated to any illness or disability."

"That's the first I've heard of it. I've never heard anything about my job performance, ever," Hustus said.

Legal analyst Geoff Berg says the burden of proof falls on the victims in employment discrimination cases.

"You're going to have to get the employee's file from the employer and you have to look through it and you're going to have to see whether there are any complaints in there, whether there are any reprimands, whether there is any record establishing at the time they claim it happened, that this person had performance issues," Berg said.

Hustus says she feels she had no choice but to take action.

"It's just wrong morally. What they did was wrong," she said.

Hustus is cancer free and has found a new job.

She is seeking financial damages for medical bills she was left with after losing her insurance.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Astros go pink in battle against breast cancer

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Astros are fighting breast cancer with brunch today.

A bazaar and silent auction at the Pink in the Park brunch will both raise money for the Methodist Cancer Center. The brunch starts at 11am.

Then, tonight, the first 10,000 fans to arrive for the game against the Cardinals will get a belted pink bag.

Tomorrow, the celebration at Minute Maid heads south of the border. A Cinco de Mayo celebration will start at 3pm before the 6:05pm game. The team will also wear "Los Astros" jerseys and announcements will be made in English and Spanish.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Fort Bend County teen battling cancer earns prestigious scholarship

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Football is America's passion, and nowhere is the passion for that game possibly greater than in the heart of a Fort Bend County teenager named Addison Marshall. His fight against a deadly cancer and desire to return to the field earned him the prestigious 2012 High School Football Rudy Award.

"I go like four weeks, where I go once a week and it's just a long day at the hospital getting chemo," Marshall said.

Marshall will head back to the hospital in the morning for chemotherapy. During spring practice a few years ago, he noticed pain in his ribs. That pain was caused by leukemia.

Marshall's fight with cancer meant he had to give up playing football for a while. But it didn't mean giving up being part of the team. He kept working hard, hoping to get back on the field and to serve as an inspiration for his teammates.

"If people didn't show up for summer workouts because they just didn't feel like coming, I'd try to be like, 'Well I had chemo today and I still came,'" Addison said.

Marshall's hard worked paid off. He played in the last half of the last game this past season for his Foster High Falcons. That hard work and determination led Marshall's coach to nominate him for the 2012 High School Football Rudy Award. It's named after Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, the Notre Dame football player who's life story inspired the movie "Rudy."

"I was so happy to win -- just shocked, just a mix of emotions," Marshall said.

Marshall's mom, Val Marshall, is very proud of her son's achievement and gives credit to the Foster High football team.

"I've just witnessed what football means to these kids and it's something you can't really articulate very well but I think that's one of the reasons he's here today, it's football," she said.

Addison Marshall beat out several finalists with similar inspiring stories and will receive a $7,500 scholarship. Doctors give the teen a 50-50 shot at beating cancer. This kid seems like a big favorite to beat those odds.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Houston radio DJ completes ultramarathon for kids with cancer

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A local radio DJ just completed a remarkable feat to help kids with cancer.

Kevin Kline of The New 93Q arrived at Texas Children's Hospital on Sunday afternoon on the final leg of a 434-mile ultramarathon.

Kline ran for seven days around the Stafford Centre. When he rested, other runners stepped in and ran for him. Collectively, they finished 62 miles a day in one week.

The number 62 represents the number of inpatient beds at the hospital's cancer center, and Kline said running laps around the Stafford Centre symbolized the experience that cancer patients go through in their daily chemotherapy rituals.

Kline and his wife, Trish, are founders of the Snowdrop Foundation, dedicated to raising research money and scholarships for pediatric cancer patients. In the past six years, he's completed a variety of distance running feats, always with young cancer survivors in mind.

All proceeds benefit Texas Children's Cancer Center.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Marvin Zindler's family helps fight pancreatic cancer

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's been four years since we lost our friend and colleague Marvin Zindler to pancreatic cancer, and the KTRK Action 13 star will never be forgotten by us, or Houston TV viewers.

On Saturday, his family started the Houston area's first ever PurpleStride event to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research.

Marvin's son Mark Zindler, a senior account executive at KLTV in Tyler, spoke at the opening ceremony and then joined his sister, Helen Rodgers, and brothers Marvin Jr., Don and Dan on the 5K run/walk.

The event was held at 8am Saturday at Oyster Creek Park. Organizers expected about 500 people to participate, but more than 1,200 runners attended for the timed 5K run/walk and 1K kids' fun run. There was also music, refreshments and children's activities.

Marvin's family told us the event raised more than $200,000 for the cause.

The Houston Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network commemorates November as National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, but funds are needed and accepted year-round.

If you would like to send a donation, make checks out to PurpleStride and mail them to: Zindler Service Co., 2450 Fondren Suite 113, Houston, Texas 77063.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Cancer survivor makes full circle

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We have a follow up story that's been 10 years in the making, catching up with a young woman who caught the hearts of so many.

It was fall of 2000 when we first did a story on then 12-year-old Shelby Robin. She was a cheerleader for the Branch Crossing Junior High football team. Robin's story was and is one of strength, courage and maturity. You see, her dream had always been to be a cheerleader. But in January 2000, that dream was threatened when she learned she had bone cancer in her leg. Four months later, the night before the cheerleading squad was announced, Robin learned she would lose that leg from the knee down. "I was just stunned. It just kinda hit me really hard," Robin said in 2000. "One tear, then I knew what I had to do and I told my parents from here on out, I'm going to be positive and I'm not going to look back." After shedding that one tear, Robin had the surgery in May. Three days later, she was released from the hospital, and that fall, she had her prosthesis, her wig, cap and smith and was living her dream despite it all. A year and a half later, Robin went on the trip with the Sunshine Kids to New Orleans Mardi Gras. She went as a senior Sunshine Kid to talk with the younger children suffering from cancer and try to help them get through it. "Sometimes, we would just kinda congregate in one room, kinda have a little party within the Sunshine Kids, and we would just get to talking about everybody's situation, what everybody's gone through and stuff like that, just share and I think that helped everybody," Robin said. Robin also took part in competitive cheerleading -- prosthesis and all. She's kept very busy and never looked back. Now, it is 11 years after we first met robin. She's 23 years old, and she's back at MD Anderson Hospital -- as a nurse to children with cancer. Robin graduated from the University of Texas as an oncology nurse and she knew there was only one place in the world she wanted to be. "This was the only option for me," Robin now says. "I'm so passionate about it. I feel like I'm doing what I was meant to do, and going into something like oncology, where else is a better place to do it but MD Anderson?" Robin is treating children on the very same floor she was on at age 12, and some of the children are even in the same room. "There are certain rooms that stick out in my mind, where I was told about my amputation, or the room that I was diagnosed in, and they look the exact same so that's a little weird going into those rooms and sort of getting those flashbacks," she said. Most of the children at MD Anderson are scared, but Robin brings them a unique and calming perspective. "I don't hesitate to let them know I've been in your shoes of if they're going through something especially hard," she said. "I think sometimes you can get to the point where you're so deep in it that you don't really don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, so that's where I take my opportunity to let them know, hey I've been there and when I say I understand -- I understand and know that it's going to get better and life will get normal again; life will go on." Life has gone on for Robin -- giving back, caring and healing. She was and is one very special young lady. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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