Angels among us

Mike Sciacca

Frank Figueroa believes in angelic intervention.

The 48-year-old Whittier resident had an ethereal experience

Saturday when he and several hundred others walked the Orange Coast

Angel Adventure at Huntington Central Park West.

With an estimated 230 participants taking part in a three-mile

walk, early numbers showed that $45,000 had been raised from the walk

to benefit the National Brain Tumor Foundation. Money still is coming

in, event organizers said, and the goal was to meet or exceed the

$60,000 raised last year.

Saturday’s walk marked the second consecutive year that the

adventure walk has been held at Central Park West. Balloons and music

from a live band flittered through the air and a volleyball net

displaying paper angels -- each baring the name of a survivor or

victim of a brain tumor -- was hung on a nearby volleyball court.

“We had some really wonderful people come out and support this

great cause,” said Huntington Beach resident Sue Berman, who, along

with Wendy Fuld, served as co-chairs of the event. “We’re planning on

doing it again in Huntington next year.

“The goal of this event was to bring awareness to this disease.

There is so much out there regarding breast cancer -- and rightly so

-- but not much is known about numbers when it comes to brain

tumors.”

Berman said that brain tumors are the No. 1 killer among children

and No. 2 among young adults, in terms of cancer deaths.

She also noted that more than 190,000 are diagnosed annually with

brain tumors.

Berman participated in her first Angel Adventure in San Diego,

following the death of her son, Scott Gerow.

Gerow, 27, was diagnosed as having a brain tumor five years ago.

It was Glioblastoma Multiforme, or “GBM” -- the most common and most

aggressive of the primary brain tumors.

According to statistics, the prognosis for survival is, on

average, six months to one year.

Despite his valiant fight -- and the birth of his own Web site,

http//:www.yasg.com -- Gerow lost his more than two-year battle with

the disease.

Sunday marks the third anniversary of his death.

“When I did the Angel Adventure walk in San Diego a few years ago,

I came back and thought that we need to do something like this in

Orange County,” Berman said. “This is absolutely my tribute to my

son. And out of something so tragic as this has come the chance to

meet some very beautiful people.”

Figueroa is one such person.

He participated in the Angel Adventure walk for the second

consecutive year and he and wife, Vicki, served as “publicity angels”

for the event.

Figueroa was diagnosed with brain tumor/cancer in February 2002,

and given 52 weeks to live. Like Gerow, he also was diagnosed with

GBM. But through surgery, seven weeks of radiation and six-to-eight

sessions of chemotherapy over a 10-month period, Figueroa has emerged

strong.

He also was elected by the City of Hope in Duarte to be one of

five initial patients -- he was listed as “patient No. 3” -- to take

part in a T-cell trial, where his white T-cells were genetically

engineered.

“I’m going to survive this,” he stated. “When you get news like

this, there is disbelieve and depression that comes with the

territory.

“My wife and I were depressed, but we didn’t stay in that mode

long. To beat this, I needed a positive attitude. I’m young and I can

fight this thing hard.”

Two surreal experiences, he said, helped his resolve in this

fight.

The first came when he and his wife finished dinner at a Chinese

restaurant. He broke open his fortune cookie and had an “uplifting

feeling,” he said -- the message from the cookie read, “You will live

a long life.”

The Figueroas have kept that good fortune.

Another incident came when he said his prayers one night before

going to bed.

“I was praying, asking for signs,” he said. “I wanted to know what

I was born for, why I had to leave my wife, son and daughter so soon.

I finally went to sleep and had the most amazing dream.”

Figueroa said he dreamt about his childhood home. As he walked

toward the house, he noticed that the green, front lawn had

transformed to water. He also noticed a tin can that read “gas,”

sitting on the front porch. It was on fire.

He could hear people standing behind the screen door and when it

opened, there stood his father, who had died of cancer.

His father walked to the fiery gas can, picked it up, and threw it

toward the water. As he did so, Frank Figueroa noticed that the word

on the can had changed, that it now read, “cancer.”

“That instantly woke me from my dream,” he said. “I had chills,

but it was such a re-assuring feeling. It was a dream but seemed so,

so real.”

Saturday’s Angel Adventure walk at Central Park West was real.

“I strongly believe that there are angels around us, whether they

come in the form of someone on this walk or someone who offers an

encouraging word,” he said. “That really helps someone like me in my

fight to beat this.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].