Local Boy Battles Rare Childhood Cancer

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- Matthew Brown sits on the floor of his family's living room surrounded by completed Lego projects.

"This is a suspension bridge," the seven-year-old explains.

Mattie Brown loves building things like most little boys, but his life, and his parents' lives, turned upside down last summer.

"It's a horror show, a nightmare. The single focus is Matthew," says his father, Peter, about the disease that has a devastating grip on their only child.

In July, Peter and Vicki Brown wisely took him to a doctor when his arm hurt after tennis camp.

"She told me is was osteo sarcoma. I said, 'What's that?' ''Bone cancer,'" said Vicki.

"Osteo sarcoma is a fast-growing cancer. Days and weeks can make a difference in helping your child," said Peter.

Mattie had four tumors in both arms, his left wrist and right leg. With bone cancer, removing just the tumor does not kill the cancer. The whole bone must be taken out. Matthew now has three titanium prosthetic bones in his arms and right leg. He has not yet learned to walk again, and he needs another surgery in June.

"He has four legions in his lungs; we need to have the surgery to remove them as quickly as possible," said Peter.

Vicki, a mental health counselor, updates Mattie's struggle daily on her blog; she is comforted by the constant feedback.

The support has been overwhelming. Mattie has received hundreds of gifts, and friends supply meals every night. One time, when Vicki put on her blog that she needed a new set of training wheels for Mattie's bike, four sets arrived.

With their blog, they're also hoping to educate people about childhood cancer.

"The funding that goes into pediatric cancer is almost microscopic compared to other diseases, mostly the adult diseases," says Peter.

The Browns say while cancer in children is much rarer than in adults, more funding should be directed to help save children since they have their whole lives ahead of them.

Mattie's school, St. Stephen's & St. Agnes in Alexandria, is having a "Mattie's March & Family Fun Day" fundraiser this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, click here.

And to read more about Mattie's story, click on Mattie's Blog here.