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| A special Visitor for Travis |
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| Samedi, 25 Novembre 2006 08:00 | |||
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There are no translations available. Source: The Hamilton Spectator By Dana Borcea Two Hamilton boys -- both famous but for very different reasons -- met for a play date yesterday. Travis Carter, 8, has won the hearts of a community inspired by his battle against a degenerative brain disease called Batten's. The terminal illness has stripped away much of his mobility, speech and vision. But he still has recognition, especially for the things he loves, like the television show This Is Daniel Cook. The program follows its namesake, an unassuming nine-year-old host, as he explores everything from digging for dinosaur bones to making soap to riding in a helicopter. The show has enjoyed enormous success on both Canadian and American networks, but perhaps nowhere as much as the Carters' living room where Travis and his younger brother Seth have become devoted fans. Daniel Cook is also from Hamilton and jumped at the chance to meet Travis after Travis's father Derek suggested a meeting. The long-awaited get-together came yesterday, a week after Travis's return from China. The Grade 3 Holy Name of Mary Catholic School student was in Beijing for a radical stem cell surgery. His parents are not expecting a miracle but say any improvement would be a blessing. The surgery involved injecting millions of stem cells into Travis's brain which doctors there hope will mimic what the damaged cells are supposed to do. The procedure has only been performed on two other children in the world and its success rate is still unknown. Doctors told the Carters it could be weeks or even months before they notice a significant improvement. But already, there are signs of hope. Travis is starting to swallow on his own, for the first time in nearly a year. Showing signs of the exhausting journey and recovery, Travis spent much of yesterday's visit napping in his wheelchair, leaving much of the entertaining to his brother. Seth obliged eagerly, delighting Daniel with a spirited Pokemon card-trading session and some video games. Besides autographing a couple of T-shirts, there was scarcely a whiff of celebrity at the casual gathering. "He's just a regular little boy who's opened up the world to Travis," said Travis's mother Jenny. Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. 905-526-3214 For more information on how to help Travis visit www.travisbattle.com or call 1-800-546-7682. Donations can be made at any TD Canada Trust Branch at account 202-621-7336. Want to help?
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