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Bowling Event Aids Cancer-Stricken Child

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By ELIZABETH LEE BROWN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 25, 2007

LUTZ - When the family goes out to eat, Holly Covais brings sanitizing wipes to disinfect the sides and bottoms of tables.

When heading outdoors, she slathers her 2-year-old son Sean with sunscreen.

The family is careful not to cough on him. They always wash their hands.

Covais can't even kiss her son on the lips. She compensates by planting pecks on his chin.

'It's a change. It's an adjustment, but it's not something I'm not willing to do,' she said of her extraordinary measures to keep germs at bay.

A cold could be a killer as Sean fights the childhood cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. It is the most common cancer in children, but it has a high survival rate, with about 85 percent of children living five years or more, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Although it is the most treatable form of childhood cancer, the chemotherapy schedule is one of the longest, with treatments spanning three years.

Chemotherapy has weakened Sean's immune system, Covais said.

The 33-year-old mother lives in Lutz with her husband, Toby, and 6-year-old, daughter Elizabeth.

The family received the leukemia diagnosis in early September, after Sean was sick for several weekends with a high fever. Doctors initially thought the toddler had bronchitis, and then scarlet fever.

When doctors told her it was cancer, Covais said she 'totally freaked out.'

Covais said her son, who will turn 3 in December, is as energetic as ever and doesn't appear to be sick.

He recently finished his sixth weekly dose of chemotherapy. After six months, the treatments will become monthly and then every six months over the three-year treatment period.

She recently gave him a buzz cut, so when his hair starts to fall out soon, it won't be so traumatic.

'He's got so much energy. He's just a happy kid. Even after his treatment, you couldn't even tell he had surgery,' she said.

Covais said her hectic schedule of running her Baby Bottoms Consignment store in Citrus Park while taking care of her family isn't slowing her down. She is in fundraising mode.

She is throwing a Halloween party on Sunday at the Royal Bowling Lanes in Land O' Lakes at the apex of North Dale Mabry Highway and U.S. 41 to raise money for childhood cancer.

The bowling event will help offset the cost of Sean's chemotherapy treatments and other families dealing with huge cancer treatment bills.

For $10, bowlers may play two games and have pizza, soda and treats.

In January, Covais is organizing a larger fundraiser to benefit the Children's Cancer Center in Tampa. The Community Heroes event will be at the Circle C Ranch in South Tampa.

Covais is looking for people in the community willing to talk about their jobs and who can bring something hands-on, such as a truck, RV, bus, boat, or motorcycle. 'Anything the kids would like to climb on and touch,' she said.

Covais also is donating some sales from her children's clothing shop on Ehrlich Road, west of the Veterans Expressway.

She has set up a separate clothing box where 100 percent of the sales will be given to families affected by childhood cancer. Customers also may drop off clothes, toys and baby items for sale to support the cancer fund.

'We just want to help other families so they can worry less about money and concentrate on helping their baby get better,' she said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Halloween bowling cancer fundraiser

WHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Royal Bowling Lanes, 1927 Brinson Road, Land O' Lakes

RSVP: Holly Covais at: (813) 920-2862 or (813) 731-6351

Reporter Elizabeth Lee Brown can be reached at (813) 865-1502 or ebrown@tampatrib.com.

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