UCSF cancer patients meet NASA astronauts, share stories of bravery

KPIX

By Sara Donchey, Molly McCrea

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    California (KPIX) — At UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital at Mission Bay, an extraordinary meeting of super heroes took place where the sky was the limit.

On Friday, specialists with the UC Space Health Program convened a symposium with NASA Ames Research Center based in Mountain View and the Johnson Space Center to explore ways to collaborate on accelerating cancer care and research.

But in the auditorium, astronauts Kenneth Cockrell and Yvonne Cagle met with families touched by the disease.

“We have patients here who are on hard journeys. And then we have astronauts who have done some challenging journeys themselves, and they’re sharing stories and helping each other,” explained Dr. Aenor Sawyer who is the UC Space Health Director at UCSF.

Cagle is also a medical doctor. She told CBS News Bay Area how astronauts and patients share a similar journey.

“What we do to prepare and how we, not just survive but sustain and even thrive in space, is not unlike the journey that individuals going through these kinds of treatments,” noted Cagle.

Cockrell, who is nicknamed “Taco” and is also retired, is a veteran of five space flights. He is also a patient.

“I’m hoping to be inspirational to some young patients and I think that I can bring something else to the table because I also have cancer,” he said.

Some patients could not go to the auditorium since they were undergoing treatment. So the astronauts visited them in their rooms.

Jackson Nystrom is fighting round cell sarcoma and will soon celebrate this 21st birthday. Cagle and Cockrell tried their best to sing a rousing “Happy Birthday”, with lots of laughter ensuing.

The astronauts answered questions from Jackson, and his family and explained how research in space may shed a new perspective on cancer cells, and could lead to innovations in treatment.

They also handed Jackson a bag full of NASA swag and signed photos for him.

“I enjoyed it. It took my mind off my chemo and I really learned some cool things,” said Jackson after the visit.

The next visit was to 2-year-old Luke Medina Benson and his dad Sam. Next to Luke in bed, some toys from “Toy Story” including the iconic space action figure “Buzz Lightyear”. Luke loves Buzz and according to his dad any story about outer space. The little boy is battling brain cancer. His dad told us today’s visit made a difference, because his little boy gets lonely.

“We appreciate all the cool stuff like the astronauts coming by and all that stuff,” remarked Sam.

The last visit was to 18-year-old Claire Felton, who was diagnosed two weeks ago with leukemia. The visit by the astronauts inspired her to consider a change in her major – to space sciences. She thought the visit was amazing.

“Now that I have seen all of this, I’m much more interested in spatial research,” said Felton.

The astronauts were equally impressed and inspired.

“They were fantastic. Those guys have an attitude that’s going to carry them through,” said Cockrell.

Cagle said, “More than survivors, they’re role models and I would fly with them, any day.”

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