Dustin Jones celebrates five years in remission

Eleven-year-old Dustin Jones of San Benito is shown outside the San Benito News office on Thursday. Dustin is celebrating five years in remission. (Staff photo by Michael Rodriguez)

The Miracle That Keeps On Living

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com

Every breath San Benito’s own Dustin Jones takes is a miracle.

Six years ago Dustin was face-to-face with death after being diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma/B cell leukemia; this after a biopsy discovered a massive tumor inside his stomach. Doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where Dustin was flown after falling severely ill, then informed parents Luther and Cathleen that their son would surely not survive the night.

Cathleen recalled pediatricians saying the tumor, which produced approximately 30 ounces of fluid in his left lung, metastasized to the size of Dustin’s stomach …and it couldn’t be removed.

“It was one of those rare tumors that had to be reduced in size using chemotherapy until there was nothing left. It had leukemia cells and they had to do lumbar punctures in his spine,” Cathleen said, adding that little Dustin, who at the time was six years old, was awake throughout the entire ordeal. “They said people usually don’t live from it because they don’t know they have it. Since the tumor was so large, if he couldn’t keep the chemo down he would die in 40 hours.”

In their darkest hour, Dustin’s parents did not part with their faith and prayed that night. Meanwhile, Dustin’s siblings, Dillon, Dakota, and step sister Kimberly also prayed; not to mention an entire congregation led by Father Isaac Erondu of Queen of the Universe Catholic Church.

Then, a series of “miracles” – as Cathleen refers to them – occurred that changed everything.

After several attempts, Dustin was able for one instant to keep his chemo down for three minutes – long enough to coat his stomach and fight the cancerous tumor. Every day following was a victory, until after 13 months of enduring torturous chemotherapy Dustin was finally in remission. He had beaten the odds.

The child has since become a local hero, being featured in the San Benito News on multiple occasions.

April marked the fifth year that Dustin, who is now 11, has been in remission. He remembers little of his ordeal …only that he wanted his hair to grow back the same color it was before he lost it.

Actually, there is much Dustin does recall about that particularly difficult part of his life. He made a lot of friends at Texas Children’s Hospital, including the Houston Astros and their pitcher at the time, Roger Clemens. But there was another friendship made with a teenage girl named Chelsea, who Cathleen recalled was suffering from having seven tumors in her stomach. Chelsea died shortly after she last saw Dustin, which was on her 16th birthday.

“I feel bad for the other people right now who are having it right (chemotherapy due to cancer),” Dustin said, adding that he recalls having a dream about Chelsea coming to him and reassuring that he would “be okay” and that she’d watch over him.

Over the years, these accounts have not only inspired Dustin’s family and the citizens of San Benito but have also touched the medical community at Texas Children’s Hospital as well as the patients hospitalized there.

“At Texas Children’s Hospital, Dustin is known as the ‘Candyman,’ because we always bring candy when we visit. He passes them out to all the kids, and doctors always know when Dustin is around because all the kids have candy,” Cathleen said laughing while simultaneously shedding a tear, clearly moved by her son’s ordeal and the circumstances he’s survived.

Nowadays, Dustin doesn’t worry much about chemotherapy, spinal lumbar, emergency surgeries or near death experiences – aspects of his life that were once dominant. Instead, the lively pre-adolescent has his mind on becoming a banker some day …or maybe not. He’s still thinking about what he wants to do for a living; after all, Dustin has plenty of time to make up his mind.

To see this story in print, pick up a copy of the May 15 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.