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Breathing In The Light
Kids Kicking Cancer helps seriously ill children beat the pain.
By Jackie Headapohl | Photography by Brandon Schwartz
ou might think a room full of children bat86 percent of interventions done by Kids Kicking
He’s also an instructor at KKC.
tling serious illnesses would be a sad and
Cancer are effective in reducing patients’ pain.
“Being part of Kids Kicking Cancer was a way for
dismal place, but you would be wrong. At
KKC provides individual support during children’s
me to focus my mind away from the challenges when
a recent martial arts demonstration of the
hospitalizations and medical procedures as well as
I was 10 years old,” Hunt said. “Today, there is no
Little Heroes program at Kids Kicking Cancer, you
teaches marital arts classes where children are expect- better feeling for me then when I walk into the room
would have heard joyful noise and seen smiling faces.
ed to learn discipline and strength along with kicks
of a child in pain and can help them learn how to use
You would have left inspired.
and punches. “The majority of children associate
their power to create an inner peace.”
The children were demonstrating their skills for
martial arts with being powerful,” Rabbi G said.
The program changes lives — the lives of the
more than 40 martial artists from across the country
In addition to helping children overcome their
children and the lives they touch. Chief KKC Martial
and around the world, who gathered at the Kids Kick- pain, little heroes in Kids Kicking Cancer are given
Artist Richard Plowden, an 8th-degree Black Belt
ing Cancer headquarters in
and a five-time martial arts
Southfield for a seminar about
world champion, shared
the latest techniques in martial
a story about one patient
arts therapy from doctors,
who was a “tough guy,” with
social workers and therapists.
whom he spent many weeks
They were there to learn from
building a rapport.
one another as well, by sharing
“This young man was
the stories of children who’ve
running with a rough crowd
inspired their work.
when he was diagnosed
Kids Kicking Cancer (KKC),
with cancer. He was one upa nonprofit founded in 1999
set guy,” said Plowden, who
by Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg
eventually broke through
(“Rabbi G”), who lost a 2-yearthe young man’s defenses
old child to leukemia, teaches
and began working with
martial arts techniques to very
him on martial arts, which
sick children and their families,
inspired the teenager to
Top: Senseis Peter Davenport and Michael Hunt lead the children through the “Power Breathing” exercise. Above left:
helping to empower them
change his life.
Josh Hugel, 4, of West Bloomfield gives Sensei Peter Davenport a fist pound. Above right: Israel Caldwell, 4, of
physically, spiritually and emo- Southfield practices his punch with Sensei Michael Hunt.
“Later, he told me that
tionally in their battle against
having cancer saved his life,”
illness, pain and fear.
Plowden shared. “He said
Their mantra is “Power, Peace, Purpose.” The
a purpose. “When you ask our kids, ‘What’s your
without the cancer, he would still be doing that crazy
children gain power over their circumstances, push
purpose?’ they’ll yell out, ‘To teach the world!’ By alstuff that had gotten him into so much trouble.”
pain away and bring in peace and light through the
lowing the children to know that they can teach their
Rabbi G shared a story about how a local KKC
techniques they learn. “After two or three intervenparents, the doctors and the nurses, it gives them a
student Desi Smith, age 15, helped change the life
tions, kids will open up and learn to breathe through
sense of control over their situation,” Rabbi G said.
of a young college student across the country. The
their pain,” Rabbi G said.
woman, a student of Rabbi G’s, had a deathly fear of
Science has shown that negative emotions, such
THE INSTRUCTORS
needles but needed to get some vaccinations for a
as anxiety and fear, stimulate chemicals in the brain
Michael Hunt, a member of the very first Kids
trip. He connected her with Desi, a sickle cell patient
involved in pain perception. Through the breathing
Kicking Cancer class in 1999 at Children’s Hospital of
who is all-too-familiar with needles. Desi taught the
exercises, those emotions are reduced, resulting in
Michigan, spoke at the seminar. An 18-year survivor
student how to breathe through the pain by breathing
less physical pain. According to a soon-to-be-pubof pediatric cancer, Hunt now holds a black belt in
in the light: happiness, hope and joy, and pushing out
Continued on page 54
lished study in the Journal of Pediatric Therapeutics,
Tae Kwon Do and is an educator of young children.
Y
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» NONPROFIT
Continued from page 52
706 North Old Woodward Ave | Birmingham
248.723.1500
Hair: Kevin Green, Makeup: Haley Cassar, Photographer: Deb Knoske
Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg, founder of Kids Kicking Cancer.
the dark: fear, pain and anger.
“The young woman wrote Desi a
thank-you letter, telling her she had
changed her life and she was able to
get her shots,” Rabbi G said. “Desi was
proud she was ‘teaching the world.’”
Joe Esposito, chief martial artist
for Kids Kicking Cancer in Boston,
was reluctant at first to get involved
with the program. “I was resistant
at first because I didn’t think I could
deal it with emotionally,” he said.
“I’m so glad I did. Working with the
children has been so rewarding.”
SEEN publisher Kevin Browett has
been a volunteer instructor with KKC
since January. “During the seminar,
we went to Children’s Hospital of
Michigan to talk with doctors and
therapists about the latest treatments,” he said. “They talked about
treating the child’s cancer; they also
talked about the need to help the
child and the family once the treatment is done. Their lives are forever
changed. The children, especially,
need a reason to continue on.”
The children find that purpose
through martial arts. “Martial artists
need a purpose, too,” Browett added.
“After I got my black belt, I was looking for a purpose. I found it with Kids
Kicking Cancer. Each week, I see the
children challenging themselves to
do better than the week before.”
THE FAMILIES
For parents of ill children, the group
has become a second family, said
Phyllis Chae of Rochester Hills.
Her daughter Jillian is recovering
from rhabdomyosarcoma (a form of
muscle cancer). “At a survivor outing
through KKC, she met a girl with the
same illness. They were both losing
their hair. They helped each other
through it.”
Jillian, who is doing better, says
what she likes most about KKC is the
people. “I’m pretty good at karate,”
she added. “The breathing helps take
away the pain.”
Eleven-year-old Andre Moore Jr.
of Detroit has been coming to KKC
since he was 8. Andre has sickle cell
anemia, an often painful disorder.
“The breathing helps and I like the
exercise,” he says.
Israel, 4, and Tristram Caldwell,
6, of Lathrup Village were also in
the demonstration. Their brother
Gabriel, 11, has been in remission
from leukemia for seven years, but
he still enjoys Kids Kicking Cancer,
where he studies martial arts and also
volunteers with the younger children.
“I like helping people,” he said.
Because serious illness affects the
entire family, siblings of ill children
can participate as well. Lexi Hugel, 8,
a cancer survivor, and her little brother, Josh, 4, demonstrated a session for
the martial artists at the seminar. Lexi
has been out of treatment for a year.
“Kids Kicking Cancer has helped
us connect with other families,” said
her mom, Katie, of West Bloomfield.
“It’s been our lifeline.” NS
Kids Kicking Cancer
is open to all children and teens ages 3 and up facing the pain and
discomfort of any illness. It offers one-on-one training and group
classes for both pediatric inpatients and outpatients in more than 40
hospitals and institutions around the globe. Visit kidskickingcancer.
org, call (248) 864-8238 or email [email protected] for
information.
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