CIRCLE PINES, Minn. (June 23, 2016) – More than 15,000 American children are diagnosed with cancer every year and sadly, 38 children die every week. Michaela Zerwas was only 3-years-old when she was diagnosed. “From that day Michaela was diagnosed of cancer on June 30 of 2000, it just rips your heart out. It’s a horrible experience, terrible and I’ll never forget that day,” said Michaela’s father Andy Knutson, .
Andy and his wife worked long hours as police officers at the time, so Michaela spent a lot of time with her grandparents. And, it was at the urging of her Grandpa that her parents first took young Michaela to the doctor. “I noticed especially when we’d lay her her down to sleep she was three years old at the time that, she was gasping for air…so I told my daughter you better take her to the doctor and find out what is going on…of course I had no idea at the time that I was talking cancer,” said grandparent Joe Zerwas.
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Michaela then went through 11 months of chemo and radiation.
Follow up scans continued for years. “Going to the hospital a lot, getting a lot of scans. It was I felt like every week. It was a lot,” said Michaela Zerwas. After five years of clean scans Michaela was declared cancer free. But, her family was changed forever by the experience. Now 16 years after Michaela’s diagnosis Andy is still looking for ways to help those who are in the midst of their own journey with cancer. Recently, a friend told Andy about the Great Cycle Challenge. It is a month long cycling fundraiser benefiting the Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
“When I found out about it I was very excited, so I decided to sign up and pledge myself for 150 miles,” said Knutson. More than 25,000 people are hitting roadways and bike paths this month with a goal of raising $2.2 million. Andy described himself as a casual biker in the past but now that he is riding for something that he has great passion for, he is ready to take on the Great Cycle Challenge year after year.
“God willing I’d love to do it again. I wasn’t sure how much to pledge the first year, the minimum was 100 and so with work and schedules and all the stuff I do…I wasn’t sure how many so I started off with 150 [miles]. I’m just grateful everyday that Michaela is healthy and that we all pulled together and that she is doing great now,” said Knutson.
And his family beams when they talk about what Andy is doing. “I’m so proud of Andy to go out and get into this situation where he’s going to do the bike-a-thon to any of these organizations that decide they want to do whatever they can to do to help for cancer research, I’m 100% behind it. I’m going to cheer him on, I love him to death for what he’s doing,” said Joe Zerwas.
Michaela too is searching for a way to give back and help kids who are going through what she went through. “I’m going to study to be a nurse and hopefully work with children that are going through oncology. I’ve always wanted to help people so I thought why not people that are going through cancer, especially children,” said Michaela Zerwas.
This family came through some of the darkest days you can imagine. Now they are on the other side of that darkness and are each finding ways to be a shining light to others in need.
