Like any parents, Allison and Jim Portnoy were shocked when they first learned in September 2006 that their son William, then age 8, had osteosarcoma, a malignant cancer of the bone. “We came in like deer in the headlights,” recalls Allison. “We had no idea what was ahead of us.”

They came to Children’s in part because they wanted their son treated at a hospital where nurses are specifically trained in pediatric oncology.

“At Children’s, the nurses know all about pediatric oncology and chemotherapy. They are well-trained and have seen everything,” explains Allison, noting that while William was in the hospital two other young osteosarcoma patients also were receiving treatment.

At Children’s, William endured four months of chemotherapy, followed by surgery to remove the tumor from his leg and replace the bone with a state of the art titanium rod, followed by four more months of chemotherapy. He spent more than 100 nights at Children’s during a nine-month period.

During that time, he and his family got to know many nurses here. “They are really special people,” says Allison, adding “They are there for parents and kids.”

Nurses provided Jim and Allison reassurance and critical information about their son’s treatment and progress. “When William had typical setbacks such as a fever and we had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night, we were so relieved to be able to talk to the nurses because they know the routine, they know oncology and they could say to us ‘oh this is normal,’” remembers Allison.

To William, the nurses were special because they spent a lot of time with him and talked to him at his level about topics he was interested in. “He’s a big sports fanatic and in March his nurses would sit there and talk to him about March Madness,” says Allison, referring to the NCAA basketball tournament. “They were there as his friends, not just as medical people. Some of his best buddies are nurses at Children’s. He still lights up when he talks about them.”

Today, thanks to the care that he got at Children’s, William, who is now 9 years-old, is finished with his treatment and able to enjoy summertime like other boys his age.