“Join or be joined securely to something else”; “a relationship between people” -- those are the dictionary definitions of the word bond.
For young brothers and Staten Island natives Michael and Benjamin Ogurek, both definitions apply.
In June of 2018, five-year-old Benjamin checked into Sloan Kettering Cancer Center -- where he was placed under anesthetics and underwent surgery to donate bone marrow to his four-year-old brother Michael, who would undergo a transplant.
Today, the Ogurek family sits comfortably at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day with their four children: Ben (8), Sam (4), Gabriel (1), and of course, seven-year-old Michael, who has been cancer-free for more than two years.
“It’s been a crazy couple of years,” acknowledges Caryn Ogurek, better known as “mom” at her Snug Harbor home.
“Thank God everyone is healthy and doing well,” she added. “[Michael] was given a clean bill of health and is nearly two and a half years cancer-free.”
Like most young siblings, playing, competing, and, of course, bickering, are all parts of growing up under the same roof -- and the Ogurek children are no different.
However, unlike most, ambulances, chemotherapy, and frequent trips to the hospital for overnight stays soon replaced the bike rides, skateboards, and Michael’s favorite Hot Wheels cars.
“They were very active, happy, crazy, hyper kids,” said Caryn. “They love to play outside and play sports, or Hot Wheels.
“They were normal, regular kids,” she added. “You’d never know something was wrong.”
FATEFUL DAY
Rewind to New Year’s Eve, (soon-to-be) 2018: The Ogurek family, after taking the kids for ice cream cones, settled down for bath time.
“I noticed Michael was covered in bruises,” remembers Caryn, who was bathing the children with her husband Adam.
A hasty phone call to the pediatrician led to an emergency trip in the ambulance to Richmond University Medical Center, where Michael would spend the next 12 days.
Further testing revealed a grave diagnosis.
“The bloodwork came back crazy,” said Caryn. “It pointed to cancer.”
Michael was officially diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leaukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer, which attacks the blood and bone marrow.
“We were in a state of shock, it was surreal, this can’t be cancer,” Caryn remembers thinking. “We were in disbelief... There was a lot of crying and not being able to grasp what was happening.
“We had to be strong and fight for him, that was all we could do,” she added. “We were trying not to show that we were falling apart, but he was always in good spirits.”
Michael’s treatments soon shifted to New York University Medical Center, and although he was constantly being transferred back and forth, the smile on his face never left.
“Blood and platelet transfusions, radiation, four months of chemotherapy, poked and prodded...and throughout it all he was happy as a clam,” noted Caryn.
Unfortunately, despite it all, Michael wasn’t making significant progress.
MEET YOUR MATCH
With other options proving ineffective, doctors pivoted toward the search for a bone marrow donor.
While Caryn and Adam’s contributions were determined to be unmatchable, Benjamin’s marrow was deemed a perfect match.
“We told Ben he was going to make Michael’s cancer go away,” said Caryn.
In June of 2018, five-year-old Benjamin checked into Sloan Kettering Cancer Center -- where he was placed under anesthetics and underwent surgery to donate bone marrow to his four-year-old brother Michael, who would undergo a transplant.
“We are beyond proud of them, taking care of each other, loving each other,” said Caryn. “When they are older, Ben will realize what he did for his brother...it made their bond even closer.”
Soon thereafter, Ben was declared cancer-free.
“It was such a challenging process,” said Caryn. “If you can get through that as a family, you can get through anything.”
BACK TO BEING KIDS
Ben and Michael are back at it -- grappling for the rights to use one of Michael’s favorite Hot Wheels cars.
“Do you remember what he gave you?” Caryn says, imploring Michael, who resiliently turns over his toy.
The boys are back to playing video games, riding bikes, and kicking soccer balls around the front yard -- like “normal, regular” kids.
But, they’re also playing inside these days, too.
When they aren’t racing Hot Wheels, the duo is racing around the indoor track at Ocean Breeze, where they are members of the U8 track team.
Michael, who was once confined to his hospital room, is now lapping the competition -- practicing three times a week before hitting the oval on Sunday race days.
“It’s good exercise, it builds his confidence, and the doctor said push him to do anything to get stronger, and he loves it,” noted Caryn. “He’s psyched about it
“The prognosis is great, there’s nothing wrong and he’ll be officially declared cured in June of 2023,” she added. “But both [Michael and Benjamin] are in perfect health.”
Once racing back and forth to hospitals, Caryn and Adam can sit back and watch the boys do the racing now.
“When life gets tough, appreciate every possible thing, especially now,” implores Caryn. “At any given moment, it could change, that’s how it was for us.
“Enjoy your kids no matter how crazy they drive you...you’ll wish you were breaking up a fight over Hot Wheels,” she concluded.