Time stood still as she awaited the phone call that would undoubtedly change her family’s life. Worry and tears clouded her senses as she numbly stood, pacing, worrying and waiting. Just days earlier she had considered her life to be normal, going to school, running at cross country and spending time with her healthy, happy family. Cancer changes everything.

Late in the evening on Oct. 5 senior Bria Eder-Zdechlik received news that her youngest brother, freshman Trevor Eder-Zdechlik, was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) after being rushed to the emergency room at St. Paul Children’s Hospital earlier that afternoon. He was later was moved to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.

Bria was shaken when her older sister Allison, who was home for the weekend from Gustavus, answered the phone call from their dad and delivered the distressing news.

“I was devastated and very worried. When you think of cancer, you think the worst. It is an uneasy feeling, not knowing what the outcome is going to be and if he will be alright,” said Bria.

Bria wasn’t the only one, however, who had a difficult time with Trevor’s diagnosis. Bria’s father, Robert Eder-Zdechlik, also struggled with the outcome of the test results.

“It was very hard to see him in the Oncology unit at Minneapolis Children’s. It is very overwhelming, filled with a lot of emotions including sadness, fear, and as mentioned, disbelief,” said Robert.

After the initial shock of Trevor’s cancer, the family immediately took proactive measures to turn the heart wrenching situation into one of hope and recovery.

Bria said, “We were told that he may need a bone marrow transplant and that each of us had a 25% chance of being a match.  I remember that all of us wanted to be the one to help out our brother.  It was great to see our family come together to help.”

Two of the Eder-Zdechlik siblings got their wish.

“My siblings and I tested the next day to see if we would be a match for a bone marrow transplant.  The good news is that Zach (’15) and Haley (’20) are perfect matches, which is unusual.  We are so fortunate.  Once I learned more about Trevor’s cancer from my Mom and Dad and his care team, and the prognosis, I felt a little more positive.  What really helps is seeing Trevor being so positive and reacting very positively to the oral chemo medication he is taking,” said Bria.

The love and compassion towards the Eder-Zdechlik family and Trevor from the community is not lost on senior Sammy Heintz, one of Bria’s closest friends.

“The community has been very supportive. Members of Trevor’s hockey team donated money to buy an iPad for Trevor while he was in the hospital. National Honor Society is now supporting their family by giving the profit that they make from Winter Coffeehouse to the EZ family, which will greatly help them pay for medical costs,” said Heintz.

It doesn’t go unnoticed by the Eder-Zdechlik family either.

“The entire community has been so supportive. He and our family have great friends through Trevor’s sports and school.  The people in this community have been tremendous and very generous.  His teachers and school have been very understanding and supportive,” said Robert.

Through the hard work of his care team at Children’s Hospital and support of family and friends, Trevor is on the track to recovery.

Bria said, “Trevor is responding very well to his oral chemo medication.  His white blood cell count is down to 4,500 (low-normal) from 289,000 when he was taken to the hospital on Oct. 5.  He has weekly visits and tests with his oncologist to monitor his blood cells and making sure the medication is doing the job.  He is back in school and is able to participate in sports and most of his normal activities.”

There can be many things taken away from the hardships that Trevor and the Eder-Zdechlik family have had to endure.

“From their situation, I have learned that it’s important to appreciate our health. Although it is given to us, an unexpected incident could take it away at any moment. It’s also true that cancer can appear in everyone,” said Heintz.

Even within their own family the Eder-Zdechliks have found motivation and strength.

“Trevor is an inspiration to all of my family because of his positive attitude and willingness to beat cancer.  When things are going bad, I think of Trevor and remind myself of how strong he is and how positive he is,” said Bria

Going into the holiday season, it is important to remember to be thankful for the things you have and to keep in mind you are not invincible.

Robert said, “Trevor’s positive attitude keeps us all positive and has shown us that no matter how tough things are, you need to stay positive and battle.”