December 28, 1998

Lindsey Beggan is very familiar with the MGH. The 10 year old has been in and out of the hospital for months to receive chemotherapy to treat the Ewing's sarcoma she was diagnosed with last April. Lindsey and her parents, Melinda and Paul, were relieved to hear she would be discharged Dec. 11, in time to enjoy the holidays with her parents and three younger sisters.

Santa Claus, a.k.a. Howard Weinstein, MD, and Lindsey Beggan

Lindsey first saw signs that something was wrong in 1997 when she kept getting shooting pains in her side while playing soccer. She couldn't run well and felt weak. A checkup by her primary care physician found nothing wrong. It wasn't until the following year that Lindsey felt a bump on her side. Another trip to the doctor and an x-ray revealed a mass on one of her ribs.

She subsequently was referred to the MGH where her physicians found that the cancerous tumor had caused extensive damage to her ribs. Lindsey's oncologist, Howard Weinstein, MD, chief of the MGH Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit, recommended chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery was attempted. "Lindsey's courage and positive outlook have enabled her to receive months of intensive chemotherapy without missing a beat at school and in her extracurricular activities," says Weinstein.

Not much slows Lindsey down – not even having five ribs removed in August. Only three weeks after the major surgery, this star athlete was playing again on her town's soccer team. Her surgeon, Jay Schnitzer, MD, PhD, placed a Gortex mesh around the area where her ribs were removed to keep the area protected as she grows.

The Beggan family has been very pleased with the support they have received from MGH staff, not only in the care given to Lindsey at the hospital but also in the coordination with the home health nurses and other support services.

Within two weeks of her diagnosis, MGH nurses visited Lindsey's school to talk with the students about what to expect in her treatment and recovery. The MGH's Physical Therapy Department also custom-made a plastic-covered pad for Lindsey to wear around her rib cage while playing sports to protect the sensitive area.

"Everyone at the MGH has been unbelievable," says Paul Beggan. "Her doctors have always answered any questions we have had. They have taken a team approach to her care, and we have really gotten to know everyone on her health care team. I have 100 percent confidence in what they do."

With the help of her health care team, Lindsey has been able to juggle treatments with her normal activities, which include a variety of sports, school and town events, maintaining her straight-A grade average and a special trip with her family to see the Boston Ballet's "Nutcracker" performance.

Lindsey also has received support from her friends, her school and her hometown of Medfield. A committee of Medfield residents has given extra support to the Beggans, such as lawn care, trash pickup, house cleaning services, meal deliveries and monetary donations that particularly have been helpful during the holiday season.

According to Lindsey's mother, the support that the whole family has received has allowed them to continue to lead as normal a life as possible during her daughter's illness. "Everyone has been so incredible," says Melinda Beggan. "We wouldn't have been able to get through this without everyone's generosity and support."