Houston
For most of the first three years of his life, Houston Moore appeared to be just another healthy, happy child, the youngest of Diane and Gregg Moore's four children. Then one day, Diane happened to notice that Houston's stomach looked bigger than normal. It wasn't cause for much concern at first. Houston's pediatric nurse practitioner suspected a case of constipation, but ordered an x-ray, just in case. What the x-ray revealed would change Houston's life -- a life ultimately saved by a skilled team of Memorial doctors, a mother who refused to quit searching for an answer to her desperate prayers, and the strength and will of one little boy.
Dr. LaQuaglia
The most life-threatening aspect of Houston's condition was the size of his neuroblastoma tumor, which had grown so large that it was jeopardizing the normal functioning of his other major organs. By the time Houston had arrived at the Center, Pediatric Surgical Service Chief Dr. Michael P. LaQuaglia was his last hope.
Dr. Cheung
When Houston arrived at the Center, Dr. Nai-Kong V. Cheung's initial assessment of his condition was admittedly guarded. Dr. Cheung, Head of the Neuroblastoma Program and Houston's physician, explains: "It is not uncommon to see patients who have exhausted all the standard treatment options before coming to Memorial. When Houston arrived, his condition was bleak. His tiny body had been slowly 'eaten away' by his massive tumor and battered by repeated rounds of chemotherapy."
