Cancer versus cricket

DANIEL RICHARDSON - Manawatu Standard

Last updated 12:00 18/11/2010

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WARWICK SMITH/Manawatu Standard

WAITING TO GET OUT: Harry Wenham is hoping he will be released from hospital to play cricket on Friday.

WARWICK SMITH/Manawatu Standard

HAPPIER TIMES: Harry Wenham takes to the pitch.

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Harry   Wenham wants to get out of his hospital bed and play cricket for Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School tomorrow.

For that to happen his Neutrophil (white blood cell) levels need to have increased by either tonight, or tomorrow morning.

The 12-year-old was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in July, after a lump on his neck was tested by doctors.

Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell, comprising about between 50 per cent and 70 per cent of all white blood cells in the body and without them his immune system becomes weakened.

His teammates are the Manawatu regional Milo Cup champions and are to meet Taranaki's Francis Douglas Memorial College in an elimination game in Whanganui tomorrow.

The winner of the match goes on to play the Wellington champions for a spot in the finals to be played in Palmerston North early next month.

Harry played against Hawke's Bay's Hereworth School on Monday, but was admitted to hospital after the game because his temperature went above 38 degrees Celsius.

His Neutrophil count was as low as 0.09 yesterday, and his doctor told him it needed to increase to 0.5 before he could play.

"I'm most probably not going to get out," he sighed. "But hopefully I can, it's really a matter of time with the antibiotics."

His weak immune system means he can't go to school or other public places.

But, because cricket is played outdoors, there's less chance of him catching an infection and the doctors allow him to play if he is healthy enough.

He said his favourite sport keeps him going during the hard times of doctor visits and chemotherapy cycles at Auckland's Starship children's hospital and he'd be gutted if he couldn't play.

The opening batsman and off-spin bowler, who also plays for the Manawatu under-14 representative side, said he didn't know what to think when he was told he had cancer.

"I was kind of happy in a way that I got to go to Auckland," he said.

"But I was worried that I was going to be sick all day sitting in a chair, but it's been different than I expected."

His mother, Rachel Wenham, said it was a gruelling experience as the doctors also discovered a tumour in his chest.

"He's really positive, but it's been a hard slog for him," she said