Gurnee cancer survivor says dog helped him endure 1-in-10-million diagnosis

When Gurnee resident Jacob Gramer was diagnosed at age 20 with stage 4 neuroblastoma, a cancer rarely diagnosed in adults, one source of comfort helped him through more than a year of intensive treatment: his family's 10-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, Peanut.

Now 22 and in remission, Gramer rang the bell at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, in Park Ridge, on Aug. 7. Today, on National Dog Day, he says Peanut helped him cope with the hospital stays, fear and isolation that came with treatment.

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"Having a dog is such great therapy for me. I talk to her and she always listens," Gramer said, adding that her response is usually a wagging tail and lots of kisses. "Anytime I'm stressed, scared or upset, I go to her, and somehow, she just helps me feel better. There's something comforting about having that kind of unconditional love by your side."

Gramer first began experiencing shoulder pain and difficulty walking. He thought the symptoms were connected to long hours exercising and working at a local outdoor and sporting goods store. But when his gait worsened dramatically, he knew something was seriously wrong.

"I was walking like I was intoxicated," he said.

Gramer's pediatrician referred him to a neurologist, who immediately sent him to the emergency department at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. There, doctors found one tumor compressing his spinal cord and another tumor the size of a grapefruit attached to his adrenal gland. Surgeons removed the spinal tumor the next day, and Gramer later learned he had stage 4 neuroblastoma, a cancer that starts in immature nerve cells.

Neuroblastoma is almost always diagnosed in infants and young children, with the average age at diagnosis between 1 and 2 years. The disease, which is the most common cancer found in infants, is rarely diagnosed in teenagers and adults.

"I was really scared and devastated to hear the word cancer," he said.

Gramer's treatment included radiation, chemotherapy, surgical removal of the adrenal gland tumor, a monthlong hospital stay for a stem cell transplant in isolation and five cycles of immunotherapy, which meant repeated hospital stays that kept him away from Peanut.

"I really love my dog. She is a huge part of my life," he said. "Peanut is one of my best friends. She means the world to me," he said.

During one inpatient stay, Gramer missed Peanut so much that his mother, Amy, had a life-sized pillow made from Peanut's photo so he could keep her close when he could not be home.

"That made me really happy. Peanut is part of my nighttime routine. I don't think I've ever not said good night to my dog," Gramer said.

Gramer's bond with Peanut reflects the kind of whole-person support the Rev. Hans Martin Karrer, pediatric staff chaplain at Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge, sees every day through his work with Drake, the hospital's black English Labrador facility dog.

"Serious illness affects every part of a person's life, not just the body," Karrer said. "The unconditional love of a dog can ease fear, loneliness and uncertainty. For many patients and families, that bond becomes a source of comfort and strength during some of life's most difficult moments."

Today, Gramer's recovery includes physical therapy to regain strength in his legs and improve his mobility. One of the milestones he most looks forward to is joining his father on walks with Peanut again.