Advocate Health Care patient celebrates rare cancer remission with Chicago Bulls

A year ago, Gurnee resident Jacob Gramer was undergoing intensive treatment for stage 4 neuroblastoma, a cancer rarely seen in adults. Now he is in remission — and he celebrated the milestone with a VIP experience at Wednesday night’s Chicago Bulls game at the United Center.

Advocate Health Care hosted Gramer and his family at the Oct. 28 home game where the Bulls took on the New York Knicks. Before the game, Gramer watched the Bulls’ shootaround and joined the fan tunnel, where he exchanged high fives with players as they took the court.

“After everything I went through with treatment, it feels really good to be able to go out, have fun and enjoy something like this again,” Gramer said. “I’m getting back to work and doing more of the things I had to put on hold. This feels like another incredible step toward getting back to my life and looking forward to what’s ahead.”

Neuroblastoma is most often diagnosed in infants and young children and is rare in teenagers and adults like Gramer, who was diagnosed at age 20. His treatment included radiation, chemotherapy, surgery to remove an adrenal gland tumor, a monthlong hospital stay for a stem cell transplant in isolation and five cycles of immunotherapy. Gramer rang the bell at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge to mark the end of cancer treatment on Aug. 7.