Canton family bonds through trying times

By Danny Joseph

In December of 2008, Brian Loughran, a meter reader for the Canton Water Department, received perhaps the most dreaded piece of news in the life of a family man. His wife, Michelle, who had recently fallen ill, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a particularly intrusive form of cancer that attacks bone marrow and weakens the immune system. Despite the harrowing diagnosis, the Loughrans were soon assured by their doctors that the cancer would be handled aggressively and its spread would be curtailed.

Unfortunately, the treatment didn’t quite go as planned. Michelle, Brian, and their twins — Canton High seniors Matthew and Kirsten Bernstein — were in store for a two-year battle that would test the mettle of any family. However, throughout their trying ordeal, each member of the Loughran-Bernstein clan displayed an iron constitution that kept them together through the worst of times.

Doctors originally placed Michelle on a clinical trial for eight months. Her medical team, however, was not seeing the progress that they had hoped for. Michelle was transferred to a new, more intensive treatment plan. She had been enduring constant chemotherapy for nine months when, in August of 2009, the very painful process of a stem cell transplant was added to the already exhausting process of chemo.

“You could see the chemo taking an effect on my wife, and it was extremely tough for both children,” said Loughran. “It was very hard for her when she lost her hair. It’s like they say, ‘You never think you’re sick until you see it.’ She had gone through 14 months without losing her hair, and then she finally lost it when they started the stem cell transplant.”

The three-week process, which brought on severe bone and sternum pain for Michelle, was mercifully coming to an end. A bone marrow transplant was a mere four days away. However, in what seemed like the cruelest twist of fate, Michelle contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylocuccus aureus, or MRSA. The bacterium, which causes several difficult-to-treat infections in humans, was a life threatening complication. With one hardship mounting on top of another, Michelle decided that it was time to put a stop to the multitude of excruciating treatments.

“That was the lowest she was,” said Loughran. “At that point she decided to stop treatment and went on nothing but antibiotics for three months.”

The Loughrans adopted odd hours so Brian could administer the medicine around his work schedule. Each day, the pair would wake up at 1 a.m. for a dose, and later, the devoted husband would come home on his lunch break to check on his wife and make sure she got her second dose at the proper time.

But of course, Brian was not the only member of the family making sacrifices. Seven months into the treatment, Kirsten began to go to her mother’s treatment sessions. She served as Brian’s eyes and ears while he was at work, reporting the details of each visit to the doctor, and also providing Michelle with much-needed support. Kirsten’s familial duties caused her to accrue 28 absences her junior year at CHS, but in a testament to her own toughness as well as that of her family, she remarkably maintained straight A’s. “My daughter was my rock while I was at work,” said Brian.

So after 16 months of brutal treatment, constant appointments with medical staff, and her family in a tough spot, Michelle simply decided enough was enough. For two and a half months, she received no chemo and no stem cell work, just antibiotics from her husband and the support of her family.

Fatigued and weakened, Michelle went through an extensive period where she wasn’t able to leave the house.

“There was a point she said ‘I’m done with doctors,’” said Brian. “She just needed time away.”

Miraculously, the tides soon began to turn for Michelle. After nearly losing her life to MRSA, the cancer began to go down, and her condition started to improve. Soon she ventured out of the house to watch her son’s baseball game. “It was the happiest I’d seen her since the treatment started,” said Brian.

Without treatment of any type, Michelle hit her target mark and exceeded it for a stem cell transplant. Doctors took part of September and most of October 2009 to prepare for the transplant, which re-fuses bone marrow with the stem cells. The long-awaited procedure was a success – and a cathartic experience for the family.

“We call it rebirth,” said Brian. The Loughrans now commemorate the anniversary of the transplant with a cake, a fitting symbol for a woman who persevered through traumatic times and was born anew.

“I can’t put words to it,” Brian said of the joy he feels seeing his wife regaining her strength. “The doctors just tell us to keep up the good work. Normal protocol is that she would receive chemotherapy for the rest of her life; however, she has had no chemo since October of ’09.”

Michelle now simply receives bone strengthening treatment every several months, and a periodic inoculation for viruses. Her last such inoculation will be in October, right around the time of her “birthday.”

For now, the Loughran-Bernsteins are getting back to the business of being a thriving, vibrant family. The kids can once again have friends over (to watch the Bruins chase the Stanley Cup), with the only stipulation being that they must use hand sanitizer to prevent germs.

In the fall, Matthew will attend Bridgton Academy in Maine, while Kirsten will attend the University of Southern New Hampshire. Kirsten’s acceptance to the university was accompanied by a personal letter from the dean of admissions urging her to be proud of herself for her perseverance and selflessness at a time of great need for her family.

In October, the Loughran-Bernsteins will gather around the table for Michelle’s two-year anniversary cake. For now, Brian is thankful for the healing power of family.

“The whole family has bonded to make sure everything goes smoothly for Michelle,” he said. “The support has been uplifting, knowing we’re not going at it alone.”

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