Monday, March 27, 2006 | 7:21 a.m.
A Catholic hospital and a Christian family put their faith in God and stem cells to save the life of a 7-year-old Las Vegas boy with a rare form of cancer.
While the combination of stem cells and religion might appear to be an odd one given the controversy over harvesting embryonic stem cells, the procedure that nursed Matthew Murphy back to health used his own stem cells.
Murphy, who suffered from Rhabdoid tumor of the kidney - commonly called RTK - last year received stem cell infusions at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals' Siena Campus in Henderson.
"I was scared then - the monster was in my belly," said freckle-faced Matthew, now in remission.
His parents, Mark and Lynda Murphy, lifelong Southern Nevada residents, said that since they got the news on Christmas Eve 2002 that their son had one of the most aggressive and lethal forms of pediatric cancer, they put their faith in God and let the doctors deal with science.
"We were on prayer lists (at area churches) and we also prayed a lot - we believe that helped," Mark, 44, said.
Lynda 38, added, "We were fortunate. God was good to us and to Matthew."
In the time since Matthew began his treatments, the Murphys have known 13 other cancer-stricken children who died.
RTK is rare and deadly. According to the National Cancer Institute, roughly 1 in 4 children survive.
Matthew lost his right kidney to the disease and underwent three weeks of radiation therapy, 10 rounds of chemotherapy and six stem cell infusions.
The kidney surgery was performed at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, which also harvested Matthew's stem cells. But much of his subsequent care and the stem cell infusions were performed at St. Rose.
He was the first, and so far only, person to have the infusions done at St. Rose.
While Matthew's parents oppose the use of stem cells from aborted fetuses, as does the Catholic Church, they were familiar with and supportive of stem cell infusion. Stem cells are taken from the ailing person, frozen and later injected back into the patient to promote healthy cell recovery.
Stem cells are the parent cells of red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight infection and platelets that help clot the blood. Stem cells are found in the bone marrow and in the circulating blood.
High doses of chemotherapy made Matthew seriously ill and lacking in white cells, prompting the need to try the stem cell procedure, hospital officials said.
"These healthy cells have homing devices that enable them to make their way back to the bone marrow, helping the marrow reproduce more quickly," Dr. Ronald Kline, Matthew's physician, said.
Matthew's white blood cell count rebounded quickly and so did he.
Debbie Pavlica, a registered nurse and director of pediatrics and the pediatrics intensive care unit for St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, said hospital workers were heartened to see a perky Matthew after the procedures, riding the halls on his tricycle and squirting people with water from a syringe.
"I believe Matthew's story will raise awareness of this type of stem cell use," said Pavlica, who wrote the procedure's protocol for the hospital.
"The hospital stepped up and thus helped save the life of a child."
Pavlica said that while St. Rose and the other Catholic Healthcare West hospitals will never use embryonic stem cells - "the church views it as a sin" - she said the hospital is looking to branch out to harvesting stem cells, but only those that will be reinjected into the same patient.
Matthew and his family have received support from the hospital, the community and The Children's Miracle Network, a nonprofit alliance of 170 hospitals dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals across North America.
Matthew went to Washington, D.C., last week to serve as Nevada's representative to the Children's Miracle Network's Champions Across America program and met President Bush.
Before his dark brown hair grew back last August, Matthew posed in a yellow cape and green shirt emblazed with "MM" and lightning bolts, for an inspirational poster produced by the Children's Miracle Network. The inscription: "Sometimes even super heroes need a little help."
While Matthew's parents know that RTK can return, they choose to maintain the optimism they have had since the start.
"Our hopes might not be what God has planned for Matthew, and we have accepted that," said Mark Murphy, a member of the Canyon Ridge Christian Church. "The worst case scenario is that my son will get to see God before I do."
Lynda said the support her family continues to receive and her son's incredible recuperative powers gives her much hope.
"Matthew is a miracle," she said.
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