on PinterestDylan Kurtz (right) with his parents and brother.
on PinterestDylan Kurtz (right) with his parents and brother. Photography courtesy of Dylan Kurtz
- As colorectal cancer increases among people under 50, more children may experience watching a parent face this disease.
- Dylan Kurtz s what it was like to watch his dad get treated for colon cancer while he was a teenager.
- Now, 22, Kurtz wants to spread awareness about colorectal cancer and help other young people cope with a parent’s diagnosis.
On Dylan Kurtz’s 16th Birthday in 2020, his dad, Jonathan, began chemotherapy to treat stage 3 colon cancer.
“I didn’t really know much of anything about colon cancer other than it was cancer in the colon,” Kurtz told Healthline. “I knew of different types of cancer but didn’t really know anything about what it meant for the person diagnosed, other than that it can be deadly, if it’s caught late.”
Emotionally, he was uncertain about his dad’s outlook.
“Then, after my dad talked me through everything that was going to happen, he was going to do radiation and then chemotherapy for a few months, I began to understand how serious it was,” said Kurtz.
Because a parent’s cancer diagnosis can bring fear, confusion, or worry, Marianne Pearson, MSW, LCSW, vice president of Cancer Care at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, said honest, age-appropriate communication is needed.
“[Including] explaining treatments like chemotherapy or radiation and even visiting the cancer center can help reduce fear, while support from oncology-trained professionals can help children feel safer and more secure,” she told Healthline.
After Kurtz’s dad talked with him, he quickly learned that his condition would impact the whole family, including his mom and brother.
His mom informed him that while his dad went through treatment, he wouldn’t be able to do the things they typically enjoyed together, like attend professional baseball games and engage in outdoor activities like running.
“I was really sad because all these things that I love to do with my dad tend to be very physically active or involve going places and being very engaged in doing things,” said Kurtz. “But I handled it by finding workarounds.”
Taking on responsibility and finding joy in a new normal
Because Jonathan’s treatments left him immunocompromised, the Kurtz family had to shift their routines to avoid bringing harmful germs into the house during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Runs outside turned into quiet time at home, and instead of traveling to professional baseball games, Kurtz and his dad worked on 1,000-piece puzzles of different baseball stadiums.
“Some of them are hanging in my room now, and some are hanging in my dad’s office,” said Kurtz. “It was something he could do while in treatment. We sat down quietly and had something good to do together.”
He also took on more responsibilities around the house, including cooking and cleaning, as well as caring for his older brother, Steven, who has autism.
Because all summer camps were canceled in 2020, he created “Camp Kurtz” for him and Steven to stay engaged.
“I would do all sorts of different activities to step in for the lack of camp activities that he had, so
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