Local boy battling brain cancer inspires karate peers and teachers

HAVERHILL, Mass. — A local 10-year-old boy diagnosed with brain cancer is beating the odds and inspiring everyone in his karate class.

Connor Durkee’s parents signed him up for karate at Five Dragons Martial Arts Academy in Haverhill when he was just six years old. He loves the sport and his teacher so much that even an aggressive form of brain cancer couldn’t stop him from coming.

“We said, ‘Well, it turns out you have a tumor in your brain. It’s called pineoblastoma, and it’s a form of cancer,’” Connor’s mother, Amy Durkee, told Boston 25 News about the diagnosis the family received in June 2015. “And he said, ‘Ooh, cancer. I think that’s bad, right?’”

Connor was determined to defeat that tumor, which he and his doctor called Goomba, the evil mushroom from his favorite video game.

“That’s the name of a character from Mario,” Durkee told Boston 25 News at the dojo Tuesday.

Even 11 hours of brain surgery, 31 radiation sessions, and six rounds of chemo couldn’t keep his spirit down.

“It wasn’t wicked hard. It wasn’t really hard,” said Durkee.

During treatment, weak and underweight, unable to participate, Connor still came to practice, simply watching his little brother Dylan and their friends.

“To have this kid who, all he wanted to do was come to class, even if all he could do was sit and watch, it’s very inspirational,” said Connor’s instructor, Sensei Marc Hicks, owner of 5 Dragons Martial Arts Academy.

Connor would soon grow healthy enough to join class, kicking, punching and sparring just like his peers.

But the best news: his test results have shown no sign of disease; the 10-year-old yellow-belt is beating cancer.

“The fact that we can stand here and he can still be doing to karate is a beautiful thing,” said Durkee.

While Connor is doing well and feeling great, his family knows so many other parents are dealing with heartache. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and his family vows never to forget the families who haven’t received such a positive prognosis.

Cox Media Group