Two-time cancer survivor continues to deliver smiles
Sean Rovers, 14, with his ever-present smile. He's sporting a Go Gray in May T-shirt that people wear on Mondays in May to show support of brain tumor patients and families.
Among those who support two-time cancer survivor Sean Rovers and the Smiles from Sean charity are (from left) Pam Tiano of the Rotary Club of Upper St. Clar-Bethel park (Breakfast), Maria Rovers, Sean's mother; Sean, Sharilyn Oravetz, remedial support teacher at Independence Middle School, and John Lorenzi, school counselor.
Sean Rovers is usually seen with a smile on his face.
It’s the 14-year-old from Bethel Park’s way of dealing with life, a life in which he is a two-time cancer survivor and already has dealt with two brain surgeries and subsequent treatments.
“The strength to just keep pushing forward,” he said of his reason for smiling. “(The treatments) weren’t anything painful but if they were, I just put a smile on my face and pushed forward.”
It’s that message the Independence Middle School eighth grader wants to deliver to others who are facing similar battles.
“He’s always doing OK,” said Maria Rovers, Sean’s mother. “Sean is a kid that they would put him on a machine, they would extubate him and he would smile.”
It has, indeed, been a rough road for Sean.
At the age of 9, he was diagnosed with a rare pediatric brain cancer on Oct. 22, 2017.
Just two days after the diagnosis, Sean had his first brain surgery to remove a golf ball sized tumor from the lining of his brain.
“They put him in for urgent surgery,” Maria Rovers recalled. “I remember the doctor telling me, we got this, because we’ve seen this before.”
Unfortunately, what was found was not what the doctors originally thought it was going to be. Sean was diagnosed with an extremely rare tumor called intracranial myxoid mesenchymal – a type of central nervous system sarcoma that typically arises in other body parts. It is a high-grade cancer due to its aggressive clinical course.
“He was doing well after that with therapy and everything,” Maria Rovers said. “Five months recovering from the first surgery, he had his follow up MRI and that’s when we were told, I’m sorry, It’s back.”
On March 5, 2018, an MRI imaging scan revealed that Sean’s cancer had returned. A second surgery took place April 17, 2018, followed by 30 sessions of radiation treatment.
The disease and treatment have left him with permanent damage, but that has not stopped Sean from making a positive, and powerful, impact on those he encounters.
Getting back to that smile. His ability to remain positive is reflected in the charity that bears his name, Smiles from Sean, which strives to create smiles for children with underlying medical conditions.
“It started with a little idea, I don’t want to think about cancer while he’s going through treatment,” said Maria Rovers. “I wanted to remember the day of Sean’s diagnosis. Instead of remembering it as a sad day, I want to put smiles on children’s faces in the hospital.”
Smiles from Sean, which recently achieved 501 (c) 3 status, has been involved in much to put smiles on children’s faces.
There’s the smiley kit – a bag of smiley items and toys sent to children throughout the country with underlying medical conditions.
Easter Baskets of Smiles are created by team members and delivered to children with health issues and their siblings in the metro Pittsburgh area.
In 2019, Smiles from Sean began a coin drive that takes place in May during Brain Tumor and Brain Cancer Awareness Month. Coins are collected to help children receiving medical care at UPMC Children’s Hospital. This year’s donations also are benefiting two Bethel Park families battling childhood cancer.
Students at Independence Middle School work with Sean to help him with his charitable efforts.
Sharilyn Oravetz, a remedial support teacher, focused a lesson on Sean during a unit she was teaching on child advocates, youngsters who stand up for their beliefs.
“He came to my class each period and he told the kids his story,” Oravetz recalled. “We have 800 kids in this school alone and they all know him. Day in, day out that smile is what you see, no matter what. He’s just an inspiration to everyone. I come to work and just realize how lucky I am to have this family in my life. To have met and be a part in Sean’s life is just incredible.”
“Some people have the ability to turn something unfortunate into something inspiring and that’s what Sean does,” added John Lorenzi, counselor at Independence Middle School, who works closely with Sean and will continue to do so throughout his high school years. “He doesn’t wallow in it. He doesn’t feel sorry for himself, which I think so many adults would do. He has a call to action that all of his classmates respond to.”
Pam Tiano is a member of the Rotary Club of Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park (Breakfast). She wanted to get the story about Smiles from Sean out to fellow Rotarians. She also wanted to start an Interact Club at Independence Middle School and Bethel Park High School and hoped to get Sean involved.
“You can help but love these guys,” Tiano said. “We did some fundraising through the Interact Club and the Rotary Club and Maria asked me if I wanted to be more involved. She didn’t even have to finish her sentence.”
Donations can be made on the Smiles from Sean website.
Sean still goes to therapy. He has seizures. Radiation treatments have left him with the hormones of an 18-year-old.
But he keeps plugging away with a smile on his face. What advice does he have for anybody who may be facing similar struggles?
“It’s determination to get through the pain, just push forward no matter what,” Sean said.