Excerpts from the Heraldnews.com:
Many parents know this scenario: a child bumps his head, a lump appears. In the case of 9-year-old Brandon Otte of Shorewood, the lump didn’t disappear. A CT scan revealed an abnormality, a tumor above his left eye.
Brandon’s father is Jeff Otte a lieutenant/paramedic with the Frankfort Fire Protection District.
Brandon has Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare cancer that causes an excess of white blood cells to accumulate in the body and form tumors, also known as lesions. He is the oldest of seven children.
The lump appeared in December 2015. Surgery to remove the lesion was scheduled for the end of January 2016. Since shortly before the surgery, Jeff has been caring for all seven children under age 10 on his own.
The children are Brandon, 9; Julie, 7; Natalie, 6; Emilie, 4; Callie, 3; and Noah, who has autism and is nonverbal, 2; and Benjamin, 16 months. Jeff said he doesn’t have much extended family except for his sister, Cindy McDorman of Galesburg.
After surgery, Brandon began 52 weeks of chemotherapy, which he will complete in early 2017. His spirits are great and his prognosis is good.
In April, the family faced another health scare. Cindy was diagnosed with a rare breast cancer. In May, she had a double mastectomy. But Cindy is now in remission and staying at the Otte home about one week each month.
Jeff said various groups have arranged Christmas presents and holiday activities to keep the season festive for the children. On Dec. 26, the family leaves for Disneyland in California, courtesy of the Make a Wish Foundation.
Jeff listed the rest of his support system: neighbors, staff at Troy School District 30-C, the Joliet Park District (where some of his children attend after-school activities) and even The Village Christian Church in Minooka – which Jeff said he and his family joined in September.
In August, Jeff created a GoFundMe page with a goal of $10,000. As of Thursday, the amount was raised was just $3,395.
Jeff said his main financial need is not money for medical bills but to pay his full-time and part-time nannies, so Jeff can continue working his job and keep the insurance for his kids.
A firefighter since 1998 in Crestwood, Jeff came to Frankfort in 2005.
