Feb. 27--Nathan Dobush is five-years old and on Feb. 15, he received his last chemotherapy treatment for leukemia. He hasn't let the disease bring him down.
"Even with the last four chemos, you wouldn't have even noticed that he had them," said Laura Dobush, Nathan's mother. "He's a five-year old boy and the kid never stops running and light-saber battling."
Nathan, who missed out on his first year of kindergarten after falling ill last July, is a video gamer who enjoys Legos and the Force.
"His main love is Star Wars," Dobush said. "Anything Star Wars."
Wednesday night, the Bulls recognized Nathan's "fighting spirit" against leukemia, and allowed him to spend time on the court with the team before a game against the Charlotte Hornets.
Dobush called it an "amazing experience."
"We were on the court before, watching them shoot around," Dobush said. "Maybe it was even cooler for me and my husband."
The players were all good to the family, Dobush said, but Jimmy Butler in particular was "awesome."
"They were all nice but he was just the one my son didn't curl up in a ball and hide from," she said.
Nathan was "a bit overwhelmed because he's shy and he's got 7-foot tall basketball players coming up to (him)," Dobush said, "but he had fun."
Nathan took a picture of his mom with Butler, who was also sweet to the family's 8-year old daughter, Dobush said. Besides Nathan and Laura, the family includes eight-year old Peyton, 6-month old Jacob and father, Rob.
During the game, Nathan and his family sat third row courtside, Laura said.
The boy has been receiving treatment from Dr. Jason Canner, a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at Advocate Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn. Hospital officials helped arrange the visit, according to an Advocate spokeswoman.
Canner said it's important to provide community support to families going through such hard times.
"It's the most important thing in my job," Canner said. "Curing kids and the fact that they get to be kids out in the community."
Nathan, for his part, said the game was "good." His favorite part was when the game was tied up 44-44, at halftime.
To his mother, it was a positive experience to share that time together.
"It was just special to do something as a family that wasn't related to him getting treatment," Dobush said. "It was just nice to be together as a family celebrating something."
gpratt@tribpub.com
