Local cancer patient gets his wish

Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Seth Norman is looking down the road at a bright future from behind the wheel of a newly restored 1976 Chevy Nova.

The non-profit organization, which grants wishes to cancer patients, revealed Norman's tricked-out car at a party hosted by Pappy's Pizza in Redmond last week.

Norman bought the car in April 2009 for $1,700 then worked all summer long, painting houses to pay off the loan to his dad. The 16-year-old souped up the engine, applied bondo and dreamed about someday fixing up the tattered interior.

But then in January of this year, Norman was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He endured surgery and three rounds of chemo, fought off three life-threatening staph infections and spent considerable time as a patient at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland.

When he was approached by Make-A-Wish, says Norman, "I requested restoring the interior. They said 'Wouldn't you like to go on a trip?'"

But Norman thought to himself, "Why go on a trip that lasts a week when you could have a car for 20 years?"

Looking forward with a positive attitude was something Norman did throughout his illness; it's a quality that his dad, Mike Norman, says "worked miracles and brought us through a lot of stuff." Norman's doctors and the Doernbecher staff agree that his disposition was great medicine for himself and everyone around him.

Norman's healing from the cancer has been "one of those real success stories," says his dad.

Using local craftsmen, the Make-A-Wish Foundation facilitated a first-rate interior restoration of the Nova. Tom Jones Motorcars of Redmond donated labor to create the custom red and gray vinyl upholstery which features Chevy emblems stitched neatly into the seats and visors.

"They're Ford guys so they would mess with me and say they had to wear plastic gloves to sew them in 'cause they couldn't touch them," said Norman.

Then Make-A-Wish took the makeover one step farther with a custom two-toned paint job in silver and charcoal gray, inspired by a photo Norman found online. Again, the labor was a donation - by Premier Auto Body of Redmond who added flourishes of red pin striping.

Norman worried that he may have asked for one thing too many when he requested they also add a small lime-green-colored ribbon, the symbol for his type of cancer.

There it was, painted on the front fender when he saw the finished car for the first time.

Norman says of Make-A-Wish: "It's amazing what they've done, transforming it from junk to a diamond. And the support from the community just to make this one wish happen ... Make-A-Wish is great."

Mike Norman appreciates the lengths Jan Shaver and Patti Scott of Make-A-Wish's Portland office went to in fulfilling his son's wish.

"It really got him through treatment. It's all he talked about. It sustained him."

Seth Norman's mother, Giana, worried that the car restoration was "a weird request." Indeed it was the first wish of its kind Make-A-Wish has ever granted and one of the least expensive because of local donors' generosity.

Giana Norman has been "amazed and humbled" by the broad community support they've experienced this year, as well as the personal sacrifices which have brought them closer as a family.

Mike Norman stayed home for the best part of two months to oversee his son's treatment and administer injections "like his personal guardian doctor and nurse," says Giana.

Seth Norman's older sister Amanda, as an officer of the Sisters High School Key Club, energetically organized fundraisers.

At his June check-up, the oncologist declared that with no more sign of the cancer, Norman can now "go on with his life."

"I feel great now," said Norman, a junior at Sisters High School.

When Giana Norman looks at her son today, she sees the man he was growing into before, sidelined by cancer, he rapidly lost 40 pounds and all of his hair.

Mike Norman sees "a poised young man with a wisdom few of us could attest to at his age."

Seth Norman can be seen around town in an eye-catching set of wheels that his dad calls "a sign of hope."

Officials at the Prairie City Car Show took notice on Saturday, awarding Seth's restored Nova second place in the '70s Division in its first-ever car show appearance.

Seth plans to have his car on display at Les Schwab Taylor Tire Center in Sisters this Saturday.