Eighteen-year-old Emma and 16-year-old Noah Heezen are anything but average teenagers. In their free time, they’re doing research on cancerous tumors.
March 31, 2017 Jill Johnson
From KDLT News. To view the video, please follow this link.
PLANKINTON, S.D. – Two South Dakota teens are showing us that anything is possible with hard work. A brother and sister from Plankinton have been working together to try to cure cancer in man’s best friend. They’ve had some amazing results, earning them recognition and even scholarship money at a South Dakota University.
Eighteen-year-old Emma and 16-year-old Noah Heezen are anything but average teenagers. In their free time, they’re doing research on cancerous tumors.
Plankinton High School Sophomore Noah Heezen said, “I’m like really excited because you don’t think you’re going to cure cancer when you’re a kid doing science fairs.”
The high schoolers got started after their dog got sick. Instead of chemotherapy, their mom Angie looked for an alternative.
“Dogs don’t understand living until the next birthday or the next Christmas and that’s what chemotherapy does for a person it just prolongs your life and doesn’t give them a better quality of life,” said Plankinton High School Senior Emma Heezen.
‘Sassy’ was fed canned asparagus. Within months their father Jason, who is a local veterinarian, noticed that the tumor was gone. That’s when the teens started looking at another alternative… a plant called Sweet Wormwood.
Emma said, “Cancer cells are really attracted to iron and so mixed with the iron, the Wormwood is poisonous to the cancer cells.”
In 15 of their father’s patients, only one died. The cause was unrelated.
“At their six month check-up all of them didn’t have cancer anymore and they had like, way improved quality of life,” said Emma.
The teens then started working with Dakota Wesleyan University, testing neuroblastoma cells from rats. They saw a 85 to 90 percent kill rate in the cancerous cells.
“We had a scientist that was with us the whole way, Dr. Paula Mazzer, and she saw the results.”
While the siblings hope more people become aware of their research, they also hope their research will inspire others.
Emma said, “Just definitely get out there and talk to people who maybe have connections or can help you in any sort of way because you never know what can happen.”
Based on their research, the teens were granted one of the top awards at the South Central Regional Science and Engineering Fair, earning them a $12,000 scholarship. They also have the opportunity to compete in Los Angeles at the International Fair in May.
Noah hopes to one day become an electrical engineer or neurologist, Emma a veterinarian.
