04.04 | '24' cast and crew welcome teenager suffering from terminal bone cancer
This is probably the saddest shit I'll ever post on this site:
Peter Meslow never missed an episode of the TV show '24'. He was such a fan that he asked to visit the set of the Fox series last year through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. He left with a standing invitation to return.Needless to say, the story doesn't end well. You might need to register to read this story. In that case, I recommend bugmenot.com.In February, Peter went back to Hollywood for his third visit. By then, he was part of the '24' family. Crutches handy and oxygen available, he spent hours on the set during three days. He appears in a scene that will be broadcast in tonight's episode.
"He was going strong," said Jeff Meslow, Peter's uncle and traveling companion. "He was living large."
Living strong had been Peter's mantra since 2003, when he was diagnosed with bone cancer at age 17. Despite missing half his junior and senior years, he graduated on time with the class of 2004 at White Bear Lake Area High School.
Peter always felt he would beat cancer. He endured surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. But the cancer returned, forcing him into another cycle of difficult treatments. Once, when his mother asked him how he managed to handle his condition, he said it was hard but he refused to despair.
"Mom, I know I could go there," he told her. "But I just choose not to."
Peter was in the midst of new treatments when a window of opportunity opened for the return visit to Hollywood. He later described it as "his best trip, ever."
After coming home, he planned to undergo surgery to amputate his foot. Then he intended to move forward. He had been accepted at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. He had taken a shine to a young woman from his high school class.
He was also toying with an offer to work behind the scenes on '24'. Maybe he'd try that before heading to college.
Once you've read the rest of the above, and seen tonight's episode - which Peter appeared in - you might want to make a donation in honour of Peter Meslow.
