TODAY SHOW

Announcer: This is Today, live from Studio 1A in Rockerfeller Plaza.

Campbell Brown: In early January, we introduced you to a family who turned to Ebay for help in raising funds for a much-needed tumor biopsy for their nine-year-old son. Well, donations poured in from around the country...and the world. In just this past week, David Dingman-Grover underwent a biopsy on the tumor that he had nicknamed, "Frank." And we have some good news to report this morning. David and his parents, Tiffini Dingman-Grover and Bryn Grover are here, along with David's doctor, Hrayr Shi...you're going to have to help me with this...Dr. Shahinian...

Dr. Hrayr Shahinian: Shahinian.

Brown: Thank you. Thank you very much for joining us. Good morning to everybody. It's great to have you here. Doctor, walk us through what...what the prognosis was. You have some good news to share with us.

Shahinian: We do indeed. Ah...based on a...this young man's a...most recent MRI...um...we can tell today that a..."Frank" has left the building.

Laughter.

Shahinian: So, he had a very good MRI. Ah...he also, based on the pathology report, the preliminary reports show that there are no active cancerous cells in the specimen that we took out.

Brown: And you did the operation...um...through his nose, actually, instead of...a...where you would have to cut into his head. So there's a lot less scarring for him, right?

Shahinian: That is correct.

Brown: And it all went well.

Shahinian: It went extremely well. We're absolutely thrilled for David.

Brown: Well, Tiffini, let me ask you. This is... um...I know there is a final report that still comes out later this week, but the early indications are very good. Do you feel like you've just gotten over a huge hurdle?

Tiffini: I'm very reserved still. You know, with cancer you have to, but it's just the surgery itself was the hugest hurdle, and just kind of a sigh of relief that...huh...we kind of made it, and I'm happy.

Brown: I know, I know. It's...it's...it's tough to get your arms around it almost.

Tiffini: Yes.

Brown: How do you feel, David. You look great.

David: I feel great.

Brown: Yeah!

Laughter.

Brown: Now that the surgery is over with and it looks like "Frank" has left the building...um...what do you want to do next?

David: I want to go back to school, see my friends, and live a normal life again.

Brown: I...I know, you must be really looking forward to it, aren't you?

David: Yeah!

Brown: Doctor, let me ask you. I know this can't be a normal circumstance for you, but when you have a family like this...you must get attached to a patient, when you have such a brave young man.

Shahinian: That's...that's very true. David's courage is...a...and his family's, is truly inspirational. And, you know, it's a...we have been very intensely involved for a very short period of time, but our bond is...is...is forever. It's a very special case.

Brown: And Tiffini, I know you had a lot of people reach out to you...a...over the last few weeks, but before we let you go, I want to bring in a special guest, Mary DeFeudis, who decided to donate 20,000 dollars to help pay for David's surgery. I knew...you guys have talked to each other, I know, but I don't think you've ever seen each other in person. Mary, tell us...share with all of us...I know you saw this on the Today Show when we were telling the story and you've made an incredibly generous gift. What made you want to do this for total strangers?

DeFeudis: I was watching the show and I was just so touched by the...the whole family- by David's courage, and by his mother's energy to get out there under the devastating circumstances, and to go on Ebay, and try to help her son, and I just was so touched - and I have grandchildren of my own, and I just thought, under those circumstances, you know...a...they were up against everything and I just wanted to reach out and touch them, and...a...and help them.

Brown: Tiffini, you have a tear in your eye, I know. Was there anything that you want to say to Mary?

Tiffini: What can you say? I am...there are no words to express how grateful we are for what she's done and she will always be a member of our family.

DeFeudis: Thank you.

Brown: Well, it's great. It's...I... I'm so excited about this story and having you all here. And David, you're a brave guy. It has been really great to meet you - a real pleasure for me.

David: You, too.

Brown: I hope you'll come back and see us again soon. And thanks everybody for joining us. We'll be right back.

- BREAK -

Brown: And we're back with David Dingman-Grover. And it's just so wonderful to have you here. I can't stop saying that, I know, but I want to take people a little more in depth. And doctor, if you could sort of walk us through the...the procedure, because I know, it...it was...it's tricky and it's...um...and more advanced procedure than they often do in cases like this.

Shahinian: Um...this... a...the procedure that David had is...is a new procedure, as you mentioned. It...a...utilizes fiber-optic technology and...a...instead of the more traditional operation that David was offered a couple of times, which involves either going...a...peeling the face down, opening the skull, lifting the brain and going down to get the tumor, or a second procedure that involves going through the face. Ah...this procedure is minimally invasive. Ah...it involves...a...

Brown: We have a graphic here. We're sort of showing people how you do it...where you go in through the nose.

Shahinian: Yes, you go in through the nose and you access the same area, without...a...this big approach, and it's...a...patient friendly, obviously. He had his surgery on Wednesday and he's already here today.

Brown: I know.

Shahinian: So, less pain, less discomfort, and...a...minimally invasive.

Brown: Now, he still needs to continue chemo for a couple of days.

Shahinian: Um...

Brown: Or is it longer than that?

Shahinian: Well, that decision will be made by his pediatric oncologists who have done an excellent job over the last two years in...in shrinking "Frank"...

Brown: Laughter

Shahinian: And...a...that decision will be based on...you, know, we will consult with the pediatric oncologists and they will make that final decision.

Brown: I love that you gave it a name.

Tiffini: I didn't. David gave it.

Brown: Was that your idea?

David: Yes.

Brown: What made you want to do that, David?

David: 'Cause, well, I use to be afraid of Frankenstein and... that's how I conquered my fears, just naming it to a Frankenstein, and well...

Brown: Then you can point to it, and say, 'This is the bad guy, right?'

David: Uh, huh.

Bryn: And did you tell Campbell what we brought for her?

David: We brought you a T-shirt.

Laughter.

Bryn and Brown: "Frank Must Die."

Brown: And that was the bumper sticker, right? That you guys auctioned on Ebay.

Bryn: Yep. And we brought you one of those, too.

Brown: Oh, I love it. That's wonderful. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

Bryn: That's no problem.

Brown: Mary, I know you're still with us...um...I just wanted to give you a chance to say something real quick.

DeFeudis: Well, I just feel completely blessed to be involved in this whole thing, and I'm...I'm so glad that David's surgery worked out as well as it has. I prayed for him and thought of him every day and...since that first day. And I think his parents are wonderful and...a...they're lucky to have him and he's really lucky to have them, and...um...I'm just so happy that everything worked out so well for him.

Brown: Well, Mary, I hope...I hope that you can all get together... we can all get together and celebrate soon. Thanks everybody for joining us.

Tiffini: Thank you.