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Sleight-of-hand helped teen beat leukemia

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

By CHRISTINA MEDINA
For the Courier-Post
WILLINGBORO

Chad Juros has a trick to make your suffering go away without medicine: magic.

It worked for the 15-year-old boy. When he was 3, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and at age 7 he suffered a relapse. As he recovered at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, his father Don, then a dentist in Egg Harbor Township, visited his son and taught him magic to momentarily relieve the stress of illness.

Once out of the hospital, the boy worked hard to sharpen his magic skills. But tragedy struck the family again when his father died in January 2000 from brain cancer at age 41.

Chad Juros was left with his father's love of magic.

"Magic is everything - it got me through some of my treatments," he said Tuesday at the Garfield Park Academy in Willingboro. "It was a way to pass time in the hospital and focus on something else than being sick."

Today Chad Juros is an up-and-coming magician who mesmerizes other children with his tricks. Juros, known as The Magical Chadakazam, engaged an audience with sleight-of-hand and card tricks during a performance at the academy.

Volunteers from the audience of teenagers assisted with his tricks, eliciting laughter and applause. Fluid and professional at all times, Chadakazam makes magic look easy.

His passion has helped him endure life's toughest obstacles.

When he was in a Philadelphia hospital battling leukemia, he needed a bone marrow transplant, but no compatible donors were found.

As part of an experiment, he and his mother, Penny, lived in the cancer ward for 17 months. During this time, Juros was hooked up to several tubes to maintain his breathing and food intake. He also suffered several cardiac arrests, fell into a coma, and underwent countless blood transfusions.

Rabbis twice visited his bedside for prayers.

"They told us he wouldn't make it to the morning," said Penny Juros.

He did. After his release from hospital, he practiced magic. His grandfather would take him to magic shows, fueling his passion to perform.

The Magical Chadakazam today performs professionally at birthday parties, school assemblies, corporate functions and festivals. As word of Juros' talent spread, Chadakazam moved on to bigger venues like The Franklin Institute, Mays Landing Country Club, Borders bookstores and the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pa.

After several years of healthy living, Juros once again fell ill: He had emergency surgery in May to stop hemorrhaging in his brain that had begun in January. Doctors advised his mother that surgery posed a great risk, including possible paralysis and stroke.

"Doctors said he may never perform again," said Penny Juros.

But once again, magic was on her son's side and he came out of surgery without incident.

Performing in front of an audience of 400 in the Keswick Theatre is one of Juros' fondest memories.

"It was a really cool experience," he said.

Chadakazam has also put his magician skills to the test at several charity events, performing for Gilda's Club on several occasions and serving as the official magician for Victory Junction Gang organization sponsored by NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his driver-son, Kyle.

Last month, Juros and his family visited Las Vegas where he performed at the Riviera Casino and Hotel as part of a Stars of Tomorrow showcase during a weeklong magic convention. During his stay, Juros met several famous magicians such as Mack King and his idol, Lance Burton. Magic/comedy duo Penn & Teller even sent Juros an e-mail with words of encouragement.

In September, the Juroses will visit Capitol Hill in Washington, where he will perform his feats for politicians and physicians to promote Childhood Cancer Awareness Week.

What does the future hold for The Magical Chadakazam?

"I love doing this," Juros said while speculating about a career in magic. Like Burton, Juros would one day like to own his own magic theater in Atlantic City, similar to the theaters in Las Vegas.

"He's the most amazing, inspirational child I've ever met," said his mother. "I don't know anybody who doesn't love this child. He's seen life from both ends and made the best of it."