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Berwyn, IL —
Berwyn native Len Austrevich's life has revolved around comedy at least since he was 18, when he moved to Los Angeles to become a stand-up comic.
After his son, Miles, was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer three years ago, it pushed the old adage that laughter is the best medicine to the most extreme test. Four recurrences of Miles' cancer, endless rounds of chemotherapy and countless medications later, Austrevich's belief in the healing power of comedy has only strengthened.
“It's just using humor as a coping mechanism to deal with this stuff, and I don't think there's anybody who has lived this mantra more than we have,” Austrevich said. “We believe that treating your spirit is absolutely as important as dealing with the medical stuff.”
Now, Len, 49, and Miles, 19, are taking their fight public. They've started a website where they hope to get 5,000 videotaped jokes sent to Miles to “show him he's not alone in his fight against cancer.”
Once that goal is met, Len Austrevich said he hopes to continue the program for other children battling cancer.
“We go to all these 5K runs and fundraisers and all this stuff for cancer research, and the one thing that occurs to me is that all these kids ... so many of these kids are never going to see the result of the fundraising and the money by the time it trickles down to research,” Len Austrevich said. “This is the kind of thing these kids need ... . It's an instant thing and it's not something they have to wait for, and hopefully it's ongoing.”
The website went live Jan. 1 and has garnered 103 jokes from 24 cities and two countries.
Austrevich, a veteran in the Chicago comedy scene who also has worked extensively in entertainment marketing and consulting, used his connections to have celebrities such as Jay Leno, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett tell jokes for Miles.
Miles himself has used his own treatment as a way of cracking jokes. One video on the website features Miles calling his cancer, “the gift that keeps on giving” and bemoaning the indignities of testicular ultrasounds and ingrown toenails with a smile.
Miles also enjoys music and photography. (Kanye West visited Miles' home on the rapper's birthday and spent three hours hanging out with Miles, even consulting the teen on lyrical choices and album titles.)
The father-son duo also will be taking a cross-country trip this year so that Miles can photograph some of the nation's most beautiful national parks. They will make a documentary of that trip, highlighting their use of comedy to battle cancer.
Berwyn native Len Austrevich's life has revolved around comedy at least since he was 18, when he moved to Los Angeles to become a stand-up comic.
After his son, Miles, was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer three years ago, it pushed the old adage that laughter is the best medicine to the most extreme test. Four recurrences of Miles' cancer, endless rounds of chemotherapy and countless medications later, Austrevich's belief in the healing power of comedy has only strengthened.
“It's just using humor as a coping mechanism to deal with this stuff, and I don't think there's anybody who has lived this mantra more than we have,” Austrevich said. “We believe that treating your spirit is absolutely as important as dealing with the medical stuff.”
Now, Len, 49, and Miles, 19, are taking their fight public. They've started a website where they hope to get 5,000 videotaped jokes sent to Miles to “show him he's not alone in his fight against cancer.”
Once that goal is met, Len Austrevich said he hopes to continue the program for other children battling cancer.
“We go to all these 5K runs and fundraisers and all this stuff for cancer research, and the one thing that occurs to me is that all these kids ... so many of these kids are never going to see the result of the fundraising and the money by the time it trickles down to research,” Len Austrevich said. “This is the kind of thing these kids need ... . It's an instant thing and it's not something they have to wait for, and hopefully it's ongoing.”
The website went live Jan. 1 and has garnered 103 jokes from 24 cities and two countries.
Austrevich, a veteran in the Chicago comedy scene who also has worked extensively in entertainment marketing and consulting, used his connections to have celebrities such as Jay Leno, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett tell jokes for Miles.
Miles himself has used his own treatment as a way of cracking jokes. One video on the website features Miles calling his cancer, “the gift that keeps on giving” and bemoaning the indignities of testicular ultrasounds and ingrown toenails with a smile.
Miles also enjoys music and photography. (Kanye West visited Miles' home on the rapper's birthday and spent three hours hanging out with Miles, even consulting the teen on lyrical choices and album titles.)
The father-son duo also will be taking a cross-country trip this year so that Miles can photograph some of the nation's most beautiful national parks. They will make a documentary of that trip, highlighting their use of comedy to battle cancer.
The website, www.jokes4miles.com, will be featured in the documentary, as they hope to reach the 5,000-joke mark before they reach the California redwoods.
“It's not going to be a movie about jokes, it's going to be about how Miles is so inspiring and to share his take and how we use jokes at every turn,” Len Austrevich said.
Despite missing most of his junior and senior years at Northside College Prep High School in Chicago, Miles scored a 35 on his ACT exams and gained admission to four Ivy League colleges. He had planned to attend Yale University this year, but had to defer his admission for treatment of his latest recurrence.
Despite the nearly immeasurable loss — Len Austrevich had to close his marketing and consulting company, and Miles has undergone several life-threatening treatments — the ordeal has brought the two closer as they inspire each other to keep up the struggle.
“His will power is just unbelievable,” Len said. “He does stuff in his physical therapy when he's exercising that I couldn't do. He's plugging away and his attitude is super strong and he's definitely stronger than I am.”
