Controversial Teen Hunter Is ‘Cancer-Free’

A teenager sent on a controversial Make-A-Wish Foundation trip to hunt Kodiak bears in Alaska is free of cancer, his mother says.

Although 17-year-old Erik Ness has been widely described as being terminally ill with a brain tumor, he underwent surgery to remove a tumor last fall, Diane Ness said in an interview published Wednesday in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. She said tests last month showed no sign of any tumors.

“It’s not like Erik is dying of cancer. He’s living with cancer. As of today, Erik is cancer-free,” she said. “It’s not like we’re propping him up against a tree with a gun in his hand.”

The foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses, has drawn sharp criticism from animal-rights activists over Erik’s hunt. The foundation decided to proceed with the trip but said it will reevaluate its policies.

Ness could not be reached Wednesday to elaborate on her son’s condition or travel.

The foundation granted 5,800 wishes last year. It has never limited its aid to children who are terminally ill; it serves children facing serious illnesses.

Ness told the paper that her son has been an outdoorsman as long as she can remember. Last fall, two days out of the hospital with 60 stitches in his head, Erik headed to Montana to hunt with a friend.