Elias Boutros is suffering from a rare type of incurable brain tumour, which, not surprisingly has him down in the dumps. Meeting his idol, Gordon Ramsay, would no doubt lift his spirits in this difficult time.

Ramsay, a British chef, restaurateur, writer, television personality and food critic, is someone Boutros has always liked.

“Believe me, he eats, he sleeps, he wakes up with that show on TV,” Boutros’ mother, Nadia, said in speaking to The Star about her 27-year-old son.

Although he’s unable to cook right now due to the tumour – Anaplastic Ganglioglioma, Boutros has always been one to create tasty meals in the kitchen, his mother said.

And he knows all things Ramsay, too.

“He knows all the winners, all of the chefs, everything about that show,” Nadia said.

Boutros, who attended St. Charles College, is the middle child of three for mother Nadia, 55. There’s Joanne, the oldest, at 29, and Joseph, the youngest, 25.

Boutros had three surgeries to combat the cancer, with the first taking place a little over year-and-a-half ago. The second surgery occurred in March, then again in July.

“He was having seizures,” Nadia said. “He was in the hospital not too long ago and the doctors said they can’t do anything about it anymore.”

Now, Boutros lives at home with his mother, who helps care for him, along with other family members, nurses and physiotherapists.

“And lately, because of his depression, it’s not looking good,” Nadia said.

But being able to meet Ramsay in person would help bring a smile to Boutros’ face.

“It would be the best news ever,” Nadia said, trying to hold back tears. “At least I know there’s light at the end of the tunnel for him.”

Joseph said his brother has been a huge fan of Ramsay since the two were teenagers.

“Meeting Gordon would put the biggest smile on his face and my family’s,” Joseph said. “I’m really hoping this reaches Gordon and he gives my brother that smile and joy he’s been needing since it all started.”

According to Wikipedia, Ramsey is a reality television personality known for his fiery temper, strict demeanour and use of expletives. He often makes blunt and controversial comments, including insults and wisecracks about contestants and their cooking abilities.

Ramsay is known for presenting TV programs about competitive cookery and food, including the American versions of Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares.

sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @SudburyStar

. . . .

The disease

Anaplastic gangliogliomas are considered grade III or high-grade tumors, which means that they are usually aggressive, malignant tumors. The main treatment is removal of the entire tumor during surgery. If the entire tumor is not removed, it has the potential to recur and may require additional surgery or treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Unfortunately, because gangliogliomas are quite rare, there is limited information to show that radiation therapy or chemotherapy are effective treatments for this condition.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services