Less than two years later, Skyler found himself waging his own life-or-death battle with the disease.

"I didn't believe it at the start," said little brother and cancer survivor Landon. "I was just thinking, 'Wow, how could this happen to two of us in the same family?' "

Landon's older brother had contracted the same kind of rare germ-cell cancer. Strangely, it is not a genetic disease.

"It's just a random coincidence," said Landon, who learned he had a tumor the size of a grapefruit in his chest.

Watching his little brother go through chemotherapy and radiation treatment was a mixed blessing for the recent Davis High graduate.

The pro: He knew what to expect.

The con: He knew what to expect.

When Skyler became ill, Landon offered a few tips on dealing with chemo.

Chewing gum or sucking on candy relieves some of the nausea, Landon told Skyler.

Mostly, Landon provided nonverbal support - after all, the brothers are teenage boys.

They didn't talk about cancer or chemo much, but Landon was in Skyler's corner when needed.

"Mostly, you just want to be alone," Skyler said.

For the Kaysville teen, the darkest days followed his tumor-removal surgery.

He'd already been through extensive chemotherapy and was told by doctors that after surgery he might not need more chemo.

It turned out to be a false hope. Skyler needed three more rounds.

His schedule: five days of chemotherapy in the hospital followed by two weeks of recovery at home.

"You can't comprehend how sick they get," said Kim Call, the boys' mother.

Skyler ended chemo in spring of 2007. In the fall he played on Davis High's football team.

His body, having been ravaged by cancer and cancer treatments, wasn't what it used to be, but Skyler was welcomed back on the team.

"I didn't care about playing time," Skyler said. "I was just out there doing what I love."

Skyler made it onto the field in a couple Darts games.

The Call family - two parents and five kids - is now tumor-free and moving toward more carefree times. Oncologists have assured them their other three kids have no more of a chance of getting germ-cell cancer than the average person.

Skyler, who graduated from Davis High School with his class in May, despite missing six months of school during his junior year, is headed for Utah State University this fall.

He won a $10,000 scholarship from the American Cancer Society and plans to study mechanical engineering.

"We're so grateful," said Kim Call. "Obviously we have huge medical bills."

Fighting off cancer and nearly dying is not the ideal way to win a college scholarship, but the scholarship is one of a few positive things that came out of the Call family's series of ordeals.

"The biggest thing is, my kids appreciate each other so much," said the mom. "They're really kind to each other now."

ndicou@sltrib.com