TICKET TO A CURE?; ACTON MAN TRYING TO GET TO HOUSTON FOR BRAIN SURGERY.

Byline: Stacy Brown Daily News Staff Writer

If Jeff Gregory's life were a Hollywood movie, he'd be roping steer in his spare time, preparing for a wedding to his longtime companion and going about life as a self-employed welder.

No doubt, the movie's director would throw in the twists and other subplots that have peppered Gregory's life. His wife would run out, leaving him to raise a young son alone. His closest friend, Jackie Hage, would get married before coming back with a divorce tale of her own.

Gregory and Hage would reminiscence about old times and discover how much they really loved each other and wanted to be together. And Gregory would even be a legend on the steer roping circuit, his favorite pasttime.

Of course, no Hollywood love story could be complete without a tragedy - and Gregory's is no exception.

``I was roping steer one day and I found it odd that I was missing the cows by a good three feet,'' Gregory said. A visit to the doctor's office and a prescription for antibiotics and the macho-man from Acton was back in the saddle again.

Then one day, while attending class at College of the Canyons, Gregory's motor skills deserted him.

``I would see people and hear them, but I couldn't respond. I would try and just couldn't, so I knew something else was wrong,'' he said. ``I got up and went to my car and that's when I passed out and fell flat on my face.''

Gregory was taken to the hospital, where he was given a battery of tests. Results showed that Gregory had a tumor on the left side of his brain.

``It was already a grade 3 tumor, and now it's a grade 4, which means it doubles in growth each week now,'' he said.

After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments that ended in October 1996, Gregory was given just one year to live.

Jeremy, Gregory's 16-year-old son, quit school and began taking home study courses so he could assist Hage in helping his dad get around. For some time Gregory used a wheelchair which prevented him from climbing steps and taking his usual walks around the neighborhood.

Never one to give up, Gregory tossed his wheelchair aside one day and was determined to walk on his own.

``I would ask doctors how many of their patients beat this and when they would tell me that they never had a patient beat it, I'd tell them I'd be the first and they'd be famous,'' Gregory said.

Hage captured some of Gregory's determination and began researching his cancer at bookstores and surfing the Internet at friends' houses. That's where Hage learned about cancer specialist Stanislaw Burzynski, who claims to have an 85 percent success rate.

Burzynski has agreed to take on Gregory's case if the Acton man can get to his medical facility in Houston and if he can get together the $20,000 to $30,000 needed for the surgery.

Medi-Cal, which paid for Gregory's chemotherapy and radiation treatments, has refused to pay for additional treatments. While Gregory appeals their action, Acton Helping Hands, a community organization in his home town, has launched a fund-raising drive to help pay Burzynski's bill.

Gregory also has received help from the Santa Clarita Valley Service Center, a nonprofit organization that assists needy families with food, clothing and medicine. The center has worked closely with Acton Helping Hands in trying to raise money for Gregory's surgery.

Holding out hope that he'll be able to pay for the treatments, Gregory has turned to the Daily News' Season of Sharing program for help in getting a round-trip plane ticket to Houston.

Since 1990, Season of Sharing has generated nearly $200,000 for local charities, with thousands of readers donating money or merchandise to help make the holidays brighter for their less-than-fortunate neighbors.

The program is administered by the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council. The Daily News receives none of the money.

``When I look back I can now see where my troubles began. Now if I can get to Burzynski and beat this thing, I can go on with my life,'' Gregory said.

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PHOTO Jeff Gregory, Jackie Hage and Acton Helping Hands are trying to raise funds to send Gregory to Houston for brain surgery.

Shawn Dyer/Special to the Daily News