The Illusion of Life
The Illusion Of Life
By JEANNE DONOHUE For At The Shore, 609-272-7017 Published: Thursday, May 15, 2008 Many college students will spend their summer waiting tables or lifeguarding on beaches. Chad Juros will spend his break from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey making playing cards appear in his mouth, boom boxes disappear into thin air and sunglasses suddenly show up on his head. The Egg Harbor Township resident is known as Magical Chad. He is a two-time cancer survivor whose father, Donald, taught him his first tricks when he was 7 - when Chad spent the better part of 17 months in a hospital bed at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia fighting for his life after a leukemia relapse. Juros' recovery after an experimental protocol of medicine is thought to be nothing short of magical. And these days, Juros is a sought-after magician with a packed schedule of private and public performances locally as well as in other states and cities. He does it because he loves it. "The best part of being a magician is seeing the amazement and smiles on people's faces," says Juros, 19. "No matter what else is happening in life - bad day at work, cancer diagnosis, fight with your spouse, bad grades on a test - magic has a way of making people forget. I love to make people smile and forget the agghs of life for a minute or two." On Saturday, May 17, moviegoers flocking to see the newly released "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" at Hamilton Regal Theatres in Egg Harbor Township will be treated to a free noontime magic show by Juros in the lobby. Later that afternoon, Juros shoots down to Wildwood, where he will perform for some 4,000 Girl Scouts camping out on the beach in the twice-a-year event known as Beach Jam. Juros has performed many times at the White House at the invitation of President George W. Bush. He has appeared on Criss Angel's "Mindfreak" show on A&E, as well as for the Philadelphia 76ers, the Philadelphia Eagles Fly, Philadelphia Flyers, and in Atlantic City and Las Vegas casinos. In 2005, Juros started the Spread the Magic Foundation, which takes magic to children battling cancer. He regularly performs at camps for kids with cancer, among his many other gigs. Juros says magic helps him keep alive the memory of his father, a Northfield dentist who died from brain cancer in 2001. "The first trick (he taught me) was the cups and balls" in which a ball is moved around under three cups, Juros says. "I laid in my hospital bed for hours practicing and performing. I still do both (tricks) in most of my shows. They bring me fond memories." No doubt, magic has helped the family cope with its series of tough times, says Chad's mom, Penny, who also is his manager. "The illusion of life, that's what this is all about," Penny Juros says. Indeed, Chad Juros seems to have had more than his share of trauma for a young man. In 2003, after a series of severe headaches, he underwent brain surgery to repair enlarged blood vessels. Doctors weren't sure if his ability to do magic would survive the operation, so Juros says he did a show for the children in the cancer ward before he went under the knife. After the four-hour surgery, the first thing Juros asked for was a deck of cards, shuffling and cutting it like a pro. He has been going strong ever since. Juros will be a junior at Stockton, where he is studying to be an art teacher. But he hopes his magic career continues to take off. So far, there's not been an obstacle he can't overcome. Magician Chad Juros WHEN: Noon Saturday, May 17 WHERE: Hamilton Regal Theatres, Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Township HOW MUCH: Free. WEB SITE: www.magicalchad.com
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