ORYOL, Russia -- Three weeks ago, a Russian teen named Yuri had little hope of seeing his 16th birthday. Today, he is alive because of Quad City Mallards fans.

Yuri, 15, has cancer. His doctors said he could beat the tumor in his chest if he received five rounds of chemotherapy. Health officials in Moscow, though, only would pay for one and his mother couldn't afford more.

He had no hope until Quad-Cities volunteers on a week-long mission trip to Russia stepped in and saved the boy's life. They used money raised at two Mallards hockey games to pay for his chemotherapy.

Geneseo native Eric Misfeldt was there to watch it happen.

``I don't know if it qualifies as a miracle, but it's not something you get to be a part of very often,'' Mr. Misfeldt said later that day over a bowl of borscht at the volunteers' hotel. ``For the rest of the day, every time I thought about it, my legs would just give out.''

Yuri was fine and healthy as recently as New Year's Eve, but days later he was too tired to play soccer with his friends. On Jan. 13, he woke up and did not recognize himself in the mirror because his face was so swollen.

Doctors in the rural region where the boy and his mother, Ludmilla, lived did not know what was wrong. They sent Yuri 60 miles away to the big city of Oryol, where doctors diagnosed the cancer.

They were confident the boy would recover if he received the full, recommended treatment of five rounds of chemotherapy. Health officials in Moscow, however, only would pay for one of the $150 doses.

Yuri needed $600 for the rest of his treatment. Ludmilla is a single mother and makes 350 rubles ($15) a month as a maid. She could not afford to pay for the chemotherapy.

Then Quad-Cities volunteers Ann Marx, Mr. Misfeldt and ChildLife founder Connie Siefken paid a visit to the oncology hospital. It was a last-minute decision, Mr. Misfeldt said, and the doctors only expected the visitors to tour the hospital. Instead, they changed people's lives.

``When Connie found out how much (the chemotherapy) was, she turned to the boy and said, `You are why we are here,' '' Mr. Misfeldt said. ``I am more than willing to use the money people donated to help you live. I'll buy you the chemotherapy.' ''

ChildLife offered to donate $1,000 to the hospital to cover Yuri's chemotherapy, with the other $400 to be used to help other sick children.

The doctors' jaws dropped in shock as the proposal was translated into Russian. When Ludmilla realized her son would live, tears streamed down her cheeks. She turned to the Quad-Citians and said, ``When he gets married, you will be there to dance at his wedding.''

Weeks after he returned home, Mr. Misfeldt still is struck by the emotion of the afternoon he spent at a hospital halfway around the world in a city he did not know existed until that week. He has described the moment again and again for the friends and family who supported his trip to Russia.

``I can still see the look on the boy's face,'' Mr. Misfeldt said last week, his voice tinged in wonder. ``The look of amazement on his face when strangers said they would save his life was overpowering.''