BY DARRELL HALEN

When Robert Duffy Jr. was brought into the Pelham Memorial School cafeteria one day in late September, his fellow seventh-graders greeted him with a thunderous standing ovation.

Robert, 13, is battling brain cancer, and his surprise visit – when Assistant Principal Tom Adamakos pushed his wheelchair into the room – was the first time students had seen him since the previous school year.

On the day of his appearance, there were laughs, hugs and tears.

“The kids were thrilled to have him in their midst,” said Principal Cathy Pinsonneault.

A malignant tumor discovered in Robert’s brain – known as a primitive neuroectodermal tumor, or PNET – is an aggressive form of cancer that can spread easily in the brain and spinal cord. Later this month, he will undergo his sixth round of chemotherapy.

The community has rallied to help Robert, who is known for his humor and love of baseball,  and his family.

“It’s just amazing,” said his mother, Christine. “I’m so thankful and blown away by it.”

Students and employees at the town’s schools have contributed money. Supporters have participated in a fundraising program – the Robert Duffy Homerun Fund – in which every dollar represented a base hit and every $4 was a homerun.

Memorial students also paid $1 each to wear a baseball hat one day, and teachers bought a special T-shirt for $10 or paid $3 to wear jeans.

“I had no trouble bringing the kids along,” Pinsonneault said. “They love a good cause and they love Robert. Kids embraced the spirit to take care of one of their own. They circle the wagons. It’s one of them.”

In the spring, Robert underwent six weeks of radiation of the brain and spinal cord. Representatives of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute spoke to students at Memorial School in May. They talked about his illness and treatment, what he was going through, why he was losing his hair.

Christine and Robert’s father, Robert Sr., who lives in Natick, Mass., are proud of their son’s courage.

“He really amazes me,” Christine said.

She laughs when she remembers one morning, during a time when Robert was very sick, when he came into her room and approached her bed.

“Hey lady, is this seat taken?” he asked before lying down next to his mother.

Robert’s illness has been tough on him and sometimes got him down. Medicine he takes has weakened his legs, requiring physical therapy and braces. He has lost weight, and his vision has become blurry.

Greeting cards and visits from friends boost his spirits. In August, he enjoyed a wonderful day when he and his family went to Fenway Park as part of the Jimmy Fund Radiothon.

He read the Red Sox lineup on TV, served as a ball boy, met pitcher Jon Lester, and announced Manny Ramirez on deck in the sixth inning. Dustin Pedroia gave Robert his batting gloves.

“Robert has a heart of gold,” said Christine. “He’s one of those people who sees the good in everyone. He just has big heart. He wants to make people feel good.”

On the baseball diamond, he kept his Little League teammates upbeat. After one of Christine’s friends, Robin Schiller, chaperoned a school trip, Robert made her an American flag, thanking her and telling her she touched his heart. When Robin’s autistic son, C.J., was being picked on by another student, Robert told him to stop.

Schiller and another friend, Cheryl McLean, have been raising money for Robert in the community. It was C.J.’s desire to help Robert that spurred the fundraising.

“He’s just an upbeat, funny, lovable kid,” Schiller said of Robert. “If someone was feeling down, he brought them up.”

On Friday, Nov. 2, Robert will return to Memorial School to serve as the official starter of its annual pig race contest, and with Christine, he will receive a large check representing the money raised at the schools and from businesses. A benefit for him is also planned for that evening at Harris’ Pelham Inn.

Christine will use the money she’s receiving to pay for medical expenses and, hopefully, Robert’s college education.

“We just have an unconditional love for Robert as a person and as a child,” said McLean. “They’re a very giving family. He was such a joy to see on the baseball field. Of all the kids I know who play sports, he stands out in my mind. He always gave a thousand percent of himself.”