Carteret County News Times Front Page

Young leukemia patient to join survivor's lap at Relay for Life

Emily Nelson of Otway and her 5-year-old son Grant, who was diagnosed with leukemia on April 26, hold up containers that were set up at Smyrna School to collect money for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, which starts tonight at 6 on the West Carteret High School track. (Cheryl Burke photo)

by Cheryl Burke

NEWS-TIMES

SMYRNA — When Emily Nelson became an avid supporter of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life last year, she had no idea that one year later she would be walking in the cancer survivors’ lap, which kicks off the fund-raising event for the American Cancer Society.

But tonight, Emily and her 5-year-old son Grant, who was diagnosed with leukemia April 26, will be among the many cancer survivors making the inaugural lap around the West Carteret High School track at 6 p.m.

Dubbed the signature fundraising event for the nonprofit organization, the annual Relay for Life attracts teams from businesses, churches, schools and private citizens to help raise money for research and programs.

The relay event sees teams of 10-15 people who agree that one member of the team will remain on the track throughout the event. Each team member is asked to donate at least $100 each.

Mrs. Nelson last year helped organize a Relay for Life benefit concert in honor of the late Ellen Piner, a much loved East Carteret High School choral director and Board of Education member who died of cancer. Mrs. Nelson also participated in a Relay for Life team with her church.

She had hoped to organize another benefit concert for this year’s Relay for Life, but when her son started having a series of illnesses after Christmas, she had to give up on this year’s concert.

“We had started planning the concert this year and had booked the hall. But Grant kept getting sick. I finally had to cancel,” she said.

Mrs. Nelson and her son have still managed to ignite a major fundraising effort at Smyrna School , where Grant will attend kindergarten this fall.

Smyrna second-grade teacher Lisa Pittman said the school had not planned to enter a Relay for Life team this year, but after Grant was diagnosed with leukemia, the school in the last three weeks has not only put a team together, but has raised more than $1,600 for cancer research through various events.

“Grant was diagnosed with leukemia the same day he registered for kindergarten,” said Ms. Pittman.

“Emily had brought him in for registration and he was very sick. She had taken him in for testing that morning. Within two hours after she had registered him she got the phone call that he had leukemia and they were on their way to UNC-Chapel Hill (hospital).”

That was on a Thursday. By Monday, April 30, a major Relay for Life fundraising effort was under way at the school.

When Ms. Pittman and kindergarten teacher Vickie Caulder, who is also related to Mrs. Nelson, got the word on April 26 about Grant, they contacted the family to find out what they could do to help.

“Since they were so involved in Relay for Life last year, we decided we’d form a team here at Smyrna ,” said Ms. Caulder.

By April 30 the two had contacted Relay for Life organizers and began putting together a team and other fundraising events. They set out containers to collect money around the school. Seven days later they had raised $1,600.

One group of students, on their own, set up a lemonade stand to raise money for the family.

“The family might have insurance, but it still might cost a lot of money for gas and food and stuff like that,” said Smyrna sixth-grader Hailey Pruitt, who helped with the lemonade stand.

Mrs. Nelson said Grant has already begun chemotherapy.

“He has a good prognosis due to the research efforts done on childhood leukemia,” she said. “He has a very intensive first six months, and then three years of follow-up treatment.

“I love Relay for Life because it raises the awareness of the need for cancer research,” she continued. “Awareness equals money. Money equals research. And research equals a cure or many cures.”

Ms. Pittman said since starting the fundraising at the school, she has discovered there are several students who have family members with cancer.

“One of the student’s parents died last weekend from cancer,” she said. “We didn’t realize how many of our students are affected by cancer.”

Mrs. Nelson, who comes from a large supportive family in the Down East area, said the outpouring of support has overwhelmed her.

“We have been so overwhelmed by how kind everybody has been,” she said. “We feel really blessed to be here.”

She said her two brothers plan to shave their heads when Grant loses his hair from chemo, and several of the other boys in the family are going to get buzz cuts.

The small Down East school has also created a supportive family environment for Mrs. Nelson, who has a daughter in first grade at the school.

Since one of Grant’s favorite things is super heroes, the school’s fundraiser on Wednesday was students dressing up as their favorite super heroes.

Another event involved teachers providing childcare so parents could have a night out. Mrs. Nelson and her husband Kevin took advantage of that evening for a few hours for themselves.

Because there’s been such an interest in Grant’s progress, Mrs. Nelson has created a blog. Those interested can go to www.grantnelson.blogspot.com.