Pennies for Patients fundraiser planned in honor of CES students

CLINTON – The Clinton Elementary School is sponsoring a “Pennies for Patients” fundraising event to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). The fundraiser is in honor of Channing and Jakob Nielson, two Clinton Elementary students afflicted with Leukemia.

This is the second time the school has sponsored this type of fundraising event. The first time was two years ago, and was organized by the schools’ student ambassadors.

This year, a group of five teachers, Kelly Kaminski, Teresa Pickarts, Ross Niquet, Emily Truckey, and Kaitlin Mays, are organizing the event.

Pickarts commented, “We wanted to do this in honor of Jakob and Channing to help students understand that even though the money raised doesn’t go specifically to them, it helps many other children and families like them. We are doing this because we love them and want to show support.”

Jakob and Channing Nielson are identical twins, both in Mr. Ross Niquets’ third grade class at Clinton Elementary School. Channing was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of three.

His end of treatment date was in September 2013. He had battled the disease and had won. The family thought they were going to be able to put it behind them, and then Jakob was diagnosed at age of seven.

The boys’ mother, Alyssa Nielson, stated, “It was a parent’s worst nightmare times two. But because of what we went through with Channing we knew we had the support from the school, community, doctors, and health care professionals.”

Jakob currently has a port inserted under his skin with a tube that leads to an artery that draws the chemotherapy medication to the heart. The heart then pumps the medicine into the body.

This method is safer than the use of IV’s each time Jakbob needs treatment. Jakob’s end of treatment date is scheduled for October 2017.

Once his treatment is finished, the family will celebrate with a trip to Disney World to swim with the dolphins, sponsored by the Make-a-Wish Foundation. This was Jakob’s wish, but he consulted his siblings before making his final selection.

Jakob and Channing are excited about the fundraiser. Jakob wants to raise a lot of money for LLS “to help scientists try to find a way to cure cancer.”

He continued, “They need lots of materials that cost money. They need to find a cure so not so many people have to go through what I go through.”

Channing remembers two years ago when the school did a fundraiser for LLS. His classroom won the competition by collecting the most money.

His mother added that his classroom even had a sign to remind students to bring money to donate. The sign said, “Honor Channing. Pay $1 to wear a hat.” Channing wants to win again, but not just for the prizes. He explained, “I want to collect lots of money to help kids like me.”

Jakbob and Channing have big plans for when they grow up, plans which were influenced in one way or another by their illness. Channing wants to be a construction worker. When he was going through treatment, he spent many days in his hospital room watching the construction workers outside his hospital window. Jakob wants to become a scientist so he can help find a cure for cancer. If a cure is already found before he becomes a scientist, then he will find a cure for something else.

Nielson is happy that the teachers chose a cause that directly affects students in the school. She explained that the school has always been very supportive and caring toward both boys, but this just adds another level of support.

She stated, “This fundraiser creates public awareness and support from the entire community, and makes the boys feel special and appreciated.”

LLS helps families in many ways. One way that personally touched a friend of the Nielson family was when LLS funded the CART-19 trial, a Killer T-Cells trial that literally saved the life of their friend’s son.

The government had shut down the trial due to funding, and LLS provided the funds for the trial to continue. Nielson stated, “It is encouraging to know that if one of my boys were to take a turn for the worse, this trial would be available to help them.”

Nielson mentioned the financial needs of families who suffer through this disease. There are medical bills, travel expenses to and from hospitals, overnight stays for family members, child care for siblings or for the patients themselves when they cannot be in school due to compromised immune systems, and also loss of income for the adults due to missing work for treatments. She added, “The emotional exhaustion is also overwhelming.”

Nielson commented, “There is nothing I can do to take cancer away from my boys, but if we can help others so they don’t have to go through it, that’s important. I am thankful to everyone who is willing to help support this cause.

“Most don’t have a child with cancer. I never did either until my boys were diagnosed. But most people are touched by cancer in some way, and innovations in one field benefit other fields.”

The Pennies for Patients fundraiser will kick off on Feb. 5 with an all-school assembly to create excitement and support for the cause. Collection dates are from Feb. 8–24.

There will be special spirit days in which students can pay one dollar to dress in the specified theme. As different levels of money are collected, staff will do pre-selected fun things to entertain the students.

There are team competitions between the classes to see which team can collect the most money. A prize will be awarded to the winning team. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the cause may contact the Clinton Elementary School office at (608) 676-2211.