Valley Journal
Valley Journal

This Week’s e-Edition

Current Events

Latest Headlines

What's New?

Send us your news items.

NOTE: All submissions are subject to our Submission Guidelines.

Announcement Forms

Use these forms to send us announcements.

Birth Announcement
Obituary

Young cancer survivor leads Recess Relay at Linderman School

Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local. You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.



Subscribe now to stay in the know!

Already a subscriber? Login now

With the sun peeking through the clouds occasionally and a cold breeze blowing, Linderman kids gathered on the track to walk and run.

Sounds like a normal kid activity, right?

Well, yes, but Friday’s gathering of students was different — the kids were participating in a Recess Relay to raise awareness for cancer. 

For second-grader Cole Whitworth, the walk had even more meaning. Cole was diagnosed with medullablastoma in September of 2012, when he was in kindergarten. Cale and Cecile Whitworth, Cole’s parents, said doctors warned them Cole might not be the same child after surgery.

“They told us he wouldn’t be able to speak, walk, talk or eat,” Cecile said.

After removal of a golf-ball sized tumor, Cole underwent chemotherapy and radiation. It was a tough two years for the family. Cole’s parents accompanied him to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane, Washington and cared for him there since the chemo cocktail made him ill. Siblings Alyssa and Kadence stayed home and attended school, with family and friends helping to keep life as normal as possible. The routine was three weeks at the hospital and then three weeks home while Cole recovered.  

“When he first got sick,” Cecile said, “we were always positive around him; we surrounded him with positive people.”

Then finally on Veteran’s Day in November of 2013, Cole rang the bell at Sacred Heart in honor of his last chemo treatment.

“I think it was such a coincidence that it was Veteran’s Day, because we have grandpas, uncles and cousins who were in the service.”

“The neurologist told us ‘Whatever you are doing, keep doing it, because Cole has no neurological damage,’ — thanks to the Creator,” Cecile said, smiling. “He’s doing good.”

Montana Make-A-Wish offered Cole a wish but Cecile wanted to wait until Cole was finished with treatment and was well. He loves Bruno Mars’ music and chose to meet Mars as his wish. So the Whitworth family traveled to Fresno, California, for the beginning of Mars’ Moonshine Jungle Tour.

Cole and his family got their own private concert, alone in the  stadium. Mars asked Cole which songs he would like Mars to play for him, and Cole chose “The Lazy Song” and “Locked Out of Heaven.” After the regular concert, Mars gave Cole his drumsticks and a signed photo. 

Cole displayed the photo to his classroom on Friday. 

In addition to bringing in spare change to donate to the American Cancer Society, Laud said the second-graders have been talking about family members who have cancer or are fighting cancer in preparation for the Recess Relay. She said Cole shared the fact he has a shunt in his head draining the fluid that builds up. He allowed the other kids to touch, “very gently,” Laud said. Cole told the children it doesn’t hurt, but he does have to be careful.

Carly Holman works for the American Cancer Society in Missoula and travels to Polson to meet with Lake County Relay for Life committee once a month. 

Karen Dellwo, Lake County Relay for Life chair, and Holman were on hand to cheer the kids on and present cancer survivors with purple T-shirts. 

Recess Relay is a new program focusing on involving kids in the relay by teaching them to eat well, be more active every day and stay away from drugs and alcohol, Holman said.   

With a poster-sized photo of himself shortly after surgery, Cole led the first lap of Recess Relay with his schoolmates shouting “Cole, Cole, Cole.”

“We stay behind him because he has fought so hard,” Laud said. 

With music playing and kids walking and running, Cole led the first lap with a big grin on his face.  

The Lake County Relay for Life will be held July 10 at the Ronan football field.  

 

Sponsored by: