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Red Deer students support cancer awareness campaign

West Park Elementary students wear blue
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Many West Park Elementary School students wore blue on Thursday in support of Reylynn Rice who is battling Langerhans cell histiocytosis. (Photo by SUSAN ZIELINSKI/Advocate staff)

Students at West Park Elementary School wore blue on Thursday in support of a young Red Deerian battling a rare childhood cancer.

Amie Rice said her two-and-a-half-year old daughter Reylynn was diagnosed in September 2016 with the blood cancer Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) and September happens to be Histiocytosis Awareness Month and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Reylynn’s brother Mason and sister Olivia attend the West Park school and the family asked administration if Thursday could be blue shirt day in honour of Reylynn.

“Every year we’ve kind of done it on our own since she was diagnosed two years ago,” said Amie about her family wearing blue in September.

She said standing at the door of the kindergarten class and seeing so many students wearing all kinds of blue shirts really touched her heart.

“It’s been a super emotional day. They really have no idea how much it means,” said the mom.

“That was like the best feeling ever because it just shows some families do really care.”

She said supporting families affected by childhood cancer is something she tries to promote. It can sometimes be hard for people to understand unless it happens to their family.

When Reylynn was first diagnosed she had to go to hospital in Calgary twice a week. In March she relapsed and is getting a new inhibitor treatment that requires scans or medication every four or six weeks.

She said raising awareness and funding for childhood cancer is also important. In the United States only four per cent of cancer funding goes towards childhood cancer and it’s likely the same in Canada.

“My biggest thing is standing behind families when it happens.”

For more information visit Support Reylynn’s Battle with LCH on Facebook.



szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

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