According to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, “13 children and teens are diagnosed each day with a brain tumor. More children die of brain tumors than any other cancer and survivors often face lifelong side effects and years of tests and treatments.”
These statistics hit close to home, as some of Ola Elementary School’s students have been affected by brain tumors.
In 2013, April Love, finished her life-long battle with the disease. She passed away only a few days shy of her 11th birthday. She was a student at Ola Elementary School.
A current student, fourth-grader Dakota Southerland, is in the midst of her fight with brain tumors after her diagnosis earlier this year. Dakota’s mother, Molly Southerland, is a kindergarten paraprofessional at Ola Elementary School.
Ola Elementary School chose to rally around these students by hosting a fundraising event for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
“It has meant the world to me and, I am sure, Dakota as well, to see the love and support that has been shown for Dakota and April,” said Molly. “April was my student when she passed and not a day goes by that I don’t think of her. We are truly an OLA Family here and I love everyone that belongs to OLA!”
In honor of April Love’s memory and of Dakota Southerland’s current fight, the Ola PTO challenged each grade level, over a two-week period in September, to raise money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The grade level with the most money raised won the opportunity to duct tape an administrator of their choice to the wall.
During the contest, the fourth-grade team won by raising over $400. However, only a few days after the close of the contest, the fifth-grade grade team was bolstered with a generous donation of over $500 by Sillita Love, April Love’s mother. She personally collected donations from friends, family, doctors offices, and overseas military personnel to raise the funds. Due to Love’s efforts, and the fact the April’s sister, Aliza, is in 5th grade, it was decided that 4th and 5th grade would both participate in the event.
“It is something that has really been pressing on my family and me and I hope that we continue to keep April’s memory alive. She fought for so long. She was battling for all her life,” said Sillita Love. “I want her name to mean something in this community and in the school. There are way too many affected by [brain tumors].”
On the day of the event, at the beginning of October, over 200 students voted for Principal Amanda Cavin to be the one who would be stuck to gym wall with duct tape. Cavin was ready to accept the challenge, even encouraging the children to vote for her. While the event was indeed fun for the kids, it also served to highlight the generosity and support of Ola Elementary families.
Aliza Love, also read a letter she wrote in memory of her sister, April.
“She had cancer her entire life, but it never stopped her from being my best friend and the sweetest big sister ever,” said Aliza. “Even though my sister is not with us anymore, we like to keep her memory alive by doing things to honor her like this fundraiser.”
The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation has directly benefited the Ola’s own Love and Southerland families. The PBTF mission statement is to help families navigate CARE with support programs, resources and events; to find a CURE with a Research Advisory Network comprised of top brain tumor experts; and to help survivors and families THRIVE after treatment by uniting the pediatric brain tumor community around a common goal – that each patient’s future is ‘free of physical, intellectual and psychological effects and recurrence.’
“I would hope that [others] will see that it behooves about everyone in the community to get involved somehow. My heart and soul is with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. I’ve seen what they’ve done and what they do at the hospitals,” said Sillita. “I would hope that other folks that live in the community would think about how brain tumors will affect our kids. It may not be theirs, but it may be somebody else that they might know. Think about giving donations. Think about getting involved.”
The Ola Elementary PTO would like to recognize Dentistry for Children for their donation of $500 and the soldiers in the Europe Dental Health unit in Germany for raising $150. Also donating $150 was the pediatric care office of Dr. Catherine T. Mauer. Donations totaled $2,450 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor foundation. Ola Elementary School PTO President, Laura Mock, hopes to double that number for next year by reaching out to local community business leaders for donation match gifts.
“It’s not how much we raise, it’s about bringing to light this foundation,” said Laura Mock, Ola Elementary School PTO President. “They struggle to get funding for brain tumors. A lot of time, the funding gets split for specialty cancers. They are struggling to make a difference. We need to talk about brain tumors and get awareness out. We have had enough families impacted by [brain tumors] that it bears mentioning.”
For more information on the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, visit www.curethekids.org.
