“We want our families to know that no one fights alone. We see you, we walk with you, we support you, we’re here for you.”
By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org
“Let’s get our party pants on!”
That’s the command from Audrey Leisinger as she leads a parade of patients, parents and team members through the halls of Riley Hospital for Children just before the start of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Leisinger is a nurse navigator within the Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Riley. She teamed up with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (now rebranded as Blood Cancer United) to host Riley’s first LLS walk onsite so kids and families who can’t make the big Light the Night event in Downtown Indianapolis on Sept. 18 still feel connected to the cause.
Armed with Riley wagons filled with snacks and toys, battery-operated lanterns, T-shirts and enough enthusiasm to corral even the shyest kids to join, Leisinger and her team asked Lucas Spears to lead the way to the playroom to get started while he carried a white “survivor” lantern.
They then marched through the infusion center in the Riley Outpatient Center, handing out treats and toys and bringing smiles to everyone’s faces.
Medical assistant Jada Thomas was among those team members participating in the walk, and she couldn’t help the joy that bubbled out of her.
“It might seem silly, but everyone is having fun and smiling,” she said.
Part of the group then moved over to 5W, where they met up with kids on the inpatient side and did laps around the unit.
The mood was joyous, and the meaning was clear.
“This walk is to celebrate you and honor you,” Leisinger said, before she led the group like a parade grand marshal or pied piper, her spirit and smile contagious.
“When a patient undergoes cancer treatment, it can be incredibly isolating and scary. We want our families to know that no one fights alone,” she said. “We see you, we walk with you, we support you, we’re here for you.”
Myles Thompson and his mom, Vanessa Krohn, were thrilled to get out of his room for the celebration, even if Myles preferred to stay in mom’s arms for the walk.
“It was fun, he enjoyed it,” Krohn said, as 4-year-old Myles settled back into his bed after the event. “He is well-known here as the boy in the window,” she said. “He loves to look out and wave to people below.”
Myles was treated for Ewing sarcoma last year, then this year was diagnosed with a rare leukemia, so the little boy who loves tractors, combines and any kind of construction vehicle has spent more than his fair share of time in the hospital.
He’s a good patient though, his mom says, and it’s events like Wednesday’s parade that make his admissions a little easier.
That’s exactly what Leisinger set out to do – for Myles and all the other kids past and present who have endured treatment for blood cancer.
“Our ‘why’ is our patients here today, the patients we love from the past, and the parents and caregivers who have walked with them,” she said. “We wanted to have this for kids at Riley who are in active treatment who might not get to go to the big walk in September,” she said.
On hand for the event were LLS/Blood Cancer United employees Lauren Fryzel, patient care outreach manager, and Tiffani Adkins, campaign development manager.
“We honor and celebrate all those who’ve been touched by blood cancer,” Adkins said.
In addition to the toys and treats for kids, there were bags distributed to parents and caregivers with information on navigating their cancer journey.
“We want to make sure they know they are supported by our organization. We are here for them,” Fryzel said.
Light the Night at Military Park is open to the community to celebrate, honor and remember those touched by blood cancers.
Photos by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org
Related Stories
