A little bit of happiness

Guest Blog by Vicki Davis

NC Assistant Principal

There is a young lady at our middle school who is terminally ill with Cystic Fibrosis.   Last year, she was enrolled as a sixth grader and was excited to be in school. She is a bright student who has many friends. About October of last year, she became too weak to attend school. Her failing health (and the fact that schools are germ factories) led to her receiving home bound services.

Many of her classmates missed her and wanted to do something special for her. Because the parents and the girl have spent many years battling this disease, their financial resources were stretched thin. As the holidays approached, her friends knew this could be her last Christmas, and they wanted to make it special.

They went to the administration with the idea of holding a 5K Run-Walk in the student’s honor. With help from teachers, they worked out a $5 entry fee and a sponsorship system for local businesses. They mapped out a course for those who wanted to run and a different course for those who wanted to walk. On the day of the race, the students were dressed in pink (the student’s favorite color) and the energy in the building was high.

When the race was over and the money was counted, the student-organizers went to a local business and purchased a life-sized play house to be delivered to their classmate on Christmas morning. They delivered a $2,500 check to the family, to help cover medical expenses, and they delivered a handmade card from every student and teacher.

This is an example of how a student body came together to make a bad situation better. This act of generosity helped our students come to grips with the fact that they could not cure the medical issues of their classmate, but they could bring a little bit of happiness into her life.