Whiz Kids: Preschoolers to Run for Charity

Ben and his friends at

ACCOMPLISHMENT: After going through treatments for acute lymphocyctic leukemia, preschool alumnus Ben inspired others to give back and run Laps for Leukemia, an event that raises money to fill the toy closet at Beaumont Hospital's Pediatric Hematology and Oncology department. During the May 26 event, the preschoolers will attempt to run two laps around the school. Each lap is .16 miles.

Little helpers

Two weeks before they run their laps, the group of preschoolers sat cross-legged in front of the May calendar. On it, Huntington Woods Christian Preschool's director Barb Fishman put a little tennis shoe on May 26 to mark the day of the event. The kids counted out the number of days in anticipation as teacher Lynne Gerfen pulled a few beverages off a snack table. In one hand was a can of Coke, and in the other was a sports bottle filled with ice water.

“If I'm getting ready to run, which drink should I choose?” Gerfen asked.

“The water!” the children shouted.

Gerfen and the preschool staff are busy teaching the kids about nutrition, training and how to prepare for the race. It is all part of what is now Fitness Month at the school, inspired by alumnus Ben, who started treatment for acute lymphocyctic leukemia three years ago while he was a preschooler. His then-teacher Gerfen said his bravery made her want to act, so she developed the Laps for Leukemia race in conjunction with a month of teaching the children about fitness. This year, the preschoolers will get visits from parents who will teach them about other ways to stay fit, such as yoga, Jazzercise and Pilates.

“When Ben got diagnosed, I thought, 'How can we do something to help him out and help me train for my first marathon?' That's when we decided on doing our first Fitness Month and the race.”

In a letter sent home to parents, Gerfen explained: “We wanted kids to get the satisfaction of running and competing a race but also have them understand that they are running for kids who can't.”

Ben, whose parents asked that his last name be withheld, underwent an intense round of chemotherapy and lumbar punctures in the year that led up to the first race. One day, as his parents drove by the school, Ben – whose immune system was weakened by treatments – asked if he could say hi to his classmates. His parents decided to pull the car into the parking lot.

“He just rolled down the window and said hi,” his mother, Monica, said. “The whole school surrounded the car” and cheered him on.

Monica and John, Ben's parents, said they were humbled by the outpouring of support from the school. They recalled a quilt made by the students with all of the students' hand-prints stitched onto it.

“Ben still sleeps with that quilt,” Monica said.

She also recalled how Ben was so sick, he couldn't make it to the preschool's graduation ceremony they put on for kids moving on to kindergarten.

“He was so upset that he wasn't able to go,” she said. “One week later, they decided to do another ceremony just for him. ... It was amazing.”

It was this outpouring of affection that prompted Ben to want to run in the first Laps for Leukemia. John explained how Ben's nerves were shot from the chemotherapy. In particular, the nerve that runs down to Ben's toes made it difficult for him to move very fast.

“But he did it. Slowly, he did it,” John said.

'It was a positive experience'

Now, three years after he began treatments “Ben is doing well,” his father said. He has four months of treatment left and is his hair has grown back. But, even while while he was undergoing chemotherapy a few years ago, Ben took it in stride, his parents said.

“He was more concerned about Legos than his hair growing back,” John said.

A big reason for that is that the toys in the pediatric treatment center at Beaumont made chemotherapy “a positive experience,” John said.

“One of the things that helps ease the nervousness of kids when they get chemotherapy is they get prizes. I'm amazed by how this makes them at ease with it all,” Monica said.

To illustrate the point, John described a 15-year-old girl with long, red hair who was at Beaumont during one of Ben's treatments. She had gone through the same treatments Ben did when she was little. John said he asked: “What do you remember about that time? She said she could only remember the toys.”

Ben's parents said when it is all over, they expect Ben to ask why he can't go to the hospital and get more toys. It is by no accident, they said. They credit the staff at Beaumont for making Ben feel at ease. And, of course, all his little treasures for enduring the treatments.

While most people may think having cancer would be a sad time for a family, Monica says Ben's illness actually “drew us close together.”

“We're lucky,” John said, commenting that they are surrounded by support and family.

And, speaking of support, 71 preschoolers are expected to be running for a cause inspired by Ben's treatment and battle with cancer. Last year, the school raised $1,700 for the hospital's treasure chest and closet. Each is filled with age-appropriate toys and prizes for kids undergoing chemotherapy, bone marrow treatments and lumbar punctures. Gerfen said they range from little kid toys to iTunes gift cards.

“Little prizes really make a difference,” Monica said.

Getting ready to make a difference themselves, the group of little trainers recently stretched just as Gerfen demonstrated and soon they were off, a mob of little feet running around the preschool building and adjoining church.

As they rounded the bend for the finish of the first lap, Gerfen reminded them to “finish strong!” and even the little ones trailing behind picked up the pace. They paused only for a moment before following the teacher's pace for a second round. Little screams could be heard as they were ending their run: “Finish strong! Finish strong!”

Just like Ben is doing.

To donate funds for Laps for Leukemia, please send checks to 12925 W. 11 Mile, Huntington Woods, MI 48070. Makes checks payable to Huntington Woods Christian Preschool and put Laps for Leukemia in the memo line.