A cut above
Advertisement
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/05/2016 (3629 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Students, teachers, and staff at River Heights School stared down the clippers in support of one of their own.
Ethan Scott, a Grade 7 student at River Heights School, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma earlier this year and has gone through six cycles of chemotherapy.
Three students, a teacher, educational assistant, and members of the Winnipeg Police Service shaved their heads or donated their hair to support the Canadian Cancer Society on May 24.
James Scott, Ethan’s dad, said his son’s diagnosis was a kick in the pants and a little shocking. The family was alerted that something was wrong when Ethan found a bump on his leg.
“(We) were off to the doctor right away to see what it was, and yeah, there were ultrasounds and we went to see the surgeon,” Scott said.
“The prognosis has been very good,” he added. “He has a great attitude and is in great spirits.”
Scott said that because of the support the Canadian Cancer Society has received for research, Ethan’s chance of recovery is much higher than it would have been in decades past.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, just 10 years ago there was no treatment for Ethan’s type of cancer.
“We were told that in ’93 there was about a 30 per cent survival rate and now we’re told it’s a 95 per cent survival rate,” he said.
Ethan’s classmate Thalia Thorlacius, 13, said her family has also been touched by cancer and, by donating her hair, she’s making a difference for people going through treatment.
“I know there are little boys and girls who don’t feel confident, and this will help them to have a wig,” Thorlacius said.
Riley Lockhart, 13, shaved his head of thick brown hair to support his friend and classmate.
“Ethan is my bud,” he said. “I wanted to do it for him.”
Scott said it’s been wonderful and overwhelming to see the support from the community and that Ethan was very impressed with what his classmates have done.
“(He’s) been living in a bubble for a couple of months while his white blood cells were so low, now coming back to friends, and getting out there and doing stuff, it’s a bit overwhelming but I know he’s very eager,” Scott said.