WALK THE WALK

WASILLA — The lives of Rick and Stephanie Allen took an unexpected turn in May 2007 when their son, Rhys, fell ill.

Not knowing what was wrong, the couple took Rhys to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

“We didn’t go home for five months,” Rick Allen said. Rhys was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia t-cell, a rare form of the most common type of leukemia.

What followed for the Allen family was a months-long test of will and emotions, one that gave them a new appreciation for the help of friends and strangers, and one that has forever endeared them to the cause of raising money for cancer research.

Rhys should be OK, his parents said. Doctors have cleared the 4-year-old to stay home and he’ll receive another two years of medication “just to make sure,” Stephanie Allen said.

The Allens’ story was one of many — some with happy endings, others with sad ones — told Friday evening during the annual Light the Night walk at Iditapark in Wasilla.

The event is meant to raise money for cancer research, helping to aid scientists get closer to a cure. It’s also a chance to reconnect with old friends and lend a supportive shoulder to those battling the same sickness as many families have.

For the event organizer, Kelly Marre, Light the Night serves at least one very special purpose. Marre’s son Logan lost his fight with leukemia after suffering a relapse of the disease. First diagnosed in 1997, Logan had an umbilical cord stem cell transplant, but after contracting a fungal infection, he died in 1998 at the age of 9.

Marre said walking with other families who have gone through the same trials, while raising money for a cause that could help others, is her way of remembering her little boy.

“It’s a way my family can remember Logan, but can continue to raise awareness for those going through the same situation,” Marre said.

Cancer research has come a long way in the past decade, and because of this more and more children diagnosed with leukemia have a better chance of surviving. In the 10 years Light the Night walks have taken place around the country, the organization has raised millions for various cancer-related causes. According to the organization’s Web site, $40 million has been distributed to patients needing assistance to help them get through their fights with cancer. Another $425 million has gone to researchers looking for cures and improved treatments for cancer patients.

Funds are raised for Light the Night by individual walkers securing donations — a sort-of mini-sponsorship — for their walk. All the money raised by each walker goes to the organization.

Light the Night’s impact can be measured by what it has done for the Allen family.

“Fifteen years ago there was a 30-percent chance of survival,” Rick Allen said of the mortality rate for those affected by the leukemia Rhys had. “Today, it’s something like 90 percent.”

The Allens credit money raised for research, and said they plan to stay involved with Light the Night for as long as they can.

Just like Alicia Dunham, whose son Connor is a two-year cancer survivor. Although Connor is out of the woods with the disease, Dunham said the impact it made on them will keep the family involved in Light the Night for years to come.

“It’s amazing,” Dunham said of the Light the Night organization. “The society has done so much over the years to help.”

Dunham touted Light the Night’s ability to provide financial assistance for families battling leukemia. She said while most insurance companies are very helpful, many have a cap for how much they will dole out. The Dunham family’s cap was $250,000.

“We reached that in three months,” she said.

On Friday, as Connor ran around a room at the Central Mat-Su Fire Station, Dunham said she’ll be back for life to help raise as much money as she can.

But money only helps in certain areas. And seated at a table among all the walkers, Amy Forthun, a donor service technician with the Blood Bank of Alaska, was looking to fill another need.

“I’m trying to get people on the bone marrow registry,” Forthun said as she busily sifted paperwork on the table in front of her.

Bone marrow produces new blood cells and is often key to treating certain cancers. But Forthun said she knew her job was difficult since the process of extracting bone marrow from donors is painful. There’s a shortage, especially from Alaska Natives, and the blood bank desperately needs to stock up, she said.

Forthun also said she knows how important her job of recruiting donors is, since often, even with all the research money in the world, it comes down to what’s inside each of us that could help to save a life.

“This is the last chance for people that need bone marrow,” she said. “It’s the last chance before they die.”

For more information about Light the Night, visit www.lightthenight.org.

Contact Michael Rovito at Michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.