Glass ornaments benefit cancer research
October 13, 2008
By Laura Geggel
Nine-year-old Natalie Smith of North Bend has well-wishers across the county, but the roots of her support group began in Snoqualmie Valley.
Smith is an athletic girl, who enjoys running around the soccer field. Now, she is stationed in a hospital bed recovering from a bone marrow transplant she received to help her battle acute myelogenous leukemia.
Natalie Smith gets a hug from her big sister, Anna.
Leukemia occurs when the bone marrow produces abnormal cells that crowd out normal red and white blood cells and platelets. About 12,000 cases of acute myelogenous leukemia are diagnosed in America annually, with about 10 percent of these cases occurring in children, according to the National Marrow Donor Program.
Friends for Life, a Children’s Hospital guild, is holding a pediatric oncology research benefit at Finaghty’s Irish Pub & Restaurant from 11 a.m. — 2 a.m. Oct. 18 at 7726 Center Blvd. SE, Suite 110, Snoqualmie. At the event, guild members will sell glass ornaments for $25 and hold a live auction from 7-9 p.m. Participants can also auction their services and donate the proceeds to the guild.
The Steve Bell Band will play after the auction, until closing.
Finaghty’s is sponsoring another donation attraction. For every Guinness ordered at the event, the pub will donate $1 to the guild.
The guild hopes to raise more than $16,000 — the amount they raised last year — for the hospital. Research in pediatric oncology will help not only Smith, but also children experiencing other cancer-related diseases.
Doctors diagnosed Smith with leukemia when she was 6-years-old. Her cancer went into remission for 18 months following treatment, allowing her to pursue soccer, lacrosse and basketball.
“She came back to school with her full head of hair, and much taller and wiser, of course,” said Teri Negrin, secretary at St. Joseph School in Issaquah. “But she was still our same, old Natalie.”
The leukemia returned in June, prompting more radiation and chemotherapy. Finally, Smith learned an anonymous 44-year-old American male donor had a matching bone-marrow type.
The marrow arrived at midnight Sept. 25 and doctors began the operation immediately. The primary results have been promising; Smith’s white blood cell count is up, a sign the bone marrow is engrafting in her body. But her condition varies constantly.
“She’s taking it day-to-day,” said her mother Dene James. “They’re watching her closely.”
Smith will live in a transitional house following her stay at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. To keep up with her schoolwork, she will use PEBBLES, a robotic duo enabling teleconferencing. One robot will stay with Smith. The other robot will sit in her fourth grade classroom at St. Joseph School in Snoqualmie.
The robots transmit visual and audio from both ends. The classroom-based robot even has a swiveling monitor and a robotic hand. With PEBBLES (Providing Education By Bringing Learning Environments to Students), made by Canada’s Telbotics, Smith will be able to interact with her teacher and friends from afar.
Using a federal grant, the Learning Collaborative, a U.S. group, has 40 Telbotics robots on loan, making the service free for Smith.
As she recovers from her operation, Smith’s friends are offering support. Negrin praised Natalie and her family for handling the crisis so well.
“Natalie has got a curly mop-top and the most infectious smile,” Negrin said. “She’s extremely artistic and athletic and everybody’s best friend.”
Negrin called Anna, Smith’s 11-year-old sister, “Natalie’s biggest cheerleader. She’s the world’s best big sister.”
Since Friends for Life began in 2006, it has selected an annual poster child. This year, 13-year-old Anelia from Yakima, a patient with osteosarcoma, is helping the guild raise awareness about pediatric oncology.
For those who can’t attend the fundraiser, the hand-blown glass ornaments will be available at most Snoqualmie Ridge stores. Buyers will receive a coupon they can redeem at Finaghty’s for the three-inch pink, purple and teal ornaments — made by Uptown Glassworks in Renton.
The ornaments can be purchased by e-mailing info@friendsguild.org.
Reach reporter Laura Geggel at 392-6434 .221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
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