Mid-Michigan community supports two boys diagnosed with rare bone cancer
STOCKBRIDGE, Mich.(WLNS) — People in Stockbridge are raising money for two boys raised with a rare bone cancer.
Lori Silveus and her family are thankful to receive such a helping hand from their community in Stockbridge on Sunday afternoon. 'We have never felt alone in this journey. I feel like this community has rallied around us, and given us as much support as possible,' Silveus told 6 News.
Silveus said her, 13-year-old son, Landen was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Osteosarcoma, back in December.
She said around the same time her family heard about another boy named DJ in the community who had just been diagnosed with the same condition as well. 'Less than 500 cases in the United States are diagnosed yearly. So, to have two cases in our own community, and then even further. In the same school was really mindblowing,' Silveus said.
Word spread fast around the community, and that's when Eliana Johnson and Justin Richel learned the devastating news. 'Lots of posts popped up on Facebook, not only about DJ, but about Landon as well,' Johnson told 6 News. 'You've got two kids that are heavily involved in school. Being diagnosed with a brutal disease.'
Richel says he learned about DJ's diagnosis from residents of the town. 'Landen was on my son's basketball team, and baseball and other sports,' Richel said. 'So we've grown closely over time. So, it was through his parents essentially that I learned about this.'
Johnson attends the same school as Landen and DJ, and in hopes of supporting her classmates, she, and another student decided to create a GoFundMe.
Both students encourage their classmates to wear yellow in solidarity for the boys, at their school's basketball game this upcoming week.
'We figured that's a great way to rally the community. We're going up against our league rival in the sense. We're fighting for the number one spot,' Johnson said. 'Everybody's gonna be there already but let's give them a true authentic reason to be there and rally. Not just for the basketball, but these boys.'
Richel jumped into action too, making bracelets to help raise funds for the families. 'We have a bracelet that says Landen Strong and one that says DJ Strong as well,' Richel said.
The basketball games are scheduled from Jan. 27 through Jan. 31.
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