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Terminally ill boy swinging through time he has left
Organizations pitch in to make Landon's dream come true
JESSICA CEJNAR
Peninsula Clarion
After a lifetime of hospitals and doctor's visits, Landon
Rogers' remaining months will be spent doing the things he's
missed out on. Given only three months left to live, Landon's
family is planning motor home excursions, trips to Homer
and Seward and a trip to the zoo.
"Someone donated a fjord trip," said his mother, Bethany
Rogers. "He's really not been anywhere because he's been
sick."
Landon Rogers plays on
his new swing set Friday
in Kenai that the Wish
Upon The North Star and
Rotary organizations built
for him. Landon has
been diagnosed with
cancer and an immune
system disorder.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Kneaper,
For nearly two months Landon, age 4, underwent
chemotherapy at Seattle Children's Hospital after doctors
diagnosed him with Griscelli syndrome and HLH. Griscelli
syndrome severely compromises the immune system while
HLH causes the body's white blood cells to attack and kill
healthy blood cells. Doctors planned to eradicate Landon's
existing immune system and give him a new one with a bone
marrow transplant, but after his HLH turned into nonHodgkin's lymphoma and chemo wasn't working, his parents
decided to bring him home.
"We did radiation to shrink (the lymphoma) because it's
behind his left eye and it was causing him bad headaches,"
Rogers said, "and then we came home because there was
nothing we can do for it."
Landon's lymphoma has spread to his sinuses and lungs,
Rogers said, and a trip to Anchorage will determine how
much more his cancer has grown since then.
"He's got his good days and bad days," she said, adding that they've been home for
a week. "It's harder in the morning when he first wakes up. He's got 21 medications
that he takes throughout the day."
While the Rogers were in Seattle, Providence Children's Hospital in Anchorage put
them in touch with Wish Upon The North Star, an Alaska-based organization
dedicated to granting wishes to children with terminal illnesses.
"A lot of our wishes pertain to kids wanting to go to Disneyland or Disney World, but
we like the hands-on wishes," said organization secretary Mary Rice. Since its
inception in 1983, Rice has lost count of how many wishes they've granted. "Landon
was so excited when he saw the picture of what he was getting. He said, 'Look at
that slide!' He was thrilled."
The Rogers arrived in Alaska earlier than Wish Upon The North Star anticipated, but
volunteers were able to start construction on Landon's swing set right away. Kelly
Kneaper, a member of the organization's board of directors, said that with the help
of more than 12 volunteers in Kenai and more in Anchorage as well as help from Era
Aviation, Landon was able to play on his swing set Friday.
"Landon wanted to see the swing and when we showed him the swing his mother
said he needed a toddler's swing," Kneaper said.
After a search through Fred Meyer in Soldotna and WalMart and Toys R. Us in Wasilla
and Anchorage, a swing was located and flown down to Kenai free of charge so
Landon could have it by Friday.
"I've never seen a kid laugh so hard in my life and when I left he wasn't getting out
of that swing," Kneaper said. "It was neat to see (Landon) so happy."
Landon's swing set is a huge redwood affair complete with tunnels, a fort, a slide and
swings. Peter Brennan, chief philanthropy officer for the Central Peninsula Health
Foundation, gave Kneaper tips on what volunteers to recruit and where to look for
building materials.
"I actually knew Landon when he was at Children's Hospital at Providence," he said.
"I just responded since I'm down here on the peninsula and (asked) if there's
anything I could do to help."
Brennan put Kneaper in contact with Rick Abbot and Ed Krohn with the Kenai
Homebuilder's Association and Soldotna Rotary Club, who recruited some of their
friends and came out to the Rogers' home and pitched in.
"He came out to check on our progress a couple of times," Brennan said. "On Friday
he did come out and play on it for a good 45 minutes Ñ testing it out Ñ before the
volunteers left."
Rogers said since they've been home, a lot of their time is spent with visitors and
keeping busy, but since Friday all Landon wants to do is play in the backyard.
"He had a little friend over and they were playing on it," she said. "He likes to swing
on it most of all."
Jessica Cejnar can be reached at [email protected].