The second annual “Heroes for Histio” fundraising event is returning next month and it got a substantial contribution from a local child care facility last week.
Anderdon Child Care Inc. made a donation of $1,500 to the cause last week, with the cheque being presented to “Heroes for Histio” founders Mark and Alyssa Drouillard.
The Drouillard family are Amherstburg residents and their oldest daughter Harper is a survivor of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare form of cancer. In March 2022, Harper awoke one night saying she couldn’t walk. What her parents originally thought was something minor like a bruised tailbone turned out to be a destroyed L4 vertebrae and she was rushed to Children’s Hospital in London.
Puzzled at how the L4 vertebrae had pancaked to 25 per cent of its original usual size without a traumatic injury, doctors and nurses were floored that Harper, who was three-years-old at the time, was still able to walk on her own. After 14 hours in ER and the X-rays, scans and blood work that went with it, the family returned to Amherstburg where they were awakened with the news that the cancer was what caused the break to happen.
As difficult as that time was for the family, they were given the incredible news less than six weeks later that the LCH lesion that destroyed the vertebrae was gone.
Since then, the Drouillards have tried to help others with LCH and that has led to them starting the “Heroes for Histio” fundraiser, with the second annual event being Sept. 28 at Malden Park in Windsor.
Mark and Alyssa were thrilled with the $1,500 and received a bonus of even more through an addition of donations through a fundraiser last Friday where day care students got to throw balls filled with water at the teachers.
The $1,500 donation came through contributions that came in over the summer from Anderdon Child Care’s “snack shack.” The day care made a similar donation to “Heroes for Histio” last year.
“It’s great,” said Mark. “It’s so good they did this with the kids.”
“We can’t believe it,” added Alyssa. “For them to work this hard again is amazing.”
Alyssa said the Anderdon Day Care Centre have always been big supporters of the cause.
“It’s a positive thing they are doing to help other kids,” said Alyssa.
The Sept. 28 event runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and features a “Capes for a Cure” 5K walk, lunch and refreshments, a raffle and activities such as The Art Lab, an inflatable obstacle course, inflatable pony races and more. Tickets are $25 and more information is available through the Heroes for Histio Facebook page or by e-mailing heroesforhistio@gmail.com.
The Amherstburg community is rallying around it once again, she stated, with the Amherstburg Firefighters Association coming on board this year.
All proceeds from the event go to the Histiocytosis Association and the Fight Like Mason Foundation.
Meagan DiPasquale, a teacher at Anderdon Child Care, said the “snack shack” offered, drinks, candy, chips and other snacks with students helping to stock it and sell the items daily. Senior students Emily Renaud and Braden Patterson helped lead efforts with the child care staff.
DiPasquale added it was something the students could be motivated to work towards, adding they beat their goal of $1,000.
Local child care centre gives boost to "Heroes for Histio"
By Ron Giofu
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