CRESTVIEW — Katie Mitchell's weak immune system usually forces her to stay home. The 3-year-old was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in December.
But a recent exam showed good immune levels, which allowed her to mingle with the public, wearing a mask to prevent infection.
And one stop had to be Walker Elementary School, where students have organized fundraisers and spread awareness to help her family. Katie, the daughter of Jamie and Stephen Mitchell, dropped by on Friday to thank Jennifer Constantine and Dolores Meadows' third-graders. The Owls, who made donation boxes and placed them in businesses around town, have raised more than $1,500 toward the family's expenses, teachers said.
"Katie was doing great," school nurse Jennifer Johnson said. "She had a good time meeting all the boys and girls."
"Oh, my gosh, she had so much fun," Jamie Mitchell said. "She was really excited because it was her first visit to be around other people."
Praise for the Owls
Walker students didn't know Katie would be waiting when they returned to their classroom from lunch. And Jamie didn't know what to expect.
"I was really surprised how welcoming the kids were," she said. "When they walked in the room and they saw her, they said, 'Oh, it's Katie!' It was really touching how the kids responded to her.
"They're just a really great group of kids."
Katie shared cupcakes with the students and, using a stuffed animal, taught them about her chemo treatments.
"She used her Betty the Bear to show students where and how medicine was administered through her port," Constantine said.
Monday morning, Katie went to Pensacola for the latest in a series of in-patient high-dosage chemo treatments and a spinal tap, Mitchell said. Her treatments, which began in December, will continue for two-and-a-half years.
"She had so much fun at school," Mitchell said. "I really want to recognize the kids for what they did for our family."
Constantine said the kids' fundraisers and Katie's visit offered her students some valuable life lessons.
“You can’t find this kind of lesson in our standards, but this is surely something they will never forget,” she said.
WANT TO HELP?
An account in Katie Mitchell's name is established at Okaloosa Teachers Federal Credit Union to receive donations for her periodic cancer treatments.
In addition, Crestview resident Gretl Stenske and her son, Zac, a Crestview High School student, will shave their heads during a Blue Wahoos baseball game June 22 to raise money for Katie's expenses. The St. Baldrick's fundraiser is organized by Praying for Carolyn. Visit the Katie vs. Cancer Facebook page for more ways to help.
Editor's Note: An earlier verison of this article erroneously stated that the head shavings would take place at a Bulldog baseball game. We regret the error.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview mom praises Walker students' efforts to aid daughter's cancer treatment