News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters High School students are rallying to raise funds to help a four-year-old Bend girl who is suffering from a rare form of leukemia.
At a school assembly last week, the students vowed to contribute community service in exchange for matching sponsorship money from Sisters real estate company Rhino Ranch & Realty. The funds will help the family of Hannah Piete cope with medical and logistical expenses as they fight to keep Hannah alive.
According to Hannah's father, Daniel, a "chromosomal glitch" makes her form of cancer less susceptible to treatment than other forms of leukemia. Hannah will undergo experimental, intensive chemotherapy treatments at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland.
"Hannah is one of only 50 in the U.S. to do this new protocol, a clinical trial," Daniel said.
The Piete family is uninsured; Daniel makes too much money as a golf course superintendent to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan, but could not afford his own insurance.
"We are the face of the American (health care) crisis," Daniel said.
Piete expressed his extreme gratitude to the students.
"We never thought we would be a 'cause,'" he said. "We really didn't."
Sisters students will raise funds through the Sparrow Club program, founded by Jeff Leland of Sisters, who started the program after an upswelling of community support in his Washington hometown paid for a lifesaving surgery for his son.
"Many of you sitting here don't believe you can make a difference," Leland told the students in the assembly. "I'm here to say you can."
Rhino Ranch & Realty will match hours of community service. Direct donations may be made by check to "Sparrow for Hannah" and dropped off at the front desk at Sisters High School.
Hannah's care and associated expenses are expected to run to approximately $200,000.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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