School adopts young 'Sparrow'

Sisters Christian Academy enthusiastically adopted 2-year-old Mason Fronk as their "sparrow" during an assembly on Wednesday, February 4. The students were overjoyed and ready to rally for Mason by doing community service to raise funds to help with the child's ongoing medical expenses.

Students in Sparrow Clubs across the region "adopt" children in medical crisis and earn donated funds through community service. Sisters Christian Academy's Sparrow Club is sponsored by the Weitzman family; for every service hour logged by students, the Weitzmans donate $10.

When Mason Fronk had a significant pediatric stroke as an infant, the doctors said that he would not be able to talk, walk, crawl or move the right side of his body. But after having surgery for a left hemispherectomy last June due to severe seizures (a very rare surgical procedure where half of the brain is removed or disabled) sweet-natured Mason is expected to crawl, walk, and talk.

In March 2014 Sisters High School Sparrow Club adopted Mason as their sparrow and sold raffle tickets to raise funds for his family for ongoing medical expenses. This was before Mason underwent the uncommon surgery to eliminate his chronic seizures.

Guest speaker Michael Leeland explained to the students how he became the very first sparrow 22 years ago when he was diagnosed with leukemia at six months old. Leeland is now the regional director for the Sparrow Club in Central Oregon, and he goes from school to school to talk to students about the extraordinary power they have to make a difference in another child's life.

"I know that you're ready to fulfill the community service job to raise money to help your sparrow, Mason. You will be doing 256 hours of community service as a school, and for every hour of community service that you do; it will be equal to $10 for your sparrow," Leeland said.

Every school receives community service vouchers to document their service hours, and on the back of the voucher the kids get to express their thoughts and feelings about serving the community for their sparrow.

Leeland introduced Mason and his mother, Karissa, to the student body that was waiting patiently to see their little sparrow in person.

"It's impossible to keep going without your help. We don't know why Mason had 300 seizures an hour, but we are hoping the doctors from Seattle Children's Hospital will keep looking for an answer so this won't happen to another child," Fronk said.

Mason is a fighter and full of drive. He loves his horse, Sonja, and looks forward to getting his service dog, Aspen. Mason attends numerous therapies weekly. He uses orthotics on his feet to help him stand and put weight on his legs. He also uses a hand splint to keep his right hand open and relaxed as it clenches due to cerebral palsy.

"The weekly therapies are hard on both of us, but the one thing Mason does that helps me get through all this, he loves to smile," Fronk said.

For more information visit www.sparrowclubs.org.