Tanya Hutchens Charity 2009

Tanya Hutchens is happy to showcase the work of Meyer School students in raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Meyer School students in November raised more than $1,132 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in a fundraiser the school called “Pennies For Patients.” Piggy banks were broken into; spare change was delivered day after day; kids couldn’t wait to add their pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters to the growing pot.

“It blows my mind,” said Principal Alison Gordon who watched all of her pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners and their families respond so positively.

Perhaps more importantly, it blew the minds of Gretchen and Jonathan Maks, whose 4-year-old son, Griffin, was diagnosed with leukemia well over a year ago. Although the fundraiser was part of a larger “Kids Who Care” program now in its second year at the school, this particular project was selected because of Griffin.

“Every day they would bring pennies and quarters and whatever was called for,” Gretchen said. “I know kids emptied their piggy banks. One student brought in more than $70 in quarters. It was just amazing.”

“From a fundraising standpoint, it’s amazing that this amount of money can be raised through coins, through spare change,” added Jonathan who is an adult internist. “It’s so much more meaningful to me as the father of a child going through chemotherapy who will benefit from this fundraising effort.”

The Maks’ comfortable home, located blocks away from the school, is filled with the laughter of children. Griffin, his brother, Hudson, and his sister, Kailey, are triplets who have an older brother, Everest, 7.

They laugh together and play together. Everest flips on a computer game on the television but reminds visitors that this is not his favorite one. And Griffin wanders over with pen in hand as though he wants to be the interviewer rather than the subject of an interview.

“He loves to write,” Gretchen said. “He always has a pen in his hand.”

It’s easy to recognize that this is a close-knit and loving family. Gretchen said that she has let Griffin’s hair grow long — a shaggy look of sorts — since his chemotherapy first began. But to anyone on the outside, Griffin looks healthy and happy with a full head of hair one might even describe as thick.

Gretchen says it was once thicker. No one would ever know. Just as they would never know how the normalcy of this family took such a sudden detour when Griffin was only 2 1/2.

“He told us his leg was hurting and I asked what happened,” Gretchen recounted. “He said his sister closed the door on his leg. He was limping so we went to get it checked.”

Referred to Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Griffin was eventually diagnosed with leukemia.

Jonathan was the first to be told of Griffin’s leukemia in a doctor-to-doctor phone call, he said. “The pediatrician was actually crying. I think everyone was surprised.”

“Usually kids are very, very sick when they first get diagnosed,” Gretchen said. “They have fevers and it’s really, really bad.”

Childhood Leukemia