{"id":3399,"date":"2011-03-29T07:40:20","date_gmt":"2011-03-29T11:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=3399"},"modified":"2011-04-07T11:20:31","modified_gmt":"2011-04-07T15:20:31","slug":"on-the-wings-of-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2011\/03\/29\/on-the-wings-of-love\/","title":{"rendered":"On the wings of love"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Following youngest son Matt\u2019s battle with Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma, the Neitzke family (clockwise from top left\u2014Christine, Sam, Jim and Matt) established The Dragonfly Foundation to bring comfort and joy to kids with cancer.<\/p><\/div>\n

A can of Coke sat in the car of Jim and Christine Neitzke on that cold Friday night in February 2010. It belonged to their 10-year-old son Matt.<\/p>\n

Matt had grabbed the can of pop before he left home, headed for Cincinnati Children\u2019s Hospital Medical Center. He couldn\u2019t drink it now. He had to wait until after his test\u2014a CT scan\u2014a follow-up to his recent bout with pneumonia.<\/p>\n

Matt left his Coke in the car. He\u2019d be back in a few hours to drink it. After all, it was just a simple CT scan.<\/p>\n

Seven hours later, Christine drove home alone with the can of Coke.<\/p>\n

It was every parent\u2019s worst nightmare come true.<\/p>\n

Matt had cancer.<\/p>\n

Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma. Stage three.<\/p>\n

Matt and Jim stayed in the hospital that night while Christine took care of the couple\u2019s older son, 12-year-old Sam. The next morning, Matt underwent biopsy surgery.<\/p>\n

The biopsy revealed a mass the size of a baseball next to Matt\u2019s right lung as well as smaller masses on his spleen.<\/p>\n

The Neitzke family was about to embark on a seven-month-long journey of chemotherapy, radiation and what seemed like a never-ending stream of overnight stays in the hospital.<\/p>\n

It was a journey that would change their lives forever.<\/p>\n

An outpouring of love and support<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a>

Matt Neitzke was diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma at age 10. After four rounds of chemotherapy and three months of radiation, Matt is now in remission.<\/p><\/div>\n

Following the devastating news of Matt\u2019s cancer diagnosis, family and friends rallied around the Neitzkes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt got us through this,\u201d said Christine. \u201cImmediately, we just felt embraced by so many different communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Help came from their neighbors, their church, the boys\u2019 schools and Matt\u2019s baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings.<\/p>\n

\u201cFriends started making meals for us right away. We had people here all the time, cleaning and cooking,\u201d said Jim, a 1978 magna cum laude graduate of Wright State University with a dual degree in accountancy and finance. He is senior vice president of finance and accounting for Luxottica, the world\u2019s leading manufacturer of premium fashion, luxury and sports eyewear.<\/p>\n

Then there were the little things. Small acts of kindness that brought Matt big moments of joy.<\/p>\n

A couple of Matt\u2019s baseball coaches arranged for an autographed baseball bat from Matt\u2019s favorite player, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco. It arrived in a big glass case, a welcome site in Matt\u2019s hospital room as he underwent chemo.<\/p>\n

Another autographed bat came from the Detroit Tigers. Hall of Famer Joe Morgan stopped by for a visit, along with other professional baseball players and mascots.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really helped Matt a lot,\u201d said Jim. \u201cHe loves baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Christine recalled, \u201cHe would cry at night and say \u2018I just want to play baseball, Mommy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

There, watching all of the ups and downs was Matt\u2019s big brother, Sam. \u201cIt was as hard on Sam as it was on Matt,\u201d said Jim. \u201cHe was worried about his brother dying.\u201d<\/p>\n

During flu season, Sam could not visit his brother in the hospital. The two boys would Skype to stay in touch.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prayer and a sense of humor got the Neitzke family through many tough days and nights. Playing Nerf basketball games and making water balloons out of latex hospital gloves provided some much-needed stress relief.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

During Matt\u2019s illness, the Neitzke family learned lessons that would last a lifetime. \u201cIt\u2019s so important to have your health and your children\u2019s health,\u201d said Christine. \u201cEmbrace every moment.\u201d <\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe were lucky. We were there only three months. Some families are there for years, going through this,\u201d said Christine.<\/p>\n

The lessons they learned would last a lifetime.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever take anything for granted. That\u2019s the number one thing,\u201d said Jim.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so important to have your health and your children\u2019s health,\u201d Christine said. \u201cEmbrace every moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

In September 2010, after four rounds of chemotherapy and three months of radiation, the Neitzke family received the news they had been praying for. Matt was in remission.<\/p>\n

They couldn\u2019t walk away <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Prayer and a sense of humor got the Neitzke family through many tough days and nights. Jim (left) and Matt (right) would play Nerf basketball games and make water balloons out of latex hospital gloves for some much-needed stress relief. <\/p><\/div>\n

The Neitzkes have nothing but words of praise and appreciation for the doctors and nurses at the Cancer & Blood Diseases Institute of Cincinnati Children\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey saved Matt. They were our lifeline,\u201d said Christine. \u201cThe quality of the staff and the care we received there was outstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

But while the Neitzkes were in the hospital, they identified many needs that could improve the quality of life of patients.<\/p>\n

Unlike Matt, who had a community of love behind him, some of the children and families at the hospital did not have the same network of support.<\/p>\n

One day, as Christine walked down the hospital hallway, a three-year-old child in another room was crying for blue Play-Doh. Due to infection control measures, children are unable to share Play-Doh or reuse a can.<\/p>\n

As Matt was starting to get better, Christine began talking to the staff in Child Life, who oversee the playroom and provide distractions for the kids as they undergo treatment.<\/p>\n

They discussed coordinating drives for new DVDs and other items the hospital needed. As the wish list grew, the Neitzkes started tossing around the idea of creating their own nonprofit foundation.<\/p>\n

In August 2010, The Dragonfly Foundation was born. Its mission: to bring comfort and joy to kids and young adults with cancer and blood diseases.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dragonfly represents strength and courage,\u201d Christine explained. \u201cIn one Indian language, it means bringing comfort to kids. It was perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The foundation works in partnership with the Cancer & Blood Diseases Institute of Cincinnati Children\u2019s to provide distractions that help ease the pain and fear patients and their families experience on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

When Caron Bergen\u2019s 14-year-old son, Kyle, was diagnosed with Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma last summer, it was a huge shock to Bergen and her family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you are a parent of a pediatric cancer patient, you are completely overwhelmed,\u201d said Bergen. \u201cYou live in a world of \u2018can\u2019t\u2019. People can\u2019t visit. You can\u2019t go out in public. You\u2019re always looking for a distraction that will bring a smile to your child\u2019s face.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Matt (left) and Sam (right) Neitzke proudly display their Dragonfly Foundation T-shirts. \u201cIt\u2019s great to want to help kids who are going through what I went through,\u201d said Matt, of the foundation established in his honor. \u201cIt\u2019s taking a bad thing and trying to make it a good thing.\u201d <\/p><\/div>\n

When The Dragonfly Foundation learned that Kyle was a fan of Adam Richman from the Travel Channel\u2019s Man v. Food<\/em>, they arranged for Kyle to meet Adam when he was in town for a speaking engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy son had the biggest smile on his face. It was the greatest gift,\u201d said Bergen. \u201cIn all of the horribleness, we found a lot of light shined in our lives and The Dragonfly Foundation was one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with arranging celebrity visits, distributing tickets to families for special events such as Disney on Ice, and securing supplies for the hospital playroom, The Dragonfly Foundation is providing laptops so patients can watch DVDs in their hospitals rooms and Skype with their family, friends and celebrities. To date, they have arranged for the donation of 25 laptops and hope to provide 30 more to the hospital.<\/p>\n

The Dragonfly Foundation is also creating several programs to support patients (age 0-35) and their families from when they enter Cincinnati Children\u2019s to the time they leave. These include a buddy system for parents, a wall d\u00e9cor program and the \u201cI Am Still Me\u201d program\u2014a program to help patients cope with the trauma of losing their hair due to treatment.<\/p>\n

In April, they will launch the Beads of Courage project. Already in existence in more than 80 hospitals nationwide, the program provides each child with a strand of beads spelling out his or her name, along with a Dragonfly bead. Beads are added to mark each treatment milestone. For example, a glow-in-the-dark bead represents a radiation treatment. It is not unusual for some children to amass 30, 40, 50 or more feet of beads.<\/p>\n

Having a child with cancer or a blood disease is draining\u2014mentally, physically, emotionally and often financially. \u201cPart of what we\u2019re doing is trying to identify those families with less wherewithal to buy them meal and gas cards,\u201d said Jim.<\/p>\n

The challenges are even greater for single parents and for families who must travel great distances for medical treatment. According to John Perentesis, M.D., director of the oncology division at Cincinnati Children\u2019s, 45 percent of patients come from outside the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a child with cancer just turns your world upside down. Words can\u2019t describe what a wrenching experience it is for any family,\u201d said Perentesis. \u201cThe Dragonfly Foundation helps catch people and help them move forward. We can\u2019t thank them enough for what they\u2019re doing. They have touched many lives in a short period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sam Neitzke (right) embraces his younger brother Matt. \u201cIt (cancer) was as hard on Sam as it was on Matt. He was worried about his brother dying,\u201d said the boys\u2019 father Jim. <\/p><\/div>\n

Ria Davidson serves as vice president of The Dragonfly Foundation. Davidson and Christine Neitzke met at a public relations agency 20 years ago. They have been best friends ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see Matt go through the horror of chemotherapy and radiation was extremely difficult. To visit a 10-year-old in the hospital and then see babies, teenagers and young adults with cancer is more than you can stand,\u201d said Davidson. \u201cThat\u2019s just as an outsider. I can\u2019t even imagine what it would be like as a parent to see your child suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Cincinnati Children\u2019s focused on research, treatments and cures, The Dragonfly Foundation fills a niche that a nonprofit hospital cannot. \u201cIf we can help them put together programs that will benefit patients, those are resources that can be applied to curing and fixing kids so that hopefully, someday soon, children won\u2019t have to go through what Matt went through and what other kids are going through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aside from getting married and having her own children, Davidson said working with The Dragonfly Foundation is \u201cthe coolest thing I\u2019ve ever done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since its launch in August, the Dragonfly Foundation already has nine project teams and hundreds of volunteers. Within a few years, Davidson and the Neitzkes hope to expand The Dragonfly Foundation\u2019s programs to Cincinnati Children\u2019s sister hospital, Peyton Manning Children\u2019s Hospital in Indianapolis, and eventually to hospitals nationwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to want to help kids who are going through what I went through,\u201d said Matt, of the foundation established in his honor. \u201cIt\u2019s taking a bad thing and trying to make it a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Following the devastating news of Matt\u2019s cancer diagnosis, family and friends rallied around the Neitzkes. \u201cIt got us through this,\u201d said Matt\u2019s mom Christine. \u201cImmediately, we just felt embraced by so many different communities.\u201d <\/p><\/div>\n

Matt celebrated his 11th birthday in December 2010. Today, he is a happy and healthy fifth grader. But there are a few milestones left to go before he is considered \u201cclean.\u201d \u00a0Over the next five years, he will undergo periodic tests and scans to make sure he remains in remission.<\/p>\n

And he\u2019ll be on the baseball diamond, playing the sport he loves to his heart\u2019s content.<\/p>\n

More on the Web: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Visit www.thedragonflyfoundation.org<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>to watch videos and read <\/strong>more stories of how they are bringing comfort and joy to kids with cancer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A can of Coke sat in the car of Jim and Christine Neitzke on that cold Friday night in February 2010. It belonged to their 10-year-old son Matt. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[733,725,727,715,717,719,720],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-home-news-sidebar","category-homepage-photos-and-video","category-news","category-photos","category-special-categories","category-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3399"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3399\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3649,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3399\/revisions\/3649"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}