Joseph High School seniors donate treasury to stricken classmateThe Joseph High School senior class voted unanimously to give up their "senior sneak" trip next spring to help pay for medical expenses for classmate Levi Bobbitt, who was diagnosed this month with a form of lymph gland cancer.
By Elane Dickenson of the Chieftain
At a time of year when most people's thoughts are on the Christmas season, the attention of the family of Joseph High School senior Levi Bobbitt is unavoidably focused on the reality that Levi was recently diagnosis with lymphoma, a form of cancer of the lymph glands.
The 17-year-old son of Carl and Debbie Bobbitt has already started chemotherapy treatments in Walla Walla following the bad news that arrived the first week in December after a biopsy at Oregon Health Sciences University.
"It didn't even affect me," said Levi about his first round of chemo on Dec. 4. He's already getting bored at home on Hurricane Creek, but is unable to attend classes while his white blood cell count is low, a side affect of the treatment.
Levi faces a chemo treatment every three weeks until May, plus a once-a-week blood test and checkup at the cancer center at St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla. In addition, his somewhat squeamish mother gives him a shot every day between treatments to stimulate growth of white blood cells. "I don't even like doing it to a horse," she said of the innoculations.
The good news in the midst of all the worry about a truly scary medical condition is an especially bright note at Christmas time. It shows how kids care about each other, and how selfless they can be when it really counts.
As soon as the members of senior class of Joseph High School heard about Levi's illness, they called a special meeting.
There, with no hesitation, they voted unanimously to give up their annual graduation trip -- the one that would have taken them to Disneyland or Las Vegas or some other exciting place next spring. Instead they will donate most of the money they would have spent on the long-anticipated class adventure to Levi's family to help pay for his medical expenses.
"We'll still do something," he said about graduation time. "Just not the big trip."
"It's just breathtaking. I couldn't be more proud to be affiliated with this class. ... There gift makes me want to cry," said Jo-Hi senior class advisor Cindy Brink.
She said that the class includes quite a few kids who have been through all 12 years of school together, including Levi Bobbitt and her own daughter, Shayla. "It's always been a close class. They've always stuck together. This is their way of saying, `He's our pard.' Levi's really special to so many of us. Hopefully this will brighten his Christmas."
Brink said that the class is unusually large for Joseph, 37 members strong, and normally each senior every year ends up raising about $300 each for his or her share of the class trip through a variety of fundraisers, starting their freshman year and really gathering steam as seniors. The trip is something that every student looks forward to throughout their high school years.
The choices this year had been narrowed to Disneyland, Las Vegas and Great America theme park in California; the class was reportedly having an unusually hard time deciding on the destination. Levi Bobbit's illness apparently made the final choice easy for them.
Their advisor said the class would continue their fundraising activities through the year. While they plan to give most of the money they raise to the Bobbitts, they also plan to have some kind of big class party, or even an overnight trip somewhere together. They'd also like to leave behind a gift for the school to remember them by, perhaps a big "Eagles" sign.
In addition to the monetary gift, one Joseph High staff member, Linda Botts, recounted another sacrifice at least the boys are prepared to make for their friend. "When Levi said he didn't want to go to school when he lost his hair, the boys in the class said, `we'll all shave ours, too, so we'll all be alike.'"
While he took part in sports as a younger boy, Levi's passion the last few years is videotaping. He became a self-taught expert when his family bought a camcorder ("He just kind of took it over," his mom remembers), and among other projects is preparing videotapes, complete with music, for the horse shows his sister Hannah, 13, and her friends take part in. He also films school sporting events and other activities, and is hoping to concentrate on some form of video in college.
"That's what we are supposed to be thinking about now is college," reflected Debbie Bobbitt. Like any mother she is worried about her son, and just concentrating on helping him through the ordeal.
Levi previously had a lymph condition when he was 12. Though it turned out to be benign then, the experience made insurance companies leary of the youngster. The current company even had a rider excluding Levi from coverage, but the Bobbitts recently learned that was not legal under Oregon law, so are hopeful he will be covered. However, even if the insurance covers all but 80 percent of the medical costs, the family is facing a huge bill.
While the class didn't want a big deal made out of their action, it seems especially fitting at Christmas time to publicize such an gesture of true generosity by a group of Wallowa County teenagers.
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