Raceland — Balloons dotted the gray sky Thursday when students in the Raceland-Worthington Independent School District let go of more than 1,000 balloons in support of MiKayla Bonzo, a fifth-grader at Worthington Elementary.
Bonzo will undergo surgery in Phoenix on Tuesday to repair a cavernous hemangioma, a concentration of abnormal blood vessels on her brain. While it is not cancerous, it is leaking and must be repaired or it can cause a great deal of damage.
A friend of the family, Danna Rae Conley, came up with the idea for the balloon release to raise money to help cover expenses. Balloons were sold for $1 each. Karissa Sammons, one of the organizers who works in the after-school program the girl’s brother, Nathaniel, attends, said 1,060 balloons were sold and some individuals donated as much as $20.
“Raceland is a close-knit community and everyone knows everyone,” Sammons said. “It’s amazing how generous people here are.”
At 2 p.m. Thursday, the 11-year-old and her friends at the local schools gathered to release the balloons into the windy sky, but first, her father, Tim Bonzo, thanked the crowd.
“MiKayla has one mother and one father and one brother,” he said through tears. “But today, you are all her brothers and sisters.”
Bonzo also said he’s touched by the support and concern for his daughter.
“I cry every day on my way to work,” he said. “Not because of my daughter but because of these people who care. It’s very touching.”
Cavernous hemangioma is an inherited condition. MiKayla’s mother, Cathy Johnson, was diagnosed and treated for it.
“Mine was sudden,” she said. “I just didn’t wake up one morning.”
Doctors knew to watch for it with MiKayla and discovered it about five years ago but didn’t proceed with treatment because it wasn’t leaking or growing. Johnson said her last MRI showed growth and that there was some leaking, so it was time to operate.
Johnson said she also was overwhelmed by the support.
“I’m amazed and humbled,” she said.
The girl said she’s not worried about her surgery, and her constant smile backs that up. The condition has severely limited her activities, so she’s looking forward to getting back to some of her favorite pastimes.
“Softball, basketball, tennis,” she ticked off as she counted on her fingers. “Oh, and riding my dirt bike and my pony, Strawberry.”
LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.
Schools
Related Photos
-
Kevin Goldy
-
Kevin Goldy
Discussion
The sky's not the limit
Raceland-Worthington balloon fundraiser supports 5th-grader with medical need
- Schools
-
-
Brew Crew brightens day for RMS teachers
There was a knock on the classroom door and the next thing Kim Blanton saw was a steaming cup of hot chocolate and the smiling face of Jesse Allen.
-
Amending the Constitution?
Some students at Greenup County High School ended their day Tuesday with a fresh respect for the nation’s founders.
-
Hands, Faces, and Voices
A hundred pairs of eyes locked onto Cynthia Changaris, tracking her every move. A hundred pairs of ears strained to hear every word of the hoary old ghost story Changaris was telling.
-
Test story
Test document
-
Getting gross at camp
Without waiting for an introduction, Sunni Walters brandished a baggie of red goop and confided in a visitor: “We made blood! Yesterday we made snot!”
-
Pawing through some pages
Lady is a good reading companion if you want one who sits quietly, sometimes thumps her tail during the good parts, and gives you a high-five at the end of the page.
-
A salute to service
Dozens of cadets placed thousands of American flags at the burial sites of military veterans within Rose Hill Burial Park Friday morning, providing each with a slow salute and considering themselves fortunate for the opportunity to be there.
-
Learning to let go
One by one, 27 children picked their way down a sandy slope to the bank of the Little Sandy River, their hands held carefully on top of the red plastic cups they carried.
-
Hatcher principal Greene taking over Verity helm
Hatcher Principal David Greene won’t be out of a job when the elementary closes at the end of this school year.
-
Making mound music
The composition Boyd County Middle School band members will be performing Thursday prompts them to think about more than the notes they’re playing.
- More Schools Headlines
-
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
