Diagnosed With Leukemia—

Parents Organize Night At The Movies To Help Fourth Grader

By Kendra Bobowick

As this first weekend of May approaches, residents have a chance to help one fourth grade student in town. A fundraiser is planned for Sunday at the Edmond Town Hall Theatre at 4 pm to benefit Zachary Pollock, a fourth grader at Sandy Hook School who is learning a lesson much harder than the multiplication tables.

Zachary is battling leukemia. Residents are invited to view Doogal with all ticket proceeds benefiting Zachary’s family.

Zachary was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) after complications began in September.

Zachary’s mother Lisa Pollock said, “This came on hard and fast.” The family is handling the serious diagnosis with optimism, she said. Zachary also is trying to maintain his sense of humor.

“All kids have their moments, but he still finds humor in the situation,” Ms Pollock said. “He rarely complains.”

Although Zachary may make an appearance at Sunday’s movie, he will not be able to stay. Because of concerns of infection, he and his parents try to steer away from crowds for now, and keep “as sterile” a household as possible.

Ongoing treatments are occurring in phases, his mother said, which is often difficult to see.

“It’s hard to watch a child go through this — it’s what cancer patients go through, the loss of hair, weight loss,” she said. “This is something no parent wants to have to do, but we are doing what we have to.”

Although Zachary’s illness is acute, “he is on the better of two categories,” Ms Pollock said about his form of Leukemia. By next September, Zachary should be well enough to go back to school. “He really misses his friends,” Ms Pollock said.

She describes herself and her husband as “private people” but the couple deeply appreciates help from friends such as Ivy Pearson and Kim Duffy, Ms Pollock said. 

Since the beginning of the school year, Ms Pearson and Ms Duffy have chosen to lend support to Zachary’s fight. Both mothers with children in fourth grade, wanted to contribute, said Ms Pearson.

“We are just two moms wanting to help,” she said. “We both have fourth graders and can’t imagine how it must be.”

Coincidentally, Ms Pearson has a closer connection to Zachary’s family than she first realized.

Her daughter participated in a local karate class with Zachary, and Ms Pearson had worked alongside the boy’s father, George, during a recent community project, she explained. “When I was able to put a face with the name and realized who it was, I wanted to do more.” Earlier this year she was part of a fundraising effort at Sandy Hook School called Pennies for Patients, which raises funds for the Leukemia society. This time around, she said, “We wanted to do something for Zach directly.”

Ms Duffy and Ms Pearson hope to improve Zachary’s luck by raising both funds and support this weekend. After approaching movie theater manager Tom Mahoney, they were encourages by his cooperation, said Ms Pearson. Ticket prices will be $5 instead of $2 for the viewing in an effort to collect funds for the Pollock family.

“We didn’t think people would mind the $5,” Ms Pearson said. “We hope to fill every seat in the theater.”

His schoolmates and Sandy Hook staff keep him in their prayers, said Assistant Principal Catherine Mazzariello.

“As a community and staff, parents, and children together, we’re working to support Zachary,” she said.

A web link from www.Caringbridge.org welcomes support and correspondence from guests who can “visit” one of many sites. Each site offers a brief introduction, including Zachary’s.

His note to visitors begins, “Hi, I’m Zach and I am a 4th grader at Sandy Hook School. I was feeling just fine until the end of September when the doctors found out that I have cancer.”

He continues, “Even though I had a blood cancer, my only symptoms were a sore chest for two days and some swollen glands. I did have lots of bruises, but that’s pretty normal for me. My mom took me to our doctor and he sent us to Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital that day. After a bone marrow test, the doctors told us that I have t-cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). I spent 14 days in the hospital and have been having chemotherapy and one round of cranial radiation ever since. Wish me luck and visit me often. Zach”

His trips to and from treatments are chronicled as a journey to which his mother sees an end.

“We’re optimistic, but it will be a long road,” she said.

Residents who are unable to join Sunday’s moviegoers are welcome to make contributions payable to the Zachary Pollock Recovery Fund. Contact Ms Duffy at 426-2960, or Ms Pearson at 426-1002.

Doogal is a children’s animated adventure about friends on a quest to gather legendary stones that, when combined, possess magical powers over an evil wizard, who also wants the stones.