For Tinley Park girl’s ‘Army,’ battle goes beyond her fight vs. leukemia
BY BOB RAKOW Correspondent February 20, 2012 3:16PM
Abby Skarbek, a student at St. George School in Tinley Park, was diagnosed in July with acute myelogenous leukemia. She has undergone a bone marrow transplant and is doing well. | Supplied photo
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Updated: March 22, 2012 8:09AM
It won’t be long until many schoolchildren are counting down the days until the start of summer vacation — if they haven’t started already.
Abby Skarbek, meanwhile, hopes for more class time than she has gotten lately. She just wants to be healthy enough to return to school for a few weeks.
Abby, 10, was diagnosed in July with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) after being admitted to Rush University Medical Center.
AML is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. In cases of AML, the bone marrow makes many unformed cells called “blasts.” Blasts normally develop into white blood cells that fight infection. However, the blasts are abnormal in AML. They do not develop and cannot fight infections.
Abby, a student at St. George Catholic School in Tinley Park, underwent six rounds of chemotherapy until a bone marrow donor was found in Germany.
Abby has responded well to the transplant, which she received in late December.
“She’s doing great. She’s almost 50 days into the transplant,” said Beth Myers, Abby’s aunt and a cofounder of the Abby’s Army Foundation. “Her numbers look so good.”
Myers said her niece has displayed incredible courage throughout the ordeal.
“She has been unbelievable,” Myers said.
But her approach to the disease is not a surprise, she said. Abby’s father is a teacher and the baseball coach at Lincoln-Way North High School, and he taught his children to fight through adversity.
“There’s no room for ‘Poor me,’ ” Myers said.
The Abby’s Army Foundation was created in Abby’s honor to support children and families who are battling cancer, Myers said.
“We, as a family, decided to help other families,” Myers said. “We want to spread this out to everyone.”
A fundraiser to help the foundation continue its mission will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday at Gaelic Park, 6119 W. 147th St. in Oak Forest.
Tickets for the 21-and-older event are $30 in advance, $40 at the door. The event will feature food, beverages, a disc jockey, silent auction and raffles.
For tickets or information, call (815) 469-2242 or visit www.abbysarmy.com.
Monetary donations can be made to the Abby’s Army Foundation, People First Bank, 3100 Theodore St., Joliet, IL 60435.
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