Young Heroes proudly sponsored by:
atschool By: Bailey Hemphill
Who lives in a
pineapple under the sea and is coming to
Young Hero: Scott Fleek Sco tt Flee k
A
year before ten-year-old Scott Fleek was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, his grandma and legal guardian Billie Wyman noticed that he had no appetite or energy and suffered from acid reflux. Worried, she took him to see the doctor, who could find nothing wrong with him. Last May, when Scott complained of a sore throat, Wyman found a lump on the side of his neck. She gave him medicine for a few days, thinking it was either a cold or allergies, but the lump remained. She took him to the doctor once more, who put him on antibiotics for a bacterial infection, but the lump continued to grow. The doctor then suggested they go to Children’s Hospital for a scan. When the scan came back, it showed that there were at least ten cancer cells growing in Scott’s neck. After learning of his illness, Scott told his grandma he wanted to start chemotherapy right away. His first round of chemo was on his grandma’s birthday. Wyman said they were at the hospital for eight hours that day, and Scott was feeling really sick. He continued with chemo until the end of November when he was sent to UNMC for radiation treatment. Wyman and Scott then learned that his lymphoma was in remission. He recently had another scan, and Wyman says, “So far, so good!”
Scott has four siblings: Anthony, whom he calls Tony (18), Kylie (15), and twins Collin and Breanna (9). Scott loves and looks up to both Tony and Kylie, but Tony is Scott’s idol. The twins, on the other hand, are so close in age to Scott that Wyman says they are basically triplets. She says, “Out of the three of them, if any of them had to get cancer, I knew Scott could handle it.” All of Scott’s siblings were there with him through his surgeries and treatments. They held his hand, laughed, and cried with him. When asked why Scott is special, Wyman laughed and said, “Scott is Scott.” She says that he is a beautiful, playful, loveable boy who is always joking around and can occasionally be ornery when he argues with his younger sister. Scott is a hero because he took everything so well, never fought with his grandma, and was a good influence for the other children at his school by keeping a positive attitude during his treatments.
August 23rd?
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
7:05 presented by:
402.738.5100
Scott is going to DisneyWorld with his four siblings and his grandparents all thanks to the SPECTRUM Make-a-Wish Foundation.
family
Family Spectrum and Omaha Storm Chasers would like to honor your Young Hero. Send nominations to Bailey@OmahaPublications.com.
• readonlinenow.com August 2011 • • • •
live•love•grow
atschool • 17