Team climbs Willis Tower in honor of Arlington Heights boy

A team of more than 40 people climbed the stairs at Chicago's Willis Tower on Sunday in honor of an Arlington Heights boy who team members hope will soon be able to tackle stairs on his own.

Ethan Sappington, 2, recently lost both of his feet, his entire left hand and much of his right hand due to a nearly fatal case of sepsis. He is now learning how to walk with the help of prosthetics.

On Sunday, a team representing Northwest Community Hospital's Wellness Center participated in the annual SkyRise Chicago stair-climb event to honor Ethan's struggles and his journey toward recovery.

"Everyone wanted to do this for Ethan," said team leader Tania Hills, a personal trainer at the Wellness Center. "He's been a huge source of inspiration."

Ethan and his family visited the Willis Tower on Sunday to meet with the climbers. Ethan's mother, Theresa, was moved to tears as the team members, all wearing red T-shirts, surrounded and talked to her son.

"It's so amazing," Theresa Sappington said. "To see all these people, some of them strangers, doing something like this for Ethan is really heartwarming."

Ethan's ordeal began in September when he developed a serious infection. When his condition worsened, he was moved from Northwest Community to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. There Ethan was diagnosed with sepsis, which had started to trigger complete organ failure.

"At one point, we were told he had only 48 hours to live," Theresa said.

Doctors put Ethan on dialysis and administered a series of medications. His overall health improved, but the treatments drew blood away from his hands and feet. Ethan had to go through multiple amputation surgeries.

Now, Ethan is recovering at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. He will soon learn how to crawl, and then walk, on his own, with the help of prosthetics, Theresa said.

Ethan's friends and supporters have given his recovery effort a special hashtag - #EthanStrong. Nancy Wener, a friend of the Sappingtons and one of Sunday's climbers, said the phrase fits.

"Everything he's gone through doesn't seem to have fazed him at all," Wener said, as Ethan smiled and chatted with Wener's teammates.

Ethan and his family are living at RIC while he recovers. Theresa said the family hope to return home on Nov. 22.

"Just in time for what would be a very special Thanksgiving," she said.

The SkyRise Chicago stair-climb raises money for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Cari Dinneen, the institute's director of marketing, said approximately 3,000 people climbed the more than 100 flights of stairs inside the Willis Tower on Sunday. Among the participants was U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, who suffered a stroke in 2012.

Ethan's loved ones have set up fundraiser for his family, as well. To donate money to help cover medical bills, Ethan's prosthetics and other expenses, go to gofundme.com/EthanSappington.