Benefit to help E. Dundee girl fighting cancer
Shelby Bohlin, a 9-year-old East Dundee girl fighting leukemia, has been through the wringer.
But her family and friends have been there to help every step of the way.
Tammy Massey is a friend of the family and has planned an open gym fundraiser to help the Bohlin family cover Shelby’s medical expenses.
The fundraiser will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. April 27 at MEGA Gymnastics in South Barrington and the gym has agreed to donate half of the day’s proceeds to the family. Massey is also arranging a bake sale and raffles that will be held at the gym the same day.
“This is a local family who needs help and they’re kind of struggling to get by,” Massey said. “And the more people that surround them and support them ... the more they feel encouraged as well as being able to get through this difficult time.”
Shelby was diagnosed with leukemia in October 2009 and is currently in remission, but she still undergoes daily chemotherapy treatments to keep the cancer at bay. On April 24, she’ll begin a harsher round of chemotherapy on top of her other treatments and that lasts for two weeks.
“It’ll be a bad month,” her mother, Lisa, said.
Shelby’s treatments end in July, but doctors will monitor her progress for the next five years to make sure the cancer never comes back.
Shelby’s father, Shawn, Bohlin estimates that Shelby’s medical bills are at least $600,000.
Compounding that problem is that Shawn was laid off last February as the landscaping and construction foreman at Willow Creek Community Church. Lisa primarily supports the family by working part time at the Barnes and Noble bookstore in West Dundee, while he picks up any odd jobs that he can.
“It’s getting real tight here,” he said.
Shelby has also dealt with several medical issues along the way. She needed a blood transfusion and sustained a ruptured appendix.
Due to her weakened immune system, the family doesn’t go out much because they don’t want to bring outside germs back to Shelby. For example, instead of going to church at Willow Creek, they watch the services online. Shelby also is home schooled.
“She’s been through the wringer and, therefore, our whole family has been,” her mother said.
Even so, Shelby remains upbeat and positive. She gets to play with her friends twice a week and her younger brother Robbie and older sister Brooke have stepped up by encouraging Shelby to continue her fight, helping her when she gets sick and with her homework.
The family also feels blessed that the community is rallying around them.
“We feel very supported and its hard to be in such a place of need,” Lisa Bohlin said.
Ÿ Mega Gymnastics is at the Arboretum on Route 72 in South Barrington. Children can attend for $7 while members only need to pay $5. If you’d like to help the Bohlin family, but can’t attend the fundraiser. You can make a donation to the Shelby Grace Bohlin Fund at any BMO Harris Bank.