'Everybody loves Charlotte': Libertyville community supports 10-year-old girl with rare cancer
Purple will be the color of choice Friday in Libertyville to show support for a 10-year-old girl with a rare type of cancer.
Charlotte Frank, a fifth-grader at Copeland Manor school, was diagnosed 11 days before Thanksgiving. She just completed chemotherapy with radiation pending as part of a 67-week treatment regimen.
Cards, well wishes and other forms of support have poured in since, and Friday in Libertyville Elementary District 70 will be “Charlotte Strong Spirit Day.”
Everyone in the district's five schools and in town is encouraged to wear purple, Charlotte's favorite color. Many of those will be T-shirts with the words “We've got your back!” below a reproduction of her original artwork.
“This is our first, big organized fundraiser for Charlotte,” said Nikki Eloff, first vice president of the Copeland Family Association.
“As a school, this is our way of showing support for Charlotte. We've sold over 1,100 T-shirts to the community.”
The T-shirts were delivered Tuesday to Copeland, unpacked and readied for distribution to buyers Thursday.
All T-shirt sale proceeds go directly to a GoFundMe page set up by Charlotte's aunt, Melissa Stein, a fifth-grade teacher at Butterfield School in District 70, to help with the family's medical and related expenses.
Proceeds from a family night organized by the association Friday evening at Just For Fun roller rink in Mundelein also will go to the family.
“Charlotte is very artistic and talented. She's a kind and sweet, sweet, sweet (girl),” Eloff said. “Everybody loves Charlotte.”
Charlott's tough journey started in mid-October when she fell during soccer. Increasing back pain and sleepless nights with no answer led to a recommendation for testing at Lurie's Children's Hospital in Chicago, according to a CaringBridge site set up in November.
The pain initially was thought to be related to the fall. But an MRI revealed a large mass near Charlotte's spine. Further testing showed it was a rare type of cancer that affects mostly children. The family is not disclosing the specific type.
Charlotte is described as having a quiet strength and a quick-witted sense of humor. Stein said community support has been awesome.
“She's always kind of been like the old soul,” Stein said. “She deserves all the good will and support. She's just a kind person.”
Copeland Manor Principal Lori Poelking described Charlotte as a dream student who is inquisitive and creative.
“She is kind of quiet, kind of silly and always full of joy,” Poelking said.
Charlotte was released from the hospital Sunday. The first round of scans Tuesday and Wednesday will determine how well the treatment has been working, her mother, Michelle, posted in an update.
“Please keep praying that her body is responding as expected and that the cancer is shrinking,” she wrote.