Merriman Park Panther Notes

September is Childhood Cancer and Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month.

We are excited to show our love and support to families, staff, and community next Friday with a special Fun Run. We know that the love and encouragement our community has to offer one another during life's challenges is something to be cherished. Next Friday we will honor the Ivey, Kurek, and Moorse families as we show our love and support for them during their Cancer Journeys. We hope you can join us at 2:00 on the MPE fields for our run. Please more information below:

#MPEWeAreFamily

~Mrs. Marx

Run with Danielle’s Detail

Friday, September 27th

2:00 pm at MPE

As some of you may know, Dr. Ivey’s wife, Danielle, has had a long battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Now more than ever, we need to show our love and support for our wonderful Assistant Principal and his family as they continue to fight this disease together. We are putting together a school-wide run in support on Friday, September 27 at 2:00. The course will be outlined and decorated in support of Lymphoma Awareness Month and all 500 Panthers will be participating in Danielle’s Detail Run in honor of Mrs. Danielle Ivey.

What are some ways your family can help?

1. Come to the run on 9/27 – make a sign to show your love for the Ivey family. Wear purple or electric green, or MPE spirit wear colors!

1. Help decorate the neighborhood to raise awareness of Lymphoma.

- Wrap your tree in purple/electric green

- Wrap street signs in purple/electric green

1. Donate to help raise awareness and support research for Lymphoma. The JFA Foundation will donate all funds raised from the MPE community to the Ivey family as they determine the best organization to support Danielle’s Detail. Please venmo @jfafoundation-424 or write a check to the JFA Foundation and deliver to PTA inbox in the front office. Please include “Danielle’s Detail” in the memo line of any donation.

For any questions, please contact Jenny Winkelmann mpepresident@gmail.com

One of our very own MPE families has been on a fight, as a family, with pediatric cancer. No child should fight alone.

The EverBear FIGHT

Everly Kurek, younger sister to Blakely Kurek (5th grader), was diagnosed with high risk, stage M neuroblastoma in August of 2022. After extensive treatment for her cancer she completed her therapy in December 2023.

Unfortunately, neuroblastoma is a very difficult cancer to treat and has a high rate of relapse.

Everly relapsed in July 2024, but has recently completed imaging that revealed no evidence of cancer; however, 6 cycles of chemotherapy must be completed to assure that no cancer remains. She began that treatment this week. Everly was diagnosed at 3 years old and is now 5 years old and unfortunately, this fight involves her entire family. The support groups that surround the Kurek family are the only reason they have been able to face this battle. As this month is also Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, it is an opportunity to show them some love.

What are some ways your family can help?

1. Come to the run on 9/27 – make a sign to show your love for the Kurek family. Wear gold or yellow, or MPE spirit wear colors!

2. Help decorate the neighborhood to raise awareness for Pediatric Cancer.

- Wrap your tree in gold

- Wrap street signs in gold

3. Donate to help raise awareness and support research for Pediatric Cancer. Donate to Children’s Cancer Fund or Children’s Medical Center Foundation.

For any questions, please contact Jenny Winkelmann mpepresident@gmail.com

In November of 2021, Clayton Moorse (Kindergarten), was diagnosed with a wilms tumor which had developed on his kidney. After surgery to remove the tumor and his left kidney, Clayton successfully completed 6 rounds of radiation and 34 rounds of chemotherapy. In July of 2022, Clayton was declared cancer free and we are thankful to report his scans have remained clear since. We were blessed with tremendous support from our family, friends and community. Lake Highlands is a special place, with tremendous people!

What are some ways your family can help?

We are thankful to be on this side of Clayton's cancer treatment, but we know there are families and kids in our community still fighting their battles. Anything we as a community can do to help support them. Beyond that, we'd encourage folks to donate to help raise awareness and support research for pediatric cancer. We have become very involved with the Children's Cancer Fund, an organization that raises money to support pediatric cancer research and patient care specifically at Children's Health in Dallas. Pediatric cancer research only receives 4% of the federal funding designated for cancer research. That means almost all research is forced to be funded privately. Any amount that can be donated is meaningful.