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Town rallies around little Nate
(by Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor - December 15, 2009)
UPDATE (posted March 1, 2010)
Nathan Elfrink passes away
Nathan “Nate” Elfrink, the boy from West Jefferson who captured the hearts of people around the globe, passed away Feb. 26.
Calling hours are from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. March 1 at Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 9350 High Free Pike, West Jefferson. A funeral mass will take place at the church at 11 a.m. March 2.
Nate, 7, battled brain cancer from the time he was 20 months old. His parents, Dode McVey and Tod Elfrink, found out in late November 2009 that Nate was out of treatment options.
Family, friends and the town of West Jefferson pulled out all the stops to make Christmas great for Nate. Through a drive initiated on Facebook, he received thousands of cards from people in all 50 states and several foreign countries.
Nate was born on July 29, 2002, in Columbus. He was a student at Norwood Elementary, a member of Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, and active in the West Jefferson Youth Athletic Association. He led “Nate’s Mates,” a Madison County Relay For Life team that raised money for the American Cancer Society.
Nate is survived by: his parents; sister Ellie Elfrink; half-sisters Blair and Aarika Elfrink; grandmother Marcelia Elfrink of West Jefferson; grandfather Joe Elfrink of Lilly Chapel; grandfather Ace Forrest and his wife, Cindy, and great-grandfather Don Forrest, all of West Jefferson; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. His grandmother Saundra Forrest preceded him in death. The family is being served by Rader-McDonald Funeral Home, West Jefferson.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Pediatric Brain and Tumor Foundation, 302 Ridgefield Court, Asheville, N.C. 28806.
UPDATE (posted Jan. 6, 2010)
Great Christmas was in the cards
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| Nathan Elfrink (left) trades silly grins with his sister during a photo shoot at Peters Photography in December. |
The cards came from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and at least 30 foreign countries.
They were signed by famous people, like U.S. President George Bush and his wife, Laura, and the entire Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team, including superstars LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal.
Most, though, came from regular people touched by Nate’s story and the idea of being part of something big and something positive.
Nate Elfrink is the 7-year-old son of Dode McVey and Tod Elfrink of West Jefferson. Nate has battled a brain tumor most of his life. After Thanksgiving, his parents found out he was out of treatment options. So, they and the town of West Jefferson set out to make Christmas 2009 great for Nate.
Along the way, someone initiated a drive on the social networking site, Facebook, to send one million Christmas cards to Nate. The idea caught fire, and the cards started pouring in to the West Jefferson post office.
Dode and Tod were not expecting the deluge. The same week the mail started coming in by the hundreds then thousands, Nate was having a rough time health-wise, Dode said. Though appreciated, the mail was taking over the family’s home and time. They were overwhelmed.
At first, they were opening all of the mail themselves. Then they had friends come over to help. When the post office was loading up one entire delivery truck a day with just Nate’s mail, and FedEx and UPS were making multiple stops each day, it became evident they needed another solution.
Dode and Tod encouraged the public to redirect their kindness toward charities like Children’s Hospital, but the cards kept coming. That’s when Dode’s father, Ace Forrest, stepped forward, said he and his wife, Cindy, would help, and encouraged Dode and Tod to embrace the phenomenon for what it was—a huge heartfelt hug from humankind.
“They went and got the mail for us every day, then dispersed it all over town. It ended up at two churches, four fire departments and countless homes of families, friends and neighbors,” Dode said. “I had people tell me they sat down with their teenaged kids to open the mail and that it was a touching experience for their families.”
The mail opening crews sorted the cards and packages, pulling out those they thought the family would want to see right away. The rest the Forrests picked up and stored.
“One day, we took Nathan out to the garage to show him the stacks of mail. He just started giggling and said, ‘Mommy, just a few would’ve been fine,’ ” Dode said.
She said Nate, along with the whole family, had a blast going through the cards.
“We’d go from crying to laughing,” Dode said. “People didn’t just sign their names and address the envelopes. They wrote messages in them that were so heartfelt and sentimental. And sent funny things, like pictures of their pets all dressed up.”
Among the many that stood out were one from an anonymous doctor in Columbus, Ohio, and another signed “Very respectfully, A Soldier” sent from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (New York).
“The doctor sent Nate a ceramic snowman with cookies in it. He wrote that he helped newborns and infants, and thanked Nathan for making him do his job a little better each day forward,” Dode said.
The soldier’s letter talked about life’s battles: “Life is a hilly route that we must endure, and right now I’d imagine that you are in one of the deepest valleys. Remember that surrounding every deep valley are the tallest of mountains and, although climbing those mountains might be treacherous, it will make you stronger and the view from the top will be astonishing.”
The response from military service men and women came in many forms. Some sent Nate their personal medals. Others showed up on his doorstep.
“A man stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas, was home for the holidays. He came to the house and gave Nate his own set of dog tags...and took a picture with him to take back to Fort Bliss,” Dode said.
More than cards
Besides the cards, the visitors and gifts were a constant in the days leading up to Christmas. One of those visits came from “Buckeye Santa,” a westside Columbus resident who makes appearances in a scarlet and gray Santa suit at Ohio State-related events. He heard about Nate and made the trip to West Jefferson on Dec. 20.
“He got lost, so he went to the (Jefferson Township) fire house for directions,” Dode said. “They ended up bringing him out to our house with two of their trucks and an ambulance.”
Buckeye Santa then presented Nate and his little sister, Ellie, 3, with gifts including music by The Ohio State University marching band. He also delivered a special present from OSU’s head football coach, Jim Tressel.
“It was a lamp made out of a Buckeyes helmet that still had the original Buckeye leaves on it. It was signed, ‘Nathan, the Buckeyes are cheering for you,’ ” Dode said.
The lamp’s helmet once belonged to Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George.
The next day, Dec. 21, Nathan and his Grandpa Ace attended the Buckeyes’ last practice in the Woody Hayes indoor facility in Columbus before the team’s trip to California for the Rose Bowl. Nathan hand-delivered to Tressel a Christmas card thanking the coach for the lamp. The 7-year-old then took part in the team’s huddle to end the practice.
“Dad said they both had a big time,” Dode said.
Many, many individuals sent gifts to Nate. Tod and Dode had him pick out a few things to keep. The rest they donated to Christmas toy drives in West Jefferson and to Ronald McDonald House in Columbus.
Absorbing it all
When asked about the impact of such an outpouring of support, Dode said, “The other night, Tod and I just sat in awe, looking at (Nate). Here’s this little guy watching ‘Spongebob’ who captured the attention of people around the world.”
Dode said the whole experience reinforced her belief in the power of prayer.
Shortly after the cards came rolling in, Nate had a long string of really good days during which the headaches and vomiting that had been a daily occurrence were almost non-existent.
He played in the snow and chased and wrestled with his sister. He played video games with friends and even delivered cookies to the staff and students at Norwood Elementary before Christmas break.
On Jan. 5, Dode said the headaches and vomiting had returned but that Nate had had a good day that day. He “ate like a horse” and went shopping at Wal-mart with his dad.
As soon as time permits, the family plans to go through all of the cards and count them. No matter the final tally, the family sends a million thanks to everyone who donated to charities in Nate’s name, sent cards, visited, or helped in any way. They’re especially thankful to their family and to the people of West Jefferson.
“We don’t know what we would’ve done without our little community here. They’ve been just wonderful,” Dode said.
UPDATE (posted Dec. 15, 2009)
Family overwhelmed by cards; They ask that donations be made to hospitals instead
West Jefferson residents Dode McVey and Tod Elfrink appreciate the thousands of Christmas cards people have sent to their son, Nate Elfrink, but the amount has become too much for the family to keep up with.
Nate, 7, has battled a brain tumor since he was 20 months old. Earlier this month, doctors told the family that treatments could shrink the tumor but not fast enough.
Upon receiving the news, Dode posted an update for family and friends on a Web page dedicated to Nate’s condition. In it, she explained that hospice care had been called and that the family wanted to make the most of their time together. She also said Nate likes to receive Christmas cards and provided the family’s address.
Well-meaning folks who received the update spread the word via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, where it took on a life of its own. Somewhere along the way, people got the idea that Nate wanted a million Christmas cards.
“My wish for him was to get some cards,” Dode said. She said it was not Nate’s wish to get a million.
“Everybody means well, and we do appreciate their prayers and concerns,” Dode said. “We’re just overwhelmed.”
The family asks that instead of sending cards, people consider making donations in Nate’s name that could help other children. They suggest supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the hospice program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, both of which have provided Nate with care.
For information about donating to St. Jude, go to www.stjude.org or call 1-800-822-6344.
There are three ways to donate to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation: by mail at 700 Children’s Dr., Columbus, OH 43205; online at www.nationwidechildrens.org/giving; or by phone at (614) 355-0888.
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| Nate Elfrink |
ORIGINAL STORY (posted Dec. 9, 2009)
Town rallies around little Nate
The people of West Jefferson have come together to give one little boy the best Christmas ever.
Nate Elfrink, 7, has battled a brain tumor since he was 20 months old. He has endured three surgeries and many rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, but the tumor keeps coming back.
Last week, doctors at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee told Nate’s parents, Dode McVey and Tod Elfrink, a new chemotherapy treatment would shrink the tumor but not fast enough. Nate has had all of the radiation he can have, and a fourth surgery is not possible as the tumor is too close to the brain stem.
“We will not pursue any further treatment. He has been through enough,” Dode wrote in an update to friends and family on Dec. 4. “We plan on having the merriest Christmas ever and cherishing each and every day that we have our wonderful, brave, handsome son.”
Within hours of posting the update to a blog about Nate and filling in the school nurse at Norwood Elementary, where Nate is a first-grader, “the whole town knew and my phone was ringing off the hook,” Dode said.
So many people had ideas for making Nate’s Christmas great. His schedule went from doctor’s appointments and treatments to basketball and parades.
Today (Dec. 9), Nate gets to practice with the West Jefferson High School boys’ and girls’ varsity and JV basketball teams. The public is invited to attend and cheer him on. Play starts at 6 p.m.
From 7 p.m. to midnight on Dec. 11, one of Dode’s friends from high school will hold a benefit at Ronnie’s Roadhouse, 74 E. Main St. in West Jefferson. Participants are encouraged to bring gifts for Nate and his 3-year-old sister, Ellie. Donations also will be collected to purchase the item that tops Nate’s Christmas wish list: an Xbox 360 gaming system and games to go with it.
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Nate Elfrink's first-grade classmates pose in front of a giant Christmas card they and every other Norwood Elementary School student and staff member signed for Nate. The students are: (front row, from left) Michael Aubry, Campbell Ferguson, Caiti Smith, Kaileagh Davis, Leanna Haney, Addie Branham, Megan Kelly, Darren Zirkle; (second row) Jenna Shepherd, Cierra Todd, Kiley Birkefeld, Kelly Clark, Trinity Grimmett, Vanessa Peshko, Gabbie King, Blade Wolf; (back row) teacher's aide Angie Nawman, Nash Parsons, Noah Boucher, Dylan Lambert, Bryden Elliott, Steven Knapp and teacher Charlie Morris.
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Also on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m., Nate will help Santa flip the switch to turn on the West Jefferson Community Association’s light display at Garrette Park. On Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m., he will ride with Santa on a float in the West Jefferson Christmas in the Park lighted parade. Carol Beachy of West Jefferson Hardware and parade organizer Sandy Boucher have ordered 400 glow sticks in Nate’s honor, with the idea of passing them out to spectators along the parade route.
And the ideas keep coming. Nate loves Christmas music, so Dode and Tod hope to be able to welcome carolers to their home on Dec. 20. Plus, word has already spread about flooding the family’s mailbox with Christmas cards for Nate. Anyone is welcome to send a card.
When asked if the outpouring of support is surprising, Dode said no. She grew up in West Jefferson and knows how caring the people can be. She and Tod also know how easy it is for others to love their son.
“Nathaniel—I call him my little man. When he was 3, he was going on 30. He has lived so many lives. He’s so strong,” Dode said.
Nate has never complained about treatments or doctor’s appointments, she said. He has always just asked what was on the schedule and how soon he’d be able to play.
In fact, when Nate and Tod got off the plane from their last visit to St. Jude, Nate wanted to go straight to Walmart to get ingredients for cookies he is making to personally deliver to teachers, friends and family.
“He’s laid back, he’s loving and he’s caring,” Dode said. “He has been, and continues to be, a great inspiration to many.”
Dode and Tod met with children’s hospice this week for help with answering questions Nate might have. They don’t know how much time is left, but they know they want to make the most of every day.
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