By Kathy Brown.
2022 has been a tumultuous year for the Webster family, and it’s only March. Marcy Webster is well known at Haddam Killingworth High School as Chorus teacher for the last 18 years, Head of the Dept. of Fine Arts, and the Director of the school’s popular musicals. She has directed 17 musicals and 6 plays at the high school.
“Our 10-year-old daughter, Rachel Joy, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma on February 8, 2022, just 22 days after her father had emergency, quadruple-bypass, open-heart surgery,” explained Marcy. “Rachel’s primary tumor is in her left tibia, however, she has secondary spots in her left fibula and heel, and cancerous nodules in her lungs.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Ewing’s sarcoma is a rare form of cancer “that occurs in bones or in the soft tissue around bones.” It often begins in the legs, but can occur in any bone. According to the National Institute of Health, there are about 200 cases per year, affecting mainly people of European descent who are between the ages of 10-15.
Rachel’s treatment “will include approximately nine months of chemotherapy, and she will also undergo radiation and surgery to remove what tumor is left after other treatments,” said Marcy. “We have opted to begin our treatment at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. Beginning our care locally allows our family to stay together while our older daughter, Catherine, attends middle school in Wethersfield.”
How can the community help? A group of staff at HKHS has set up an Easter Egg fundraiser to support the Webster family. All the money will be donated directly to the Websters to help with expenses. Plastic Easter eggs will be pre-filled with candy by a team of students and staff and ready for pickup on April 13 & 14, so that you can hide them for your children, grandchildren, or neighborhood. You can order 30 eggs for $20 or 70 eggs for $40. Orders must be received and paid for by March 29, 2022. To order, contact Nancy McGee, a Special Education teacher at HKHS, at nmcgee@rsd17.org. Checks can be made payable to “HKHS Sunshine Fund.” People can also donate funds to help offset the price of the candy.
“We are thankful to our doctors, nurses, and the wonderful communities of Wethersfield, Haddam, and Killingworth, and our Church family at the Apostolic Fellowship Church in Bloomfield for all the love, support, and generous gifts we have received during this time,” said Marcy.
Keep an eye out for more fundraisers throughout the year to help the Webster family with expenses during this time.
Photos provided by Marcy Webster.
