Published: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Fighting cancer, one stair at a time
Firefighters climb a tower to help battle the disease.
MILL CREEK — Firefighter Bill Eske became acquainted with 9-year-old Colton Matter through friends.
The boy was diagnosed with leukemia in September and had a bone marrow transplant in January.
Eske had a friend die of the cancer years ago. He and other firefighters at Fire District 7 competed in the Scott Firefighter Stair Climb at the Columbia Center in Seattle earlier this month to raise money for Colton and his family to pay medical bills.
Ekse said the only way to ask people for money is to make a big event out of it.
“I took the sports aspect of it to get people involved and aware,” he said. “Most people don’t realize what families go through.”
Colton’s mom, Suzy Matter, said the support from Fire District 7 and the community has been a blessing and it amazes her how everyone in the community is connected.
Matter said she remembers driving past Eske’s station and seeing a reader board showing support for Colton and his family.
“I had to stop driving and call my husband,” she said. “How did they know?”
The Columbia Center climb is open to firefighters across the nation to help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The climb demands participants trek up 69 flights, or more than 1,300 steps, wearing full bunker gear weighing approximately 50 pounds.
This year marked Eske’s 12th year participating, leading a team of 20 firefighters during the March 7 climb.
The public is invited to attend the Big Climb on March 21, also at the Columbia Center. The Big Climb is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s largest fundraiser. In 2009, 6,000 participants ran, walked and even crawled up the stairs to raise more than $1.3 million to fight blood cancers, according to their Web site. This year their goal is to raise $1.4 million.
His wife is set to lead a team of 25 during the climb next week.
“We see (people with cancer) all the time, we notice them, but we don’t get to meet or help them other than what the job pays,” he said. “We want to let people know we want to help and let them know we care.”
Suzy Matter said Colton’s attitude through the ordeal has been a blessing.
She said the first 100 days after a bone marrow transplant are the most critical and doctors ask patients to count each day up to one year after the surgery. On the day of the March 7 climb, Colton had reached Day 59. Colton has been playing basketball and getting ready for home school, she said.
The boy was diagnosed with leukemia in September and had a bone marrow transplant in January.
Eske had a friend die of the cancer years ago. He and other firefighters at Fire District 7 competed in the Scott Firefighter Stair Climb at the Columbia Center in Seattle earlier this month to raise money for Colton and his family to pay medical bills.
Ekse said the only way to ask people for money is to make a big event out of it.
“I took the sports aspect of it to get people involved and aware,” he said. “Most people don’t realize what families go through.”
Colton’s mom, Suzy Matter, said the support from Fire District 7 and the community has been a blessing and it amazes her how everyone in the community is connected.
Matter said she remembers driving past Eske’s station and seeing a reader board showing support for Colton and his family.
“I had to stop driving and call my husband,” she said. “How did they know?”
The Columbia Center climb is open to firefighters across the nation to help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The climb demands participants trek up 69 flights, or more than 1,300 steps, wearing full bunker gear weighing approximately 50 pounds.
This year marked Eske’s 12th year participating, leading a team of 20 firefighters during the March 7 climb.
The public is invited to attend the Big Climb on March 21, also at the Columbia Center. The Big Climb is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s largest fundraiser. In 2009, 6,000 participants ran, walked and even crawled up the stairs to raise more than $1.3 million to fight blood cancers, according to their Web site. This year their goal is to raise $1.4 million.
His wife is set to lead a team of 25 during the climb next week.
“We see (people with cancer) all the time, we notice them, but we don’t get to meet or help them other than what the job pays,” he said. “We want to let people know we want to help and let them know we care.”
Suzy Matter said Colton’s attitude through the ordeal has been a blessing.
She said the first 100 days after a bone marrow transplant are the most critical and doctors ask patients to count each day up to one year after the surgery. On the day of the March 7 climb, Colton had reached Day 59. Colton has been playing basketball and getting ready for home school, she said.
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