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Concert for Kyle to raise awareness of rare cancer

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Contributed by: Erin Feese/YourHub.com on 8/29/2008

On the first anniversary of her son's death, Joanna Blakeman remembered Kyle as she cheered on the ThunderRidge High School football team as they beat Douglas County.

"Everyone said Kyle was there," she said.

Kyle Blakeman, a 15-year-old ThunderRidge sophomore, passed away on Aug. 28, 2007, from renal medullary carcinoma, a rare form of kidney cancer. During his freshman year, he was too sick to play football, but went to every practice, said Blakeman.

Rather than sit at home, Blakeman wanted to go to the Aug. 28 football game and support the players who were good friends to Kyle. She brought a banner inspired by Kyle with a Superman logo with the initials "KB." The logo was designed by Kyle's friend and baseball teammate Ryan Carroll.

"Before the game, the ThunderRidge players came and prayed under the banner, and then they went on to win," Blakeman said. "It was an amazing moment."

Blakeman is working to organize the second annual Concert for Kyle, a fundraising event Sept. 13 that will coincide with National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day.

Blakeman wasn't involved with planning the first concert because it was right after Kyle's passing. She said she wanted to continue the event because it is about honoring not only Kyle, but the other children and families affected by cancer.

"Being involved with this has kept me busy, like I'm doing something about it," Blakeman said. "When you lose a child, the most important thing is to do something about keeping it from happening to somebody else."

Renal medullary carcinoma only occurs in people born with sickle cell trait, which every child is tested for at their first checkup. However, parents of children who test positive are told there is nothing to worry about, because their child will not develop sickle cell anemia, Blakeman said.

Blakeman said she was never told about renal medullary carcinoma, which is very rare. Since 1995, when the cancer was first diagnosed, there have only been 100 confirmed cases worldwide.

When Blakeman was sitting in the hospital with Kyle, she promised him that she would do everything in her power to make sure no one else went through what he went through. She said the cancer can be treated effectively if caught early, but there aren't a lot of symptoms until it spreads.

"We are working to get this information out to families of kids born with sickle cell trait," she said. "Parents have a right to know this exists."

UP NEXT

What: Second annual Concert for Kyle, featuring live music by Highlands Ranch band Off the Hook, food, entertainment and a remembrance wall
When: 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 13
Where: Civic Green Park, 9730 Ridgeline Blvd., Highlands Ranch
Cost: Donations welcome. Proceeds benefit the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children's Hospital and the Colorado Sickle Cell Treatment and Research Center
More information: Go to www.concertforkyle.com

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