12-year-old cancer survivor organizes charity event

When Emily Zimmerman, 12, was diagnosed with leukemia four years ago, her mother's high school friends, the Walkersville class of 1978, organized basket bingo to help offset the family's medical bills.

Now, after completing her chemotherapy treatment in December 2008, Emily has organized her own charity basket bingo next month. The proceeds will be divided between The Jeremy Foundation and the Casey Cares Foundation.

"Those are the groups that helped me the most," she said.

Two weeks before her eighth birthday, Emily's grandmother couldn't wake her from a nap. She was taken to Frederick Memorial Hospital, and after learning that leukemia cells were pressing down on her trachea, impinging her breathing, Emily was flown to Johns Hopkins.

By her birthday that April she'd already lost her hair, eyebrows and lashes, and was weakened from chemo. Her second-grade teacher, Tina Young, and parents brought half her class to the hospital for a special party.

"There were presents, cake and ice cream," Emily recounted recently, smiling. "My friend Laura brought me a SpongeBob hat to wear."

"The longest stay was 56 straight days," said Emily's mom, Sandy Zimmerman. "We spent pretty much the next year and a half at the hospital."

During breaks in treatment, The Casey Cares Foundation put together trips to Disney World and Hersheypark for Emily. She also got to meet several American Idol performers and the members of Rascal Flatts during a concert at the First Mariner Arena in Baltimore.

"They provided the social and emotional support," Sandy Zimmerman said. "An amazing organization."

The Jeremy Foundation, based in Ijamsville, was founded by Diane Ryan, whose 15-month-old nephew died from a rare brain tumor. It helps families with the gas, travel, parking and lodging expenses that accumulate when a child receives a cancer diagnosis, which typically require extended trips to a specialized hospital in a major city.

Since ending treatment, Emily has returned to school at Walkersville Middle School, where her dad, Bruce Zimmerman, is a physical education instructor. She missed the end of second grade, all of third and fourth, and part of fifth while undergoing treatment.

But with a home-schooling teacher provided by the state of Maryland, and two teachers for parents -- her mom teaches at Thurmont Middle School -- she stayed on track with classmates.

Emily -- bright, brown-haired, outgoing, and a player of both the piano and the Wii -- starts seventh grade this fall. Her event, "Emily Gives Back -- Basket Bingo," is scheduled for Aug. 16 at the Woodsboro Fire Co. It will count toward her service learning requirement.

The bingo is done in conjunction with popular Ohio-based Longaberger's baskets. Winners receive Longaberger baskets, each filled with goodies along a certain theme.

They'll be stuffed with DVDs, books and bookmarks, chocolate, candy or back-to-school things, Emily and her mom said. There will also be tip jar games, food, and a homemade cake and pie auction.

They'd like to raise $5,000.

Emily got hooked on bingo while in the hospital. Johns Hopkins calls daily afternoon games at the children's center through its in-house television station and Emily even got to announce games. At home, at the first basket bingo organized by her mom's friends, she won a game and a basket filled with hair care products, shampoo, conditioner, berets and brushes.

Emily didn't have any hair at the time.

"I was so mad," she said.

"There was nothing we could do but laugh," her mom said.

The worst thing about being in the hospital, Emily said, was not being able to see her friends. The best thing was when they came to visit with a parent and could stay and watch a movie.

The best thing about being out of the hospital, she said, is being able to attend sleep-overs with her girlfriends.

She also learned what she wants to be when she grows up. "I want to be child life specialist," Emily said. "They're the people who work in the playroom at the hospital. They kept me busy.

"Then I want to be a nurse."

WHAT: Emily Gives Back Basket Bingo
WHEN: Aug. 16; doors open at noon, games begin at 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Woodsboro Fire Co. complex
WHERE: $20 in advance; $25 at the door
INFORMATION: Sandy Zimmerman, 301-401-2824 or 301-845-8569

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