CROSSING SCHOOL BORDERS: Red Level High School students raise money for Straughn High student
Published 12:00 am Friday, March 3, 2017
- From left to right: Javen Poindexter, Marianne Vigor, Christy Cartwright, Evan Russell, Meredith Nall, Summer Beverl present a check to Christy Cartwright, Gordie’s mother.
Red Level students recently crossed school boundaries to bless a student at another local school.
“During Random Acts of Kindness Week, Red Level School held its annual senior vs. faculty basketball game to raise funds for a cause near and dear to the students,’ said RLHS teacher Tori Adams. “Red Level students chose Gordie Cartwright as the recipient of all the profits from the game this year.”
The students raised more than $1,200 to donate to Cartwright and his family.
“We always want to help someone or some cause that is important to us,” said Red Level High School student council president Meredith Nall. “Several of us had heard about Gordie and his battle with cancer, and we wanted him to know we cared about him and support his fight.”
Cartwright was diagnosed in October 2014 with CML, a form of leukemia that starts inside the bone marrow and causes uncontrolled growth of immature cells that make a certain type of white blood cells called myeloid cells.
He recently received a bone marrow transplant from his sister, and is still undergoing treatment at M.D. Anderson.
His mom, Christy, said Red Level students truly touched her heart.
“We may battle on the field or on the court, but neighbors have no boundaries,” she said. “We just thank them for thinking of Gordie during this time of need. We are truly blessed to live in a community with such open and giving hearts.”
Christy said that Gordie has had a good week.
“They changed some meds so he can produce platelets,” she said. “He’s eating better and getting his fluids. He misses home and his friends so much.”
Last week, she said that Gordie had lost 66 pounds and still had no hair.