By GARY DEMUTH

Salina Journal

GYPSUM -- Last year, Gypsum farmer Mike Jensen experienced a miracle: his 15-year-old son, Joshua, survived a brain tumor.

This year, Jensen is hoping for another miracle.

In 1999, Jensen was diagnosed with CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia), a cancer of the lymph nodes. At the time, doctors thought Jensen would need a bone marrow transplant.

"But then the cancer stopped," said Jensen, 52. "I went through a trial treatment, and it seemed to do the trick -- until this summer."

Last July, Jensen got dizzy while working on farm equipment and fell, breaking two ribs. When X-rays were taken at the emergency room, they showed a mass in his chest.

Further tests revealed that Jensen's CLL not only was back, but he had two other cancers as well.

The second cancer was Mantle B-Cell lymphoma, a rare lymphoma that requires a bone marrow transplant. The mass in his chest was a desmoid tumor, a benign soft tissue tumor that usually arises in the abdomen or thorax area.

"The B-Cell was the most dangerous," Jensen said. "When that gets active, it brings the other cancers on."

Jensen was told he needed the bone marrow transplant as soon as possible. Bone marrow usually is matched with a close relative, but no one in Jensen's family matched. So Jensen registered with the National Marrow Donor Program Registry, which has a base of more than 6.5 million potential marrow donors throughout the world.

It costs $12,000 to $18,000 just for the search, Jensen said. The transplant could run more than $250,000.

An average family farmer in Gypsum doesn't have that kind of money.

Fortunately, Jensen lives in a community, Gypsum, that wants to help him raise the money he needs to save his life. It's the same community that helped out his family when young Joshua had a brain tumor removed in early 2007.

"Our whole community is one big family," he said.

The 'Big Give'

Project Jensen began at Joshua's school, Southeast of Saline Jr.-Sr. High School. This semester, students embarked on a family and community service project they dubbed "The Big Give."

The project was based on a television show created by talk-show host Oprah Winfrey. On "Oprah's Big Give," people were challenged to change the lives of complete strangers in creative and dramatic ways.

At Southeast of Saline, students were challenged to change the lives of families in their own communities. About seven groups embarked on fundraising projects, which are scheduled to end Dec. 10.

Not just for students

Involvement wasn't limited to just students. Four women at the school's district office wanted to participate, and they knew just what family they wanted to help.

"We knew the Jensens," said LaNell Keeler, Parents as Teachers coordinator at the district office. "Their kids go to school here, and some of us are farm families who knew them from 4-H."

After a brainstorming session, the women came up with the idea of a holiday home tour.

"There wasn't another home tour going on that weekend, so we thought there might be a good turnout," Keeler said. "We called some people we knew in the community, and they were very gracious. Some knew Mike and the kids, and others had heard his story and wanted to help anyway they could."

The Holiday Parade of Homes will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at five area homes: Rex and Jane Eberly, 8853 E. Cloud, Salina; Mike and Cheryl Murray, 2225 E. Magnolia, Salina; Robert and Vickey Simmons, 9405 S. Old Highway 81, Assaria; Bruce and Sherrie Bertrand, 357 E. Kansas, Assaria; and Gary and Kathy Slothower, 8181 S. Whitmore, Gypsum.

Kathy Slothower said the Jensens were patrons of a former restaurant she owned in Gypsum, "The Cookie Jar."

"I lost my own father to cancer, so if someone needs help, I'm glad to be there to try to help," she said.

Jensen is appreciative of the fundraising assistance and hopes his recovery will be as successful as Joshua's, who remains tumor free.

"All the people who have opened their houses for me and the students who have stepped up is so uplifting," Jensen said. "The strength I've gotten from this has helped a lot."

The girls' challenge

The Big Give project at Southeast of Saline was spearheaded by eight girls in a life dimension class supervised by Juanelle Garretson, family and consumer sciences teacher at the school.

The girls' goal was to challenge different organizations in the school, from clubs to sports teams to leadership classes, to make a difference in their communities by helping families in need in the area.

"This was started by the youngest group at our school," Garretson said. "It shows that if you start something that's positive, you can make a difference whether you're 14 or 17."

The girls -- Danielle Bradrick, Corey Donnelly, Morgan Fritz, Jasmine Harp, Jessica Knight, Lindsey Lockhart, Raimie Platt and Joslyn Wilcox -- hand-stamped, dye-cut and hand-assembled nearly 600 Christmas cards to sell at various events.

Proceeds from the sale of the cards will go to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life and Hospice of Kansas.

Another project the girls helped organize is Family Wish Night, where families are invited to compete with each other in contests and enjoy a meal of chili and cinnamon rolls. The event is from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Southeast of Saline Elementary School gym and cafeteria.

Funds raised will go to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., and the Salina-based Love, Chloe Foundation, which raises funds for families with children that have cancer.

It's good to help others

"It's been nice to do something for others than yourself," said Fritz, a Southeast of Saline freshman.

The "Big Give" project began with an Oct. 16 kick-off assembly and will end with another assembly Dec. 10, where teams will give power-point or video presentations of their projects.

Those judged to be the most successful at their projects will win prizes: third place wins an ice cream party for the team, second place is a pizza party and first place is a catered meal by a "fancy" restaurant.

Judges include school superintendent Justin Henry, Salina Area United Way marketing and campaign director Bill Weaver and Rep. Josh Svaty, D-Ellsworth.

Garretson hopes to sponsor more "Big Give" projects at the school, perhaps on an every-other-year basis.

"The concept of it has been fantastic," she said. "I'd like to get more people involved in it next time."

WHAT: Holiday Parade of Homes, a fundraiser for cancer victim Mike Jensen

WHEN: 1-5 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: 8853 E. Cloud, Salina; 2225 E. Magnolia, Salina; 8181 S. Whitmore, Gypsum; 9405 S. Old Highway 81, Assaria; 357 E. Kansas, Assaria

TICKETS: $8 in advance or two for $15; $10 at the door. Homes may be toured in any order.

INFORMATION: (785) 536-4291.

There also will be a bone marrow donor drive for Jensen from 2 to 8 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Southeast of Saline Jr.-Sr. High School district office. To sign up, or for more information, call (785) 536-4286.

nReporter Gary Demuth can be reached at 822-1405 or by e-mail at gdemuth@salina.com.

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