Help from local schools is greatly appreciated

Dear Editor,

I wanted to take a moment this week to praise two of our local schools.

In February, my daughter Chelsea was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. She was half way through her Grade 12 year at George McDougall High School (GMHS). She underwent 10 weeks of chemotherapy, a knee replacement in May, and is still in chemotherapy now.

Through the assistance of teachers and administration at GMHS and a friend helping with tutoring, Chelsea managed to graduate with honours and with her class in June. Without the amazing staff at GMHS, this would not have been possible. In light of everything that’s gone on with GMHS in the past week or so, we wanted to offer a positive and well earned praise to the caring teachers at this school that have helped us through this extremely hard time with compassion and sensitivity.

In conjunction with GMHS, Chelsea took her Science 30 through Rocky View Learning Connection in Airdrie. At the end of the school year, the kids at the trade school there held a car wash at their location at Cam Clark Ford, they raised money and unknown to us, decided to donate the money to Chelsea for her continuing education.

We received it at the end of the school year, and were able to send them a thank you card, but with the end of the school term as well as their move in location, we aren’t sure they received it, so we would like to thank them with this letter.

Chelsea has been accepted to Lethbridge University and will start there in the fall of 2013 after her recovery is complete.

Phyllis Niekamp, Crossfield