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Blank Children’s Hospital Patient Raises Money for Those Helping Him Fight Cancer by Walking Laps on Oncology Floor
DES MOINES, Iowa — When fighting cancer as a kid, especially during a pandemic, the hospital room can get pretty lonely and truthfully a little boring. That’s why many patients, like 8-year-old Gerald Terry, walk the halls to get out and get exercise. Gerald is putting those laps to good use, turning them into dollars.
“How I got the idea is because I was walking the halls every couple hours. My Aunt, she said why not just start raising money for walking in the halls? So that that’s where I got the idea from,” Gerald said.
Gerald was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma in June. He quickly started chemotherapy treatment at Blank Children’s Hospital. To get exercise, he walked the halls of the oncology floor.
“He’s always walking the halls. You can see him pretty much at any point throughout the day,” said Kirby Ales, a certified child life specialist for UnityPoint Health Des Moines. “We try to make it not be like a chore but [instead] something that they get to look forward to. The last time that I was in the hospital, me and my coworker Christy printed off targets and pinned them around the unit. So when [Gerald] and other kids can walk they get to shoot them with a Nerf gun. It’s something that’s interactive and something that they kind of get to look forward to.”
“It makes it more fun because you get exercise. And I also like shooting the Nerf guns at the targets,” Gerald said.
Gerald enjoyed it so much, he found himself sometimes walking 30 laps a day. That’s when his family decided raise money for each lap he completes. His original goal was $300 but he has crushed that. As of Friday, he has raised over $7,400.
The best part, all the money raised is going right back to those helping him fight cancer, the child life team at Blank Children’s Hospital.
“Honestly, our department was very honored that Gerald wanted to do something like that for us. That makes us feel like we’re helping him overcome some of the scary parts of being in the hospital. Even though he has been a fantastic coper since day one,” Ales said. “It also just helps us realize that we are making a difference and helping him get through this time.”
“He’s always been a real caring, giving person and very strong. So when he was doing these laps because it helps him clear the chemo, his aunt mentioned maybe doing collecting money for a charity and he really got jazzed about the idea,” said Jennifer Shane, Gerald’s mom. “It’s a great motivator to keep him exercising beyond just him wanting to get out and do something and not stare at the four walls of his hospital room. He wanted to help other people and that’s just kind of in his nature.”
During his second round of chemotherapy, he walked 104 laps and also celebrated his 8th birthday. His next round of chemo is scheduled for this upcoming Thursday.
If you want to donate to “Laps with Gerald” click here.