Home » Santa Clarita News » Community News » Pinetree Elementary Students Quilt Support For Classmate With Cancer

Pinetree Elementary Students Quilt Support For Classmate With Cancer

Students at Pinetree Community Elementary School in Canyon Country wanted to support their friend and schoolmate as he prepared for an invasive surgery to treat his life-threatening cancer.


Sponsored Articles


Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox.

Although only 9 years old, Elijah Greene and his parents are no strangers to hospitals, nor having the diagnosis broken to them that Elijah’s life is in danger from a deadly disease.  

Elijah was first diagnosed with three different types of cancers when he was 14 months old: neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and choroid plexus carcinoma.

But despite the odds, Elijah was able to recover from his first bout with cancer and live a relatively normal childhood. But then in April 2018, when it seemed that worrying about a relapse was finally in the rear-view, his parents noticed a lump growing on his jaw.

In August, the Greenes were told that the lump was what they had been dreading: an Osteosarcoma growth — a form of cancer that starts in the bones.

But in spite of the diagnosis, the Greenes made the decision not to allow Elijah’s life to be put on hold yet again. The family would move forward with a plan to keep him alongside his friends and classmates, despite his growing tumor.

On Sept. 24, surgeons at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles operated on Elijah for 12 hours to remove the growth from his mouth and reconstruct his entire lower jaw.

Following the successful surgery, Elijah’s parents said that they and their son’s doctors expect him to only need a three-week recovery.

In a display of solidarity with Elijah as he goes through his recovery, those very same classmates that he hopes to return to, along with PTA volunteers and teachers, all came together to fasten a quilt together in an effort to comfort him in the following weeks.

The Greenes were surprised when Jessica Lewis, a staff member at Pinetree Community Elementary, presented the quilt — decorated with the names of Elijah’s classmates — at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles prior to the surgery.

“I cried, and he was in complete shock,” said Jennifer Greene, Elijah’s mother. “We couldn’t believe it. They (even) went out of their way to sign it.”

The last few months have been challenging for Elijah’s parents, but they noted the ongoing outpouring of kindness has helped.

Elijah’s health is still at risk following the surgery — he has five cycles of future chemotherapy treatment to help ensure that the cancer is gone — but his parents are currently trading off between working and staying in their “temporary home” at the Ronald McDonald House near the hospital as their son works to regain his strength.

“We’re staying at the Ronald McDonald House while he’s in ICU for three weeks,” said Jennifer Greene. “There’s still a lot of risks because he’s open in three places … (and we’re trying to afford) being able for him to stay at that hospital the whole time.”

Greene, with the help of family members and supporters of her son, launched a GoFundme campaign seeking support from the community to help cover uncovered expenses.

To donate to Elijah’s GoFundMe campaign, click here.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to newstip@hometownstation.com.

Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 - Santa Clarita News - Santa Clarita Radio

Pinetree Elementary Students Quilt Support For Classmate With Cancer

One comment

  1. I believe this is one of the most important info for me.

    And i’m glad reading your article. However wanna
    statement on some basic issues, The site taste is ideal, the articles is actually great :D.
    Just right activity, cheers.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Gilbert Bernal

Gilbert A. Bernal Jr. has been part of the KHTS video department since Jan 2017. He was hired as video editor in June 2017 after his four-month internship in the video department. While serving as a video intern, his duties were extended to become a multimedia journalist, producing news videos for KHTS News and Features. Gilbert was added to the KHTS team as part of the station’s continued growth and expansion. An Army veteran, father and local artist Gilbert has dedicated time and energy to volunteering at schools in the Santa Clarita Valley. At Pinetree Community Elementary School, in Canyon Country, Gilbert donated art for school auctions, photographed events and painted murals. At Canyon High, he gave two art demonstrations for the “Yes I Can” organization, a peer counseling class that focuses on learning about disabilities, social inclusion, and tolerance. Starting in Feb 2017 Gilbert launched the “KHTS Man On the Street” video features which gather and reports local opinion of Santa Clarita residents on current issues or events. A return student at College of the Canyons since 2014, Gilbert has been apart of the Media Entertainment Arts department working as a college assistant. After enrolling into the film program in 2014, he was hired to work in the camera equipment room (The Cage). There he helps students with film equipment rentals and technical advice. Gilbert received his associates degree in Film Production from College of the Canyons in 2017. He is continuing his educational path and plans to attend CSUN in Fall 2018 to work for a Bachelor's degree in Film.