By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
No one wants to see the flashing red lights of a firetruck outside the house just before Christmas. But Levi Harrison did not mind so much Wednesday evening. Great Bend Fire Department personnel purchased Christmas gifts for five Kans for Kids cancer warriors. Levi's gifts were personally delivered by Santa, who brought a fire truck and ambulance instead of his customary sleigh.
"Levi loved the lights," said Levi's mother, Heather Atteberry. "Although he was shy at first, he warmed up to them quickly. He sat on Santa’s lap for some photos and then went on a ride in the front seat of the fire truck. His world definitely lit up."
Santa was none other than firefighter and advanced EMT Skyler Edwards, playing the role for the first time since kindergarten. The night was extra special since Edwards and his wife, Paige, are both leukemia survivors.
"The other night, seeing Levi's eyes light, just seeing the fire engine there," Edwards said. "We rolled up with the sirens on and the lights on, and it just brought a spark to his eye. He was more mesmerized with the lights than I think he was even with Santa Claus being there."
Given back is nothing new to the fire department nor Edwards, who actually met his wife while they were both donating time at a camp.
"It's always awesome to be able to give back to the cancer community," Skyler said. "So much was given to me when I was a kid. My wife and I both had different types of leukemia. We met at a camp when we were adults. We gave back time to that camp a week or a weekend at a time just to help with the kids, help show them a good time, and help get their minds off being sick."
One of the organizations GBFD Social and Charity supports is Kans for Kids. Atteberry said support from groups like the Great Bend firefighters makes all the difference.
"It makes us proud to be a part of a community that comes together to support an organization like Kans for Kids," she said. "Kans for kids helps families financially, but also emotionally, too. They truly become a family that no one plans to be a part of. Without GBFD and others' support, we would not have that support during a time of need. No words can express how grateful we are for the GBFD and others like them."
Levi, now two years old, was born with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, a disorder that is rarely life-threatening but can damage tissue or cause lesions. Levi was diagnosed with the rare disorder when he was just seven days old.
"It causes open sores on parts of his body that can take long periods of time to heal," Atteberry said. "His treatment was topical creams to the sores, as his disease didn’t affect anything internally. Levi’s disease has been inactive since November 2021, but he will always have Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis."
The timing of his birth and the diagnosis meant Levi and his parents, Atteberry and Brandon Harrison, had to endure part of the COVID-19 pandemic while spending a lot of time in hospitals.
"We could only have one parent in the hospital with Levi," said Atteberry. "So one of us had to wait hours in the parking garage while the other was in the hospital with Levi. Another struggle for any family in this area is any treatment for a child with cancer has to happen at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City. It gets extremely expensive for any family who has to travel so far for treatment."
Levi's disease has been inactive for 13 months, but he will have to continue with follow-ups for the next five years to ensure the disease remains inactive.