High School Students Raise Money For Frankfort Girl With Brain Tumor

FRANKFORT, IL — When a callout to help a family of a 6-year-old girl from Frankfort with an inoperable brain tumor hit social media in January, individuals and businesses responded in a big way. Donations and acts of kindness have been pouring in ever since, with the latest coming from a group of students at Oak Forest High School.

The young girl is Maggie DeVries. Her brain tumor is located in her brain stem. The brain stem controls functions such as breathing and heart rate, according to information from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It also controls the nerves and muscles that help people see, hear, walk, talk and eat.

Members of the OFHS Key Club challenged their fellow students to raise money through a "Pennies for Patients" fundraiser. Each day during the fundraiser, students could donate during their 2nd our classes.

In the end, OFHS science teacher Lynn Galloway's 2nd Hour class raised the majority of the $1,000 for Maggie, all of which will be presented to the DeVries family Monday during a private gathering at OFHS.

Maggie's parents, Erin and Pete DeVries, are alumni of OFHS.

"Mrs. Galloway did not offer extra credit to her students for participating [in the program]," OFHS Key Club Adviser Gary Andruch said in a news release from the school. "She gave a heartfelt speech and told them about Maggie, and the students did all of the work. Some days the students turned in so much change in a plastic bag that I thought it would rip the bottom of it out."

Some of the students shared why they felt it was important to them to make donations.

"My sister has a rare genetic disorder," said Jason Komar, an OFHS junior. "So I see support for this family and I know how important it is. So that’s why I gave [to the fundraiser]."

Elizabeth Kneeland, also a junior, was credited as a major catalyst for the class to start donating to the fundraiser.

"My best friend's mom passed away from cancer and that motivated me and it was emotional," Kneeland said.

Maggie's condition is called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG. It is so rare that only about 200 to 300 children per year are diagnosed with DIPG, according to a medical paper published on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website.

For more information on ways to donate, or to check in and see how Maggie is doing on her journey, visit the "Love for Maggie" Facebook page.

• Related: 'Love For Maggie': Thousands Rally Behind Girl With Brain Tumor