Small town neighborhood rallies together to create 'last' Christmas in summer for girl, 9, with terminal cancer
Kasey Zachmann, 9, of Bethesda, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer called medulloblastoma when she was five years old.
After years of grueling surgeries, trials, and rounds of chemo and radiation, her parents, Alyssa and Joe, received heartbreaking news from her doctors on June 23.
Doctors said Kasey's cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and she may only have a few weeks to live.
Learning what no parent ever wants to hear, Alyssa and Joe were determined to make sure their daughter spends her time joyfully and surrounded by loved ones.
And with Kasey's diagnosis day, June 28, just days away at the time, they planned to turn the glum anniversary into Kasey's favorite holiday - Christmas Day.
'I was trying to think of fun things that we could do for Kasey to build memories,' Alyssa told Bethesda Magazine.
'So we thought it would be amazing to give her the chance to celebrate Christmas one last time.'
Her immediately parents reached out to their neighbors, asking for them to decorate their homes with Christmas lights.
'This week will be incredibly hot and not the best climate for putting up lights, but we're not sure how much time we have,' the Zachmanns wrote to their neighbors, NBC reported.
Despite the scorching heat and humidity, hundreds of community members happily complied with the festive request.
As neighbors decked the town with lights and wore Christmas-themed outfits, 25 firetrucks drove over to the Zachmann's house - bringing Santa along with them.
Kasey, wearing a Nutcracker-themed dress, smiled as she enjoyed the day with other kids in her neighborhood and her sister, Zara. She also received cards and gifts.
She and her family made sure to drive by each and every house that participated to show their gratitude.
'It was magical. We tried to get to every single house, so it took us two hours to drive around,' Alyssa told Bethesda Magazine, noting that some people were standing in the rain when they arrived.
What started as an email to those living nearby blew up into an event spanning 11 neighborhoods along the DC-Maryland border, according to The Washington Post.
This diagnosis day turned holiday party was even celebrated nationally, with people from all 50 states sending in videos to wish Kasey a merry Christmas.
'June 28 for us has been diagnosis day, has been a heavy day for us,' Alyssa told NBC.
'For us to now be able to think about June 28 as Christmas in June, especially next year, we're so thankful.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
St Dennis Hub helps people cope with the cost of living
A community hub operating in St Dennis and Bugle is providing a lifeline for people struggling to cope with rising bills and the cost of living. The "multi-information hubs" were set up by Fiona Hunt, a social prescribing worker at the Clays Practice in Roche, who wanted to bring different agencies together to help the community access guidance. She said people could benefit from a range of services, including paying their water bills, obtaining heating grants, housing support and benefit advice. "People can get heating grants; if they're in a bit of debt with their electricity company Community Energy Plus can help, a whole range of things," she said. Ali Griffin said she did not leave her house for 18 months during the Covid-19 pandemic because of complications with her health. She said there were no services for her to access in Fraddon and she suffered from loneliness. But when she moved to St Dennis her life was transformed. "The community centre here was my lifeline," she said. "I came here to do the art club, the book club, the craft club, sewing club, I've come here to the ukulele club and also there's the hub that does various services for us to use."The support you get from the team has been brilliant, they've become friends," she said. Fiona Wakeman suffered a brain injury following a car incident 31 years ago and sustained another head injury at the end of 2023. She also suffers from chronic fatigue and memory problems. She said: "I use it (the hub) for the Disability Employment Advisor, Talking Therapies and seeing Fiona who is a social prescriber, because over the years she has signposted me to many different places and it is invaluable." Hub user Keith Benham said it had been a lifeline for him after he was signed off work after suffering nerve damage in his hands and feet."It was devastating, he said. "I left school when I was 15 and I'm 62 now. I've never been out of work. "Coming here through Fiona, the social prescriber, she's got me out in the community doing things, " he said. The information hub is held at ClayTAWK community centre on the first Wednesday of the month and at Bugle Village Hall on the first Tuesday of every month. ClayTAWK manager Kerry Merrifield said they want more people to use the available services. "We're not restricted to St Dennis, anyone can use this building, so come along, see what we've got to offer and if we can help, we will," she said.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Obesity drug prices are dropping, but getting a steady supply remains a challenge
Prices are falling for the popular obesity treatments Wegovy and Zepbound, but steady access to the drugs remains challenging. The medications still amount to around $500 per month for those without insurance — out of reach for many patients. And even for people with insurance, coverage remains uneven. 'The medications should be available, the question is at what price and can people sustain that,' said Matt Maciejewski, a Duke University professor who studies obesity treatment coverage. Doctors say the situation forces them to get creative in treating patients, but there's hope that prices may fall more in the future. The drugs are still in high demand Wegovy and Zepbound are part of a wave of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity. Zepbound brought in $2.3 billion in U.S. sales during this year's first quarter, making it one of drugmaker Eli Lilly's best sellers. Novo Nordisk says Wegovy has about 200,000 weekly prescriptions in the U.S., where it brought in nearly $1.9 billion in first-quarter sales. Insurance coverage is increasing — for some The benefits consultant Mercer says more businesses with 500 or more employees are adding coverage of the injected drugs for their workers and family members. And Novo says 85% of its patients who have coverage in the U.S. pay $25 or less per month. Plus some patients with diabetes can get coverage of the GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro from Novo and Lilly that are approved to treat that condition. But most state and federally funded Medicaid programs don't cover the drugs for obesity and neither does Medicare, the federal program mainly for people age 65 and older. Even the plans that cover the drugs often pay only a portion of the bill, exposing patients to hundreds of dollars in monthly costs, said Dr. Beverly Tchang. Drugmakers offer help with these out-of-pocket costs, but that assistance can be limited. 'Coverage is not the same as access,' said Tchang, a New York-based doctor who serves as a paid advisor to both Novo and Lilly. But coverage remains inconsistent Bill-payers like employers are nervous about drugs that might be used by a lot of people indefinitely. Some big employers have dropped coverage of the drugs due to the expense. Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, also are starting to pick one brand over the other as they negotiate deals with the drugmakers. One of the nation's largest PBMs, run by CVS Health, dropped Zepbound from its national formulary, or list of covered drugs, on July 1 in favor of Wegovy. That forced Tchang to figure out another treatment plan for several patients, many of whom took Zepbound because it made them less nauseous. Dr. Courtney Younglove's office sends prospective patients a video link showing them how to check their insurer's website for coverage of the drugs before they visit. 'Then some of them just cancel their appointment because they don't have coverage,' the Overland Park, Kansas, doctor said. Cheaper compounded drugs are still being sold Compounding pharmacies and other entities were allowed to make off-brand, cheaper copies of Wegovy and Zepbound when there was a shortage of the drugs. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined earlier this year that the shortage had ended. That should have ended the compounded versions, but there is an exception: Some compounding is permitted when a drug is personalized for the patient. The health care company Hims & Hers Health offers compounded doses of semaglutide, the drug behind Wegovy, that adjust dose levels to help patients manage side effects. Hims says these plans start at $165 a month for 12 months, with customers paying in full upfront. It's a contentious issue. Eli Lilly has sued pharmacies and telehealth companies trying to stop them from selling compounded versions of its products. Novo recently ended a short-lived partnership with Hims to sell Wegovy because the telehealth company continued compounding. Novo says the compounded versions of its drug put patient safety at risk because ingredients are made by foreign suppliers not monitored by US regulators. Hims says it checks all ingredients to make sure they meet U.S. quality and safety standards. It also uses a third-party lab to verify that a drug's strength is accurately labeled. Prices have dropped Both drugmakers are selling most of their doses for around $500 a month to people without insurance, a few hundred dollars less than some initial prices. Even so, that expense would eat up about 14% of the average annual per person income in the U.S., which is around $43,000. There are some factors that may suppress prices over time. Both companies are developing pill versions of their treatments. Those could hit the market in the next year or so, which might drive down prices for the older, injectable doses. Younglove said some of her patients save as much as 15% by getting their doses shipped from a pharmacy in Canada. They used to get them from an Israeli pharmacy until the Canadians dropped their prices. She says competition like this, plus the introduction of pill versions, will pressure U.S. prices. 'I think price wars are going to drive it down,' she said. 'I think we are in the early stages. I have hope.' ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
It is the state known as a safe haven for retirees - now thousands are starving and sleeping in cars
A number of senior citizens in South Florida are experiencing homelessness, forcing them to sleep inside their cars. Soaring rents and a lack of affordable housing has forced some of those in the Sunshine State to spend their twilight years sleeping rough. Carolyn Simon is one of those, having resorted to sleeping upright in the front seat of her car for two months due to not being able to afford a place to live. She spoke with WSVN about her troubles in May, revealing she is reliant on social security for money and parks up inside well-lit parking to catch some shuteye. Demonstrating her sleeping stance to the outlet, the 78-year-old said: 'Since I've been here, I sleep here in this seat, scrunched down. 'My ankles and legs are swollen from having to sit all the time. I buy jug water, it's cheaper. And I eat one meal a day, for $2.02, and then I get a free senior drink.' Carolyn resorted to showering at a nearby gym thanks to her Medicare plan which gets her inside the facility for free. She added: 'It can happen to anyone. Don't think it can't, because I never thought about it.' In 2019, the amount of people aged 65 and over accounted for almost eight percent of the homeless population in Miami-Dade County, the Homeless Trust said. That number had nearly doubled to a shocking 14 percent in 2024, with projections indicating it could hit 22 percent by the year 2030. In January of this year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said in a report that homelessness had reached a record high in 2024. Over 770,000 had experienced homeless on a single night in 2024, an increase of around 18 percent compared to 2023. The report found that 146,000 found that older adults had experienced homelessness, an increase of six percent. Maria Navarro, another elderly Florida resident like Carolyn, spoke with CBS News last October, revealing how despite working seven days a week, she still has to sleep in her car. She told the outlet it is very depressing at times and that instead of enjoying retirement she uses a dumpster area to shower using buckets. Maria works at a mall as a security guard near where she sleeps every night, but the money is still not enough to secure housing, she added. The Housing and Social Services Manager for the City of Pompano Beach, Cassandra Rhett, said that soaring rents was forcing the elderly onto the streets. She said: 'The rent is skyrocketed. That's a main factor of why all these seniors are on the street, is because they cannot afford the rent.' Ron Book, Chairman of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, said homeless seniors are among the most vulnerable. He told the outlet: 'The face of homelessness has changed. I want people in our community to think about their mothers, and their grandmothers, and their grandfathers being homeless for the first time. After Carolyn's story was aired last month, local leaders banded together to help her find accommodation. She has now moved into a one-bedroom apartment in a 55 and over community. Following the move, Carolyn said: 'It's unbelievable. I mean, I'm in shock. Everything's moved so fast, everybody's been so wonderful.' The rent for the apartment is $1,200 a month, but the Broward County's Elderly and Veterans Services said they would help her with $300 a month, making it feasible. She added: 'I still love my car. My mechanic tells me, "You got to get rid of it, Carolyn." I says, "You gonna get rid of me 'cause I'm old?" It goes where I go.'
