The Ludwig family spoke tearfully to the crowd, thanking them for their support. From left, they are Anastyn, held by Makenna, Carrie, Alizabeth, held by Larry, Madelyn, and Abigail. Mom Carrie (with microphone) explained that cancer impacts not only the one who is ill, but everyone involved. Alizabeth was diagnosed in December with leukemia, and she faces another two years of treatment at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital. Funds raised will help support Alizabeth and her family in the coming weeks and months and years of treatment and care for Alizabeth.
Photo courtesy of Laurie Kohnen.
By Jean Doran Matua, Editor
Every once in a while, our communities join together to form a Community, capital “C.” This past Saturday, Sept. 22, was such a time.
More than a thousand people gathered at the Roadside Tavern, a little bar in the little town of Roscoe, to support a little girl with a big challenge. Alizabeth Ludwig is only 4 years old, but she’s fighting leukemia with all she’s got. So far she’s winning, but Alizabeth is expected to require two more years of treatment that includes chemotherapy. Chemo can be brutal enough on an adult, and it is hard on 4-year-old Alizabeth. She has been hospitalized several times for side-effects of the chemo.
A group of friends and family quickly stepped in back in December, first with a meal train for the family, then with T-shirts they sold that say “I’m fighting cancer … What’s your superpower?” They moved on to planning the big benefit held Saturday in Roscoe. Stacey Moehrle was the first to step up, and was head of the planning committee for the benefit.
The benefit ran from 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, in Roscoe (near Paynesville). A hot beef sandwich meal was served, and there was both a silent and a live auction. There were fun activities for kids, of course, like face painting. And there was a 50/50 raffle, wall of beer, rack of wine, and gift certificate board. Even the bar donated part of their proceeds to the Ludwigs.
You may remember that Kimball senior Mitchell Jansky was diagnosed the same week as Alizabeth, in his case with osteosarcoma. Jansky has completed his treatment (also at Children’s Hospital at the U of M), coordinated around his school schedule and even prom, has been declared cancer-free, and is now at NDSU in North Dakota beginning his college academic career.
Please continue to remember the Ludwig family with all the battles big and small ahead of them.
Children’s Hospital is the best place Alizabeth could be right now for medical treatment with experienced, expert staff.
And here is the best place she and her family could be right now for all the prayer and support surrounding them from the Community, with a capital “C.”
Thank you to everyone who has helped in any way!
You can follow Alizabeth’s journey at caringbridge.org.