Sharing and supporting one of our own

Today I officially shared some hard news about one of our students. Below is an email that I sent out to 600+ families and then later to our 100+ staff members about one of our students who is battling brain cancer.

In the coming months we will share additional ways that our community can rally behind the Houston family and our friend, Ely. 

We thank each of you in advance for the countless ways you have and will continue to lift this family up.

Here is what we sent out to our families today:

"Baker-Butler parents and guardians:

I am writing to share information about one of our students, Ely Houston.

I am sending this message in partnership with our PTO as well as his parents, who have shared the parts below in italics.

"Recently Ely Houston, a sharp and very athletic 4th grader in Ms. Wright's classroom, was diagnosed with a type of pediatric brain tumor called a medulloblastoma. He had a successful surgery at UVA on September 28th to remove the tumor, and he had a follow-up surgery on October 9th to install a shunt. He has spent the last couple of weeks at Johns Hopkins (Kennedy Krieger Children's Hospital) in Maryland participating in the physical therapy program there.

He has not been home since his first surgery on September 28th.

Ely has a younger brother, Graham, in 2nd grade in Ms. Baker's classroom. He also has an older brother, Marek, in 6th grade at Sutherland and an older sister, Katelyn, in her freshman year at Albemarle High School. Ely's mom, Allyson, works as a United States Tennis Association Tennis Official and has been an active volunteer at Baker-Butler. His dad, Mark, is a career Army Officer and is the Professor of Military Sciences at UVA.

Ely will have several months of follow up treatment (radiation, chemotherapy, spinal taps, physical therapy, etc), but at this point in Ely's recovery the family is asking only for your thoughts and prayers. The Houstons will bring Ely home on Thursday, October 29th and they are planning to stop by Baker-Butler prior to the school's Trunk or Treat. This will be Ely's first opportunity since late September to visit his school and friends.

If you would like to visit Ely and to welcome him home, please join us in the main lobby and library of the school starting at 6:00pm."

I know that it is difficult to receive news like this, but we - both the school and his family- want to keep you all informed about Ely and his family. We have been working closely with his family and our staff, including classroom teachers and school counselors, for the past 4 weeks as we support both Ely and Graham as well as their classmates and friends. As the Houstons need meals and other ways of support in the future, they will communicate with us and then we will share those needs with our school community.

If you are available, I invite you to come to Baker-Butler tomorrow starting at 6pm to welcome Ely home.

We will be holding this time tomorrow with the Houstons even if inclement weather forces us to postpone or cancel Trunk or Treat, which begins at 6:30pm tomorrow.

Thank you for your support of our students and families, and in particular Ely, Graham, Marek, Katelyn, Ally, and Mark Houston. 

Sincerely,

Steve Saunders, Principal"