Nicolas Henkel (left) and Rowen Young, both from central Alberta, passed away from leukemia in 2020 and 2021. (Supplied)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

keeping their spirit alive

Bottle drive in honour of two local youngsters recently passed from leukemia

Aug 18, 2022 | 9:32 AM

A bottle drive to support kids cancer treatment is happening this weekend in Red Deer.

The third annual Nicolas and Rowen’s Bottle Drive is in honour of two local youngsters — Nicolas Henkel and Rowen Young — who shared the same diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Rowen, whom rdnewsNOW wrote about in 2020, passed away in spring of that year. Nicolas passed away in 2021.

Their parents met and bonded in years past as the kids were receiving treatment simultaneously at Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Funds raised from the bottle drive go to Kids Cancer Care and Helping Families Handle Cancer.

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“Kids Cancer Care provides help to families both throughout the hospital stay and beyond. They run summer camps, physical therapy, counselling, tutoring for kids who can’t attend school and so much more. These services all come at no cost and are provided for the whole family, not just the sick child,” says Jamelle Bloomer, Nicolas’s mom.

“Helping Families Handle Cancer provides so much financial support throughout your child’s whole journey, including help with covering gas, parking, gift cards for groceries and much more. Once during our son’s stay in the hospital, we had an unexpected dental bill and Helping Families paid it.”

Bloomer says they’re also keeping another young boy and family friend, Malcolm, who was recently diagnosed with osteosarcoma, in their hearts as the bottle drive is going.

To arrange a pick-up, email rainingbuckets@yahoo.ca, or you can drop items off at Cosmos Bottle Depot on Orr Drive in Red Deer from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 21.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Bottle drive in honour of two local youngsters recently passed from leukemia

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