LINDALE, TX (KLTV) -
A group of third graders from College Street Elementary School
in Lindale are working to raise money for a boy who is fighting West Nile
meningitis.
12-year-old Wade Gamblin of Lindale recently came out of his
coma but is still in a Dallas hospital.
His family says Gamblin is preparing to start chemotherapy
to fight his infection.
Some of the students raising money at College Street
Elementary School are in the same class as Wade's little sister.
The group is competing in a program called Destination
Imagination and this year they chose a community service challenge, which will
benefit Wade.
"He's
paralyzed from his neck down. They have to cut a hole in his neck and put a
tube in it just so he can breathe," says third grader Blake Blain.
Wade's condition is a hard thing for the group of young
students to imagine.
"We know his sister and so we just felt we need to help him,"
says Gavin James, another third grader in the group.
The students decided one way they can help Wade is by
creating T-shirts to sell as a fundraiser. All proceeds from the T-shirt sales
will go to Wade's medical fund, which is set up First Convenience Banks all over
East Texas.
"His
family has a lot of medical bills so we're just trying to get as much money as
we can to help his family pay those bills," Blain says.
Their
leader, Leslie Cain, says the kids came up with the fundraising idea all on
their own. She plans to take them to Dallas to meet Wade.
"I think seeing
him and actually putting a face to this name, that's going to be kind of a full
circle moment for them," Cain says.
Even before meeting
wade, it seems the students understand.
"Even if we don't
win, we'll still feel good inside because we're helping a local person who is
very sick," says Blain.
The students plan to
sell their shirts at various locations in Lindale. They are accepting orders on
their Facebook page "Fighting for Wade Gamblin."
You can also donate
to the Wade Gamblin medical fund at First Convenience Banks all over East
Texas.
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