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Here's Abe's Bemidji Pioneer article:
J.W. Smith sells bracelets to benefit student with leukemia
Michelle Ruckdaschel Bemidji Pioneer
Published Wednesday, October 17, 2007

At the beginning of this year, Abe Fagerstrom, who was diagnosed with leukemia at age 2, completed more than three years of chemotherapy.

But six months later, the first-grader at J.W. Smith Elementary School relapsed and is back in a Twin Cities hospital undergoing treatments.

While Abe is away, J.W. Smith is offering its support by selling blue-and-white bracelets marked with the words “Abe is an All Star!” to benefit the 6-year-old and his family. Blue and white are the school’s colors and J.W. Smith is the “Home of the All-Stars.”

Abe Fagerstrom, 6, of Bemidji, smiles from his hospital bed for a photo taken in August.

“This is just catching like wildfire,” said first-grade teacher Hallie Baldwin, who would be Abe’s teacher this year upon his return to school.

“We ordered 1,000 (bracelets), and we just received our second shipment of 1,000,” said kindergarten teacher Nancy Aitken, who had Abe in her classroom last year.

The bracelets are available for purchase at J.W. Smith and the other schools in the Bemidji School District, as well as at the Early Childhood Family Education office in Bemidji and local businesses. The minimum donation requested for a bracelet is $2.

J.W. Smith began selling the bracelets about a month ago after a daughter of one of its PTO presidents, Annie Laituri, heard from a friend about a bracelet fundraiser for a child who was sick in Minneapolis.

Baldwin said the fundraiser for Abe, which has raised about $1,600 so far, has been a wonderful expression of support for the Fagerstroms.

“It’s a real encouragement for the family and for him,” she said.

Abe’s parents, Al and Kelly Fagerstrom, split their time between their home in Bemidji and Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, where Abe is undergoing treatments.

“One of us is usually in the Cities with Abe,” Kelly Fagerstrom said. “He does come home for, sometimes, three or four days here or there.”

She said Abe will have about two-and-a-half more years of chemotherapy. She noted that he is starting to feel the effects of the treatments — he gets sick and lacks energy.

“And it’s hard for him not to be in school with all his friends,” Kelly Fagerstrom said.

But, she said, Abe has a positive attitude.

“He’s still a happy little 6-year-old boy,” said Kelly Fagerstrom, adding that the bracelet sales mean a lot to Abe. “He thinks it’s so cool.”

This isn’t the first time J.W. Smith has surrounded the Fagerstroms with support.

When Abe was diagnosed four years ago, the school held a benefit for him and his family. At the time, his brother Isaac was a first-grader at J.W. Smith. Now, Isaac is a fifth-grader and Ben, the youngest brother, is in kindergarten.

“We cannot say enough good things about J.W. Smith,” said Kelly Fagerstrom, adding that the whole community has been very supportive. “That just helps us so much.”

And the support continues.

“In every hallway in the school, there’s a picture of Abe,” Baldwin said.

Also, J.W. Smith staff members and parents are planning a spaghetti dinner benefit for Abe and his family set for 4-7 p.m. Nov. 18 at St. Philip’s Church. A bake sale and raffle will be included.

Meanwhile, Abe’s fellow students are posting messages on his CaringBridge Web site and writing him letters as well as buying bracelets.

“It doesn’t make any difference what we do in the school, the children just want to help,” Baldwin said.

To read a journal about Abe or leave him a note, visit his CaringBridge Web site at caringbridge.org/mn/abe.

We miss you guys. Hopefully for one of the upcoming holidays we can all be together and hear all of Uncle Brian's new (whatever) jokes.