HEALTH
One child's good deed helps child in need
05:26 PM EDT on Monday, July 16, 2007
Reported by: Kathryn Barrett, www.wvec.com

Raising corn is helping raise the spirits of A Virginia Beach family financially strapped from their daughter's medical bills.

Two-year-old Zoe Walenius suffers from Opsiclonus Myoclonus Syndrome, or OMS. Because of it, she constantly wears a backpack that feeds her through a tube since her body doesn't absorb nutrition well.

Zoe survived cancer on her lung the size of a ping pong ball. It's in remission, but the OMS is a daily battle.

"Her immune system, instead of attacking the sick cells it's supposed to, it attacks her brain, which causes her to fall, causes her eyes to shake, her legs to tremor, causes rage attacks that just trigger for no reason," said her mother, Melodie.

Zoe suffers from symptoms of the disease and side effects of her monthly treatment.

OMS is extremely rare. Zoe's specialist is in Illinois, and the drugs she took at diagnosis cost $1,800 a month. Even with health insurance, the family's expenses to care for Zoe are extraordinary.

A member of the non-profit Noblemen and his three-year-old son had a kernel of an idea after seeing a video about Zoe.

"Kept talking about Zoe and really wouldn't stop talking about her for several days," said Rob Whitley.

Together, father and son planted corn, watered it and picked it to sell for Zoe. Money raised will go to a foundation to help Zoe and others like her.

"We just think its exciting that a three-year-old boy can get tangled up in charity and were going to do our part to make it work," said Al Midgett of the Noblemen.

"The noblemen; they are my angels, that's what they are," exclaimed Melodie.

Zoe and the Walenius family are sponsored by Rhythm of Life," a project of the Noblemen, a non-profit organization.

For information on how you can help the family, you can visit the Cancer/OMS fund or the Rhythm of Life website.