3 thoughts on “Friends remember Wayland girl, raise $10K to fight cancer”

1. Cheyenne was my cousin. I had no idea 10K was raised in her honor in 2017, 10 years after her death. I know of a charity walk that happened around 2010, give or take a couple years, which was done in her honor and in the honor of a few others who were lost to cancer. Surely this can’t be what is being referred to, no? If not, then this walk seems to have gone completely unreported on, or at least any reports mentioning Cheyenne’s name. I can’t be sure though, because the link in this article is broken. If anybody has any information, I’d be very appreciative.

2. Jessie, I’m sorry the link is broken. I’ll try to retrieve a copy of the original article, and let you know if I’m able to locate and upload it.

3. Jessie,

   Here is the text of that article:

   Cheyenne Morrell was always thinking about others, from the child sitting alone in the lunchroom to her fellow patients battling cancer.

   Cheyenne, who grew up in Wayland, would plunk down next to the lonely child. And when her oncologist dressed up as Santa Claus during one of her hospital stays, Cheyenne joined in on the holiday spirit.

   “She wanted to be the one to go through that floor and put a smile on everyone’s face,” recalled her mother, Pat Morrell. “She wanted to be a Santa along with him.”

   Cheyenne died from a rare form of sarcoma a decade ago when she was just 10 years old. But, her infectious personality and unwavering desire to help others rubbed off on those who knew her. Her friends organized a variety of fundraisers including ornament decorating, miniature golf and foul shooting. They raised about $10,000, money that was recently donated to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Cheyenne loved animals and they hope the donation will support breakthroughs in the fight against cancer gleaned from research with zebrafish.

   Zebrafish are particularly useful because their skin is translucent, allowing researchers to monitor tumors. They also rapidly reproduce and share many genes with humans, according to a blog post on Dana-Farber’s website.

   “It’s a terrible, terrible disease and there’s no good that comes from it so we need to figure out what to do to fix the problem,” said Ian Katz, who met Cheyenne in kindergarten at Claypit Hill Elementary School and helped with fundraisers. “The only way to do that is to research and study and learn as much as we can about the disease.”

   They lost touch when Katz, now 20, went to private school, but reconnected while Cheyenne battled cancer.

   Katz recalled how Cheyenne, even when she was sick, was so happy to see him.

   “She loved everybody and everything. … She just constantly wanted everyone else to be happy.”

   Dorthie Koutsoufis, 21, also met Cheyenne in kindergarten. They both had red hair and instantly bonded.

   Koutsoufis recalled how Cheyenne was always happy and kind, despite her battle with cancer.

   “I think that made people realize they can be kind to everybody too,” said Koutsoufis, who also helped raise money.

   She hopes the donation will mean other kids will not have to face what Cheyenne battled.

   “Cheyenne’s friends and family had raised funds in her honor and were looking for a fitting way to pay tribute to her,” Erica Lennon, associate director, annual giving at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute said in a statement. “When they learned about the Zebrafish Display and saw it in person, it was clear that it would be a wonderful fit. Their gift supports Dana-Farber’s innovative research and patient care, and we are so happy that Cheyenne’s family found this meaningful way to honor her memory.”

   The display is an interactive wall at Dana-Farber that includes two fish for Cheyenne and her friends.

   Morrell said the fundraising touches her heart.

   “They stepped up at a time when they were sad and possibly not understanding the loss of a friend,” she said of Cheyenne’s buddies. “They were 10 years old.”

   Cheyenne was wise beyond her years and accepted everyone, those who knew her recalled.

   “She would do everything in her power to make you feel better,” Morrell said.

   Morrell is confident Cheyenne would have raised money for research if a friend had died from cancer. She would be proud to know what her friends did in her memory.

   “She would be so happy she had such an impact on their lives,” Morrell said.

   A memorial fund in Cheyenne’s name is still open. People wishing to make a donation can email family friend Susan Burbage at ssburbage5@aol.com.

   Brian Benson can be reached at 508-626-3964 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @bbensonmwdn.