By Lindsay Doty
Bodie Reuter may seem like any other busy 8-year-old kid who loves playing with his friends and shooting hoops. But the second grader from Pittsboro has already been through more than most adults. At the age of 5, he was diagnosed with All T-Cell Leukemia and he’s spent the last three years fighting for his life.
But Bodie isn’t just thinking about his own fight. For the second year in a row, he’s helping others with Bodies Brave Fight Toy Drive for children with cancer at Riley Children’s Hospital.
“There are so many kids that are fighting cancer, and I know how hard that is,” Reuter said. “I want to help them smile and feel better by giving them a fun toy to play with!”
Large colorful drop-off boxes can be found at locations sprinkled across Hendricks County-from Frazee Gardens in Brownsburg to the State Bank of Lizton in Plainfield.
In the final week for the drive, donations of teddy bears and Hot Wheels have continued to pour in.
Reuter has also raised enough to donate a red wagon to Riley, a symbol of comfort and courage for kids fighting his same fight.
As for Reuter’s fight, it’s not over. He’s doing much better, but he still has to take daily chemo meds and make monthly trips to the hospital for spinal taps and infusions.
“Bodie remains ‘cancer free,’ but they won’t give him the official clearance until year five, so we continue to FIGHT!” Kami Reuter, Bodie’s mother, said. “We continue to work through his anxiety and other side effects related to the chemotherapy, but he is excelling in school and very active in sports when he feels well.”
His family has never forgotten the day of his dreaded diagnosis in 2016. They continue to be thankful for the community that has supported Reuter – and the countless other kids – in their fight against cancer.
“Our guy continues to be a strong little boy and we are so proud of all the things he has accomplished through all this,” Kami said.
Donations of unwrapped toys to Bodie’s Brave Fight Toy Drive are still being accepted this week at the following drop-off locations:
▪ State Bank of Lizton (Pittsboro Branch) between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
▪ Carolines Boutique – Brownsburg
▪ Pittsboro Primary School between 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
▪ St. Susanna Catholic Church — Plainfield
▪ Donate online: gofundme.com/2019-bodies-brave-fight-toy-drive
