Monday, March 26, 2007

His selfless wish
Make-A-Wish granted Colton Wilson's hope for a better field for his varsity baseball team at South Whidbey High School

By Kevin Johnson, Herald Writer
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LANGLEY - If you had one wish, what would it be? Money? A vacation? Another wish or two? How about asking for something for someone else? Maybe something for your high school or your community. Perhaps for a new baseball field. That's the dream the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted last month to Colton Wilson.

Colton, a sophomore catcher on the South Whidbey High School varsity baseball team, was diagnosed last July with a rare form of cancer known as Ewing's sarcoma.

Ewing's sarcoma is characterized by the presence of cancer cells in the bone or soft tissue. According to the American Cancer Society's Web site, about 150 children and adolescents in the United States are diagnosed with this type of tumor each year. Colton's cancer was found in the tibia of his right leg.

During his treatment, the Make-A-Wish Foundation learned of his illness. The foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Last year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska, Montana, Northern Idaho and Washington granted 260 wishes, typically for family vacations or other personal requests.

Though most diehard baseball fans might have chosen to have a catch with their favorite big-league player or see their favorite team at spring training, Colton chose a different path - renovating the high school baseball field. The wish caught everyone - his parents, his coach, even the people at the Make-A-Wish Foundation - by surprise. No one expected a wish like this. Especially from a teenager.

"Kids usually wish for something for themselves," Jessie Elenbaas, Colton's Make-A-Wish coordinator said. "It's one of those rare wishes, so selfless. It's a powerful thing."

Said Dave Guetlin, South Whidbey's head baseball coach: "It blew my socks off that a young man could be that selfless. It's just jaw-dropping. It truly is."

In a letter to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Colton explained his reasoning. "The reason I chose this wish is because my community has been behind me with each step of this hard experience," he wrote. "Their fundraisers, cards, homemade food, phone calls, and more have helped me get through this and I want to return the favor." Colton learned he was qualified for a wish while going through his first round of chemotherapy. Shortly after, while still at Children's Hospital in Seattle, he decided on his request. He told his older sister, Stina, he wanted a new field for the high school.

"It was just amazing," Colton's mother, Lana Wilson, said. "I didn't know how amazing it was until the coach came over and he was in tears."

A frightening diagnosis

Colton's battle with Ewing's sarcoma began last summer.

On a Saturday in July, he was riding his dirt bike on property down the street from his home when he began to feel pain in his right shin. That evening, the pain intensified and Colton had trouble sleeping. But the following morning, the pain was gone. Colton went to spend the night at his grandmother's house in Mukilteo. He planned to a attend a baseball camp at Everett Community College the next day.

But the pain returned and once again he had trouble sleeping. His grandmother took him to a walk-in clinic in Everett. Doctors took an X-ray of the leg. After more X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams the Wilsons heard the shocking news - Colton had a tumor. He was advised to head straight to Children's Hospital in Seattle to begin treatment.

Colton went through his first round of chemotherapy in August to shrink the tumor. In November, surgeons removed 51/2 inches of his bone and replaced it with bone from a donor.

On March 6, doctors took an X-ray to see how the natural bone was reacting to the donor bone. "Everything looked really good," Lana Wilson said. "They say that they are, 'Talking to each other.'"

Community support

Colton currently walks with the aid of crutches, although he recently got the OK to put more weight on his right leg and can abandon the crutches when he's home.

Meanwhile, his teammates and the community have rallied around the teenager and his wish.

All 26 South Whidbey baseball players - junior varsity and varsity included - have gone under the razor, shaving their heads to honor their teammate, who lost his hair while undergoing chemotherapy.

The players also wear Colton's jersey number - 51 - on their caps.

"We just wanted to rally around him," teammate C.J. Baker said.

Colton's wish list for the Falcons' baseball field includes, among other things, a new outfield fence, bleachers, field tarps, pitching screens and a new mound.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation plans to secure much of the needed materials through donations, then use its resources to fill in the gaps. Elenbaas said the goal is to have the renovation completed by the end of the school year.

Even beyond the field improvements, Colton's wish has had a positive impact on the community, Guetlin said. "Colton has touched a lot of lives, he really has," Guetlin said. "I talk about him in my classes (saying), 'You're all going to have adversity. Look at what Colton's doing.' There are a lot of lessons to be learned from someone like Colton."

Throughout his battle with cancer, Colton has maintained a positive attitude. "He said, 'There's a reason this happened to me,'" Lana Wilson said. "Something good will come from all this.'"

His mother says that Colton's prognosis is good. He turned 16 in early February and got his driver's license a couple days later. The chemotherapy ends in June and he should be done with all of his tests by July.

In the meantime, coach Guetlin already has a job lined up for Colton when he returns to practice. The catcher, who earned a varsity letter last season as a freshman, will be charting pitches and driving around the field in a golf cart. And who knows, maybe next season he'll once again be crouching behind the plate, this time receiving pitches in the House that Colton Built.

His own field of dreams.

Colton's wish

Colton Wilson's wish to see the South Whidbey High School baseball field renovated includes the following:

A new outfield fence
Two sets of aluminum bleachers
Field tarps to cover the mound and home plate
A new pitcher's mound
Protective screens
Home plate and pitching mats
Baseballs
Bats

Batting helmets
To donate to Colton's wish list, contact his wish coordinator, Jessie Elenbaas, at 206-623-5380.