CHELMSFORD — Last year, Wolfgang “Wolfie” Bak, the 6-year-old son of Cara Bak, a science teacher at Chelmsford High School, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, a rare type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects white blood cells.
“It makes it so his blood cells aren’t doing everything that they need to do,” Bak said. “His treatment plan runs on three-week cycles. Each week he receives a chemotherapy infusion into his port, two of the three weeks, he takes a chemo pill daily, the first week he takes steroids, and he gets a lumbar puncture every nine weeks.”
Following numerous hospital visits, blood transfusions, lumbar punctures and even a couple bouts of pancreatitis, Bak said her son was finally starting to feel and act like himself again, playing with his sister, attending birthday parties and enjoying other fun activities.
However, Wolfie is expected to be in treatment for another year and a half yet, so the Interact Club and Class of 2024 teamed up to help raise awareness for childhood cancer and to raise funds to help support the Bak family as they navigate this difficult time.
“If anyone in your community is hurting, you have to find a way to help them,” senior class president Rohan Madhukumar said.
Joe Beauregard of Vertical Raise, an online donation platform, not only worked with the students on the fundraiser, but also waived the fees. That means 97% (3% is a mandatory credit card fee) of all donations went directly to the family to help with treatment costs.
At the close of the fundraiser on Dec. 26, $16,225 was raised. It’s an amount, and a generous gesture, Bak said she was not expecting.
“It’s very sweet,” she said of “my kids,” as she calls them, raising money for her family. “We don’t like to ask for things. … We appreciate it, but it’s all a lot in every sort of way.”
“She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and she’ll always give to other people,” said senior Sara DeHaan, an Interact Club member. “I’m really glad we’re able to give back to her in this instance.”
Raising awareness for childhood cancer is a cause that is near and dear to many students at CHS because they just went through the loss of a friend and peer when student-athlete Nik Sperounis, who had been diagnosed with angiosarcoma in 2021, passed away over the summer.
“I feel like our community, in general, has gone through so much in this past year,” said senior Nina Fredericks.
To help publicize their fundraiser, the students turned to CHSTv to assist them with making a video. For many of them, it was their first time meeting Wolfie.
“Sitting there and watching this kid that was so happy, but knowing he was struggling in his own ways was definitely heart-wrenching,” said Nolan Busalacchi, secretary of the senior class. “We also want to thank Ms. Bak for allowing us to do this. It’s really difficult to go on center stage and talk about something that’s deeply personally affecting your child, especially.”
In addition to the online fundraiser, the students decided to sell yellow silicone bracelets, featuring the phrase “Wolfie’s Pack,” during lunch periods; they were sold out within a week.
“I barely had time to eat my lunch because kids kept coming up to me and handing me money,” said senior Annika Froude, who was selling bracelets during first lunch on Dec. 8. “Seeing the sheer amount of people who just wanted to give more and more was amazing.”
While not surprised by their determination in coordinating the fundraiser, literacy teacher Marian Smith, who serves as the advisor for Interact Club and Class of 2024, said she was incredibly proud.
“You hear a lot of not-so-great things about teenagers,” she said. “But come work with them, and you see the good.”