Birthday party offers gifts to young cancer patients

Paige Flanagan turned 13 nearly a month ago, but she's still celebrating.

In fact, she's dreamed of this party for a long time. It's going to be a cookout later this week at her Arnold home with a disc jockey and at least 40 people attending. Everyone is being tasked with bringing a gift, but they won't be going to Paige.

The gifts will be going to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, specifically for children suffering from cancer.

Paige long wanted to do some kind of donation stemming from her relationship with 7-year-old Natalie Gatton, who has had her own battle with cancer.

It also becomes more timely this year, since Paige's father, Jack, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

"I just want to give back," said Paige, whose birthday was July 28.

About two years ago, Paige struck up a relationship with the younger Natalie without knowing their families were acquainted. Paige became a bit of a mother's helper to Natalie, who had Ewing's sarcoma in her spine.

That cancerous tumor occurs more often in males than females and comes with pain and swelling. She had chemotherapy treatments that caused her hair to fall out and had to be tutored at home because she was too sick to attend school.

She is now in remission and continues to go to Johns Hopkins Hospital for follow-up treatments.

When Paige first told her parents - Jack and Natasha Flanagan - that she wanted to have a birthday party to benefit cancer patients, they kept putting it off. They never had big parties for their children and told Paige that she could have one for her 13th birthday.

"She always kind of wanted to do this different theme," said Natasha Flanagan, Jack's ex-wife. "She had asked if she could have this type of party where (gifts) are donated to children with cancer instead of getting gifts for herself. I'm really proud of her for wanting to do it."

However, tragedy got in the way.

Jack Flanagan was diagnosed with Burkitt's leukemia, which is more common in children and young adults and central Africa. The disease occurs when lymphoma cells invade the small intestine, causing blockage or bleeding, according to The Merck Manual.

He was rushed to Johns Hopkins in June and the aggressiveness of the disease has left him in a wheelchair. He has been unable to return to his home and stays in a hotel that has facilities geared toward the disabled. He is driven to the Baltimore hospital daily for treatments.

"(Recovery) is a day-to-day thing," Jack Flanagan said. "You learn (to cope) every day. You wake up and then you worry about that day."

An Internet invitation has now been sent out for the party, which will be held Saturday at Natasha Flanagan's home. Most of the festivities will be held in the basement and outdoors. The invitation has been received far and wide, since it was posted on Facebook. One of Natasha Flanagan's relatives in England saw the invitation and is going to send a donation to the hospital.

After the party is over, Paige and Natalie are going to deliver their gifts to the hospital.

"Paige would now like to honor both Natalie and her father by having guests bring donations for the Johns Hopkins Children Center," the invitation said. "The donations can be toys, games or arts and crafts that a child may enjoy during their stay at the cancer institute."

To arrange a donation to the party, send an e-mail to Natasha Flanagan at njflan@hotmail.com.