A community pulled together last week to make Christmas special for the Wood family, who have been battling their son Kaizler’s childhood cancer for a year.
Tony and Rachel Wood, of Sedalia, have six children ages 11 to 2, and son Kaizler, 4, was diagnosed with Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Dec. 23, 2015. The past year has been a roller coaster health-wise for Kaizler and his family.
Friday, Dec. 23, the Sedalia Police Department delivered Christmas gifts to the family and two hours later Studio A Dance Conservatory brought gifts and a full holiday meal.
Rachel Wood noted that complete strangers also knocked on the family’s door with gifts the week before Christmas.
“A family stopped by here unexpectedly two nights ago,” she added. “They brought the kids big stuffed animals, and big funny headbands, and some gift certificates to send me and (Tony) on a date.”
The last year has been a struggle for both Kaizler and his family. Having the SPD as friends has lightened the hardships the family has faced. One might say SPD and others in the community now have their six.
SPD Officer Derrick DeSalme said they met Kaizler earlier this year when his head was shaved at a local salon in preparation for chemotherapy treatments.
“It was when he first started his chemo,” DeSalme said. “Our shift was told about him and we went down there just to be there for support. Officer (Casey) DeVorss even shaved his head with him that day.”
DeSalme said their shift has stayed in touch with the Wood family and they found them to be a wonderful family. The officers also saw firsthand the difficulties they were going through with Kaizler’s illness.
Over the course of the year SPD has brought Kaizler a hat and a police Build-a-Bear. This Christmas season presented an opportunity for them to do more.
“Every year, for a long time, we had an adopt-a-grandma that we got presents for, but she passed away,” DeSalme said. “So we decided to adopt a family this year. Officer DeVorss brought up the Wood family. So everyone was definitely in for that.”
DeSalme said SPD as a whole was divided up into different shifts and departments; each took a family member to buy gifts for this year.
“Everybody got separate kids and separate family members and we got a list from the parents of the possible things they wanted,” he noted. “It was amazing the amount of (gifts).
“(The gifts) wouldn’t fit in our vehicles so we took our search warrant van, ” DeSalme added. “It was chock full of stuff, from all the different shifts. It was a nice amount, it just shows how much everyone feels close to that family. We understand all the stuff they are going through and we’re just trying to help them out, any way possible.”
DeSalme said approximately seven SPD officers, two detectives and Cmdr. Larry Ward delivered the gifts to the family last Friday.
“They are so thankful,” he added.
Because Kaizler is so sick sometimes, DeSalme said it surprises him to see the joy on his face when he’s with the officers.
“To hear how sick he gets and every time he’s around us, he is smiling,” he noted. “It’s almost like he’s not sick anymore, and you never know how much pain he’s actually in.”
DeSalme added that Kaizler and his five siblings “are the most polite kids you’ve ever met in your life.”
Anna Crumley Nelson, owner of Studio A, echoed DeSalme’s sentiments.
“Studio A Dance Conservatory has a program called Studio A Gives Grace,” she said. “We felt called this holiday season to donate to a family that Gives Grace personally knew. We prayed over our decision and this beautiful family was selected and put into our hearts.”
On Christmas Eve at the Wood home, amide smiles and children’s happy chatter, Tony and Rachel expressed their gratitude to all involved with making Christmas brighter.
“This is unbelievable, I can’t even begin to express how amazing it is,” Tony said. “I really had no expectation of that. It’s been a major blessing.
“The thing is that these kids have been through so much this year,” he added. “It’s not just (Kaizler). We are gone so much and they have been without their parents for a long time, when you factor all the hospital stays and all the clinic visits.”
“We figure it’s been a rough year for all the kids,” Rachel noted.
“One of the things we’re trying to do too, is let them know it’s not all about getting, it about giving as well,” Tony added.
“The last few days have made me think more about what can we do in the future, for other people, to make other people feel this special and blessed,” Rachel said.
