NOTE: September is Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
Newswise — Nine-year-old Ethan Funkouser of Plano has been selected as one of five G.I. Joe Real American Heroes by Hasbro, Inc., for performing outstanding acts of selflessness and bravery.
Hasbro conducted a national search and today announced the recipients of the award. The four other children who won the grand prize are from Maine, California, Georgia and Ohio.
Ethan, who is undergoing treatment for Leukemia at Children's Medical Center Dallas, won the award for being a strong bastion of support to a fellow classmate who also is undergoing chemotherapy. After embarking on his own battle against leukemia, Ethan knew how scary it could be to go into the hospital not knowing what to expect, so when he found out his classmate, Miles Hutson, also was diagnosed with cancer Ethan decided to share his experience and off Miles his support. That helped to prepare Miles for his upcoming medical journey to treat a cancerous mass in his leg.
At Ethan's suggestion, Miles' third-grade teacher also collected more than 100 get-well cards and he delivered them to Miles during his hospital stay.
The grand-prize winners, chosen by a panel of judges from a pool of previously announced state winners, will be flown to Washington, D.C., this September where they will be honored at a V.I.P. reception featuring prominent government officials. The trip to the nation's capital will take place from Sunday, September 21 through Tuesday, September 23. In addition, Hasbro will make a $2,500 donation to the charity of each Grand Prize winner's choice.
Ethan and his family have decided their donation will go to the Children's Cancer Fund, which supports cancer research and treatment programs at Children's and UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Deborah Bowles, the boys' third-grade teacher, is so excited for Ethan that she is paying her own way to see Ethan receive his award in Washington, D.C.
"Hasbro is pleased to honor these five outstanding young Americans who demonstrate heroism in their everyday lives," said Derryl DePriest, director of marketing for Hasbro's G.I. JOE brand. "They embody the ideals that G.I. JOE has represented for almost forty years and offer truly inspirational and positive role models for our younger generation, as well as people of all ages." The G.I. JOE REAL AMERICAN HERO SEARCH invited Americans to nominate heroic children (ages 5"12) by writing a short essay detailing a courageous or unselfish deed or service they performed that impacted their lives and the lives of others. A panel of judges selected by Hasbro reviewed the nominations and chose the state and national winners. With compelling stories ranging from life-saving feats to acts of volunteerism and generosity, winning HERO SEARCH nominees demonstrated the ideals exemplified by the G.I. JOE brand: honor, courage, respect, and a willingness to give.
Children's Medical Center Dallas is a nationally acclaimed medical center providing care for more than 250,000 children each year with a wide scope of services including a comprehensive pediatric ICU, dozens of specialty outpatient clinics and a state-of-the-art emergency center. Growing to meet the needs of the region's fast-growing pediatric population, Children's relies upon philanthropic support from the community. The hospital's mission is straightforward and significant: to make life better for children. Information about Children's can be found on the Internet at http://www.childrens.com.
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