Carly Rosenboom
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and Port O’Conner finds itself more aware than ever this year. 16-year-old local girl Carly Rosenboom, who had already beaten Cancer once as a young child, was diagnosed with a new aggressive sarcoma in her chest on the final day of the school year in May 2018. She and her family spent the entire summer in and out of MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Center enduring heavy chemo treatments. Port O’Connor residents came together and held a fundraiser to help cover some of Carly’s medical expenses with a fish fry and raffle. The event was a huge success and the tremendous outpouring of love for their beloved home town girl was incredibly heartwarming.
As summer ended and Calhoun County High School students returned to campus, Carly was unable to return to regular class sessions with the chemo treatments dramatically weakening her immune system. She enrolled in the CHS online home school program. The student body became immediately aware of Carly’s absence and illness as school began. As an active member of Student Council, her presence was greatly missed within their club. Council members jumped in and started the ball rolling right away by designing and printing up blue “Stronger Than Sarcoma” shirts with all the profits again going to Carly and her family to help fight this battle. Word spread like wildfire among students and faculty and soon almost everyone purchased a shirt. Building on that, students next gesture was to dedicate the first Sandcrab Varsity Football home game to her and play in her honor. Teachers and staff, already in awe of the students kindness, took it up a notch and coordinated the coinsiding season’s first Pep Rally around Miss Carly.
The CHS gym was filled to the rafters August 31st with students, teacher and parents, all wearing blue, as Carly, mother Carol and Port O’Connor support group entered the building. The entire crowd sprang to their feet and cheered and the band rang out upon her arrival. Banners and signs flew high saying “Fight Carly Fight!” “We got Courage for Carly!” and “No One Fights Alone”. Carly made her way across the gym floor and was met with a barrage of hugs and joyful tears as she took her seat. And then began what seemed to be an endless parade of Calhoun football players, each one holding a long stem yellow rose representing Childhood Cancer Awareness and tied in Carly’s blue ribbon. Gently over fifty of them individually hugged Miss Rosenboom with the utmost of care and presented her with their personal flower and well wishes. Students were on their feet crying and cheering them on. Parents and faculty as well were incredibly moved as many of them found themselves “Ugly crying”. The moment was made more poignant and a hush fell over the crowd as everyone wiped their tears and placed their right hand over their hearts. Most faced the flag and several quietly searched for the source of the angelic voice singing out the National Anthem. “Big Country”, Varsity Football player Nate McClellan had stepped forward from a sea of black jersesies to amaze us all.
The pep rally swiftly moved forward like a five act play as Coaches, Cheerleaders, Dance Team, and Girls’ volleyball each took center stage to dedicate their game and performances to Carly. Afterwards it seemed Miss Rosenboom had taken celebrity status with cameras flashing and multitudes of students stopping by to wish her well as they scurried back to class. An then they were gone. All that was left was the glow of Carly’s smile. Nobody looked back over their shoulders or asked if she enjoyed it. They all selflessly emptied their hearts out to her, made sure she knew they loved her and simply disappeared. The whole event was incredibly moving. A few teachers watched as she cradled her arm full of roses, sat back in her car and was quietly whisked away.
Later that day Carly gracefully thanked all the students for such an overwhelming gesture via her Instagram. Soon she will be finishing her chemo therapy in hopes of shrinking the sarcoma enough for surgery. In the meantime, CHS Student Body stands behind her 100% and anxiously awaits her return to school.
