Community steps up to help JMS middle schooler
As the summer and fall seasons of soccer began to wind down in October, Maci Dittelberger’s parents noticed she seemed to tire out a bit quicker than usual and take a few days to bounce back after matches.
They just chalked it up to her being ready to take a break from the demanding sport.
When her lack of energy didn’t resolve after the season ended, they took Maci to the doctor, where she was treated for bronchitis.
“And she started feeling a little bit better for about a week or so with the steroids and stuff they put her on,” said Maci’s mom, Samantha. “Then, after that, she started feeling bad again.”
Maci kept getting weaker to the point of being bedridden. The visits to the doctors continued as the Dittelbergers searched for answers until, finally, during a visit on October 26th, the results of a few extra tests had the Maci immediately transferred by helicopter to Riley Children’s Hospital.
The next day, the family learned Maci had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ALL is a type of blood cancer that is one of the most common types of cancer in children. The word acute in the name refers to the cancer’s propensity to spread very quickly.
The diagnosis meant she would be undergoing an intense amount of treatments. Maci and her family stayed in Indianapolis from October 27 to November 7 while she underwent those treatments.
After returning home on the 7th, Maci continued with weekly visits to Riley until, on November 27th, Samantha and Chad learned their daughter would need to go back to the hospital.
Maci’s medical team recommended she be re-admitted for inpatient rehabilitation. With the toll the cancer and treatments had taken on her body, she wasn’t bouncing back as quickly as they felt she should be.
“She just needed a little extra help than we were able to do at home,” Samantha explained.
Finally, 38 days later, the Dittelbergers brought Maci home on January 2nd. Her outpatient therapies will continue with physical and occupational therapy at Memorial Hospital and continued visits to Riley for monitoring and treatments–she’ll go in for five days of cancer treatments later this month.
“She’s got quite a few treatments do,” Samantha said.
The normal progression of treatments for this type of cancer can take up to two years. Meanwhile, Maci’s weakened immune system means she isn’t able to attend school in person or spend much time with friends.
“She has her good days and her bad days,” Samantha said about her daughter. “For the most part, I think she is doing a really good job considering…no 12 year old should have to deal with what she is dealing with.”
“She just keeps pushing every single day,” she continued. “I couldn’t imagine being in her situation and getting that kind of news. It’s confusing, but she just takes it and deals with it every day. She knows what she has to do.”
It helps that Maci has received so much support from her teachers, family and friends. While in the hospital, a steady stream of postcards to her room and the family’s Jasper home helped keep her spirits up. Plus, several fundraisers to support the family have started up or are planned.
Maci’s sixth-grade homeroom and honors English teacher, Kathy Eckerle, has also volunteered to help with Maci’s English lessons.
“She retired last year,” Samantha said about Kathy. “That was really sweet of her to step up to do that.”
Brent Seibert, who teaches middle school math and is one of Maci’s favorite teachers, has also volunteered to help her while she is homebound for the rest of this semester and maybe longer.
“He was one of the first to step up to say he would help however he could,” Samantha said.
Along with helping Maci two days a week with her lessons, Mr. Seibert has been putting together a fundraiser to help with the expenses the Dittelbergers incur while supporting their daughter’s fight against the disease. The extended stays have meant time out of work on top of driving back and forth and the added costs of being away from home while Maci was in the hospital. Those expenses will likely grow as they continue going to Riley for treatment for an extended period of time.
You can see an extensive list of items available for the upcoming dinner and silent auction set to take place from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Jasper Middle School on March 9. Mr. Seibert has procured a variety of great items, including a variety of signed sports memorabilia, a WWE Universal Championship Replica Title Belt and front row tickets for Monday Night RAW in Indianapolis, a Caribbean Cruise for two from Royal Caribbean, many local gift cards, and much more.
I ask and hope for the best, he said about his methodology for gathering such a great list of items for auction.
You can see more items available at this link.
Along with the dinner and auction, a drive-through plate dinner fundraiser is set to take place at Schnitzelbank Catering on Sunday, January 21, from 10:30 a.m. until the food is gone. $18 a plate that includes a choice of two grilled pork sausage links or two pieces of fried chicken with German fries, slaw, beans, bread, and a doughnut from Parlor Donuts.
Andrea Goepner has started a bracelet sale to help raise funds for the Dittelbergers as well.
There is also a special donation website set up here for those who would like to help.
And there is a t-shirt sale going on as well. If you would like one, contact Latasha Calderon at 812-719-8624 or by email at Latasha0606@gmail.com.
“We are in shock with what all the community’s done so far,” Samantha said. “There are people we don’t even know who have come forward. It means so much to us that there are so many good people out there.”
Samantha credits her daughter’s personality and kindness for inspiring so much kindness in return.
“Maci is just such a sweet girl,” she said. “I think that is a lot of it.”
Maci loves being with her friends. TikTok is fun, but so are cards and board games with the family.
The diagnosis was a shock. She had heard of leukemia before but never thought it would happen to her. It is frustrating for her that it is such a struggle to do things she used to do so easily.
But she is thankful to everyone who has reached out and is praying for her.
By the way, Maci turns 13 on Monday, January 15.
