Burbank 2014 Newsmaker: A 12-year-old leaves a lasting legacy
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When 12-year-old Christopher Wilke was diagnosed with a rare cancer almost exactly a year ago, the Burbank community rallied behind him, raising money for medical bills and preparing home-cooked meals for his family as they traveled to and from the hospital.
Christopher was the first patient on record at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles — and among the youngest patients ever — to be diagnosed with a pure cholangiocarcinoma, according to his pediatric oncologist.
The Wilkes documented the ups and downs of the David Starr Jordan Middle School student’s battle on social media, keeping friends, relatives and strangers alike informed about their “emotional roller coaster” until, and even after, he died in March.
The “Team Christopher” Facebook page to this day has nearly 3,000 “likes.”
The community donated more than $100,000 to the Wilkes for Christopher’s medical bills, according to his father, Joe. That includes the $3,000 raised for Christopher at a barbecue put on by his father’s co-workers at the city of Glendale, and $5,000 that Christopher’s Boy Scout troop raised hosting a pancake breakfast.
Meanwhile, three of Christopher’s friends started “Change Works” — a campaign named by using his initials — through which they sold green wristbands at $1 each to raise money for Christopher and other children with cancer.
“A lot of it was because of who Christopher was,” Joe Wilke said, noting that his son was involved in baseball, Boy Scouts and his church. “He was energetic, well-liked — just a neat kid. That’s why so many people rallied around him.”
When Christopher died two months after his diagnosis, the community support only continued.
In July, Burbank resident and ultra-distance runner Roy Wiegand went on an 80-mile trek — starting from the Angels Stadium in Anaheim — to raise money for the Michael Hoefflin Foundation for Children’s Cancer in honor of Christopher. And the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation reportedly recently established a research fellowship program in Christopher’s name.
The community’s generosity is not lost on Christopher’s family.
“It makes the pain a little bit less knowing that there are so many people out there that are thinking of Christopher, are still remembering him, and are still wanting to make a difference because of him,” Joe Wilke said.
His family, meanwhile, is using leftover money donated for medical bills to fund causes Christopher cared about, such as sending a Boy Scout to summer camp, or paying the baseball team fees for a child who may not be able to afford it.