OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Light the Night Omaha returns to Stinson Park in Aksarben in just a couple of weeks. The annual fundraising event is put on by Blood Cancer United, formally the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The organization funds research, provides patient support services, and advocates for policy changes to help find cures for all types of blood cancers.
KMTV is a proud sponsor of Light the Night, and Zach Williamson will serve as the emcee for the third consecutive year. Ahead of the event, Zach met up with this year's Pediatric Honored Hero, five-year-old Sylvi Kaiser.
Sylvi was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was just three years old. She is still in active treatment today but is cancer free.
- The Kaiser family opens up about their journey and tells us what this event means to them.
- Light the Night Omaha begins Thursday, September 25 (5:30 p.m. at Stinson Park).
- If you are interested in fundraising, donating, or learning more about Light the Night - click here.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Regency Park is one of Sylvi Kaiser's favorite places
She flies around the playground — strong for a five year old! But this doesn’t even scratch the surface of her strength.
"It just shocked us beyond belief,” Sylvi's mother Sammi said.
She's talking about what took place in early May of 2024.
"Just unexplained fevers for about two weeks,” Sylvi's father Steven said.
After several visits to the doctor they finally learned why.
"She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia,” Sammi said. "I had to have the pediatrician call Steve. I didn’t know how to tell him.”
They went straight to Children’s Nebraska where they would stay for ten days.
Sammi was showing us some of the photos from their stay.
"We had a cat named mango who’s still a very good friend.”
“Mango!” Sylvi pointed and shouted.
The first month of treatment is crucial. With a big push to completely remove cancer from the body.
“They really give us the hard doses," Sammi explained. "Steroids made her a bit puffy and her hair was starting to fall out. For the kids, I think that was really a visual of what’s happening.”
But it worked. Her body was free of leukemia at the end of the month. However, she’s still in active treatment until next summer.
“A daily oral chemo, a weekly oral chemo, and then we go to clinic monthly to get her blood checked. Then she does a spinal tap every three months,” Sammi said.
"We really don’t tell her until day of. We can’t tell her any sooner or else she has a tough night before.”
That includes trips to the emergency room every time she has a fever to rule out any infections in her port.
"Over this past year-and-a-half we’ve been about six times,” Sammi said.
Despite the challenges and uncertainties Sylvi and the kaiser family have never stopped finding joy throughout the journey.
“She just started kindergarten too. She got the nod from the oncology team, preschool said she’s ready,” Steven shared.
Just a few months after her diagnosis they attended their first Light the Night
“It was really special. We didn’t know what to expect but it’s something we will never forget,” Sammi said.
Sylvi and her team of supporters will be easy to spot. Once again sporting pink shirts, her favorite color, with some of her favorite things.
“It's got pigs, and swimming and strawberries,” Sammi explained.
This year Sylvi will be up on the stage with me — as this year’s Pediatric Honored Hero.
“We’ve received so much from this community and especially Blood Cancer United,” Sammi said.
Steven added, "We want to make as big a difference as we can. If sharing our story will do that then that’s what we’re going to do.”
Sylvi will be holding her lantern high — a white lantern — given to patients and survivors because white shines the brightest.
