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Gifts would ease depair for 4-year-old with cancer Saturday Dec 17, 2016 at 12:01 AM Sarah Lemon for the Mail Tribune @thewholedish Editor's note: Light One Candle is an annual series sponsored by the Mail Tribune that focuses on an individual, group or agency who could use a helping hand during the holiday season. Once that need is filled, donations may be distributed to others in need. Stricken with cancer at age 4, this Medford girl despairs each time her illness and therapies take her away from school, classmates and teachers. Heart burdened by her child’s condition, the 37-year-old mother also bears an overwhelming financial toll. The mother’s small income from Social Security makes for a meager budget beyond household necessities, said Samantha Carter, child care office manager for Rogue Valley Family YMCA in Medford. In addition to caring for her ailing daughter, the woman supports three older girls, ages 11, 12 and 16. Scholarships help to pay for the 4-year-old’s preschool program at the YMCA, where staff members have become very attached to the girl and sympathetic to the family’s struggle, said Carter. The child would delight in playthings — animals, dolls and dress-up attire — that many of her peers take for granted, said Carter. A FurReal puppy would bring a smile to her face during health setbacks that keep her from attending school. Unable to work while caring full-time for her youngest daughter, the mother would welcome gift cards for groceries to feed the growing girls. Gas cards would help to fund numerous trips between Medford and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, where the 4-year-old undergoes treatments. Restaurant gift certificates also would help to nourish the family when they are away from home. Gift cards for clothing or leisure items would be a treat for the three older girls. To help, call Carter at 541-772-6295, ext. 105.