Articles & Reports

Update On Little Nicholas

(Letter Submitted to the Clearwater Tribune)

Our family would like to express our appreciation to the Clearwater Chapter A.B.A.T.E. of North Idaho for adopting Nicholas Ashby as their poster child of the year. Throughout the year, they have hosted Broomstick Pool tournaments with proceeds going to Nicholas. They also have solicited donations and held a raffle with those proceeds going to Nicholas as well.

Nicholas underwent a life saving bone marrow transplant on Dec. 2, 2004 and has been in and out of the hospital many, many unexpected times ever since for treatments, mostly in Salt Lake City, Utah. After spending almost 5 months there after the transplant he (we) ended up there again last summer for 3 months due to very bad complications. We now go to Sacred Heart Medical Center once or twice a month for follow up care, which includes trying to rebuild his immune system that was destroyed by the chemotherapy he received after the transplant.

We would also like to express our appreciation to everyone who graciously donated money and items on his behalf. Orofino has been so good to us and we hope and pray that A.B.A.T.E.’s little poster miracle is on the road to a full recovery and a very long, happy and healthy life. Nicholas just turned 5 years old on July 10^th … oh, what a day that was!

Thank you again to the Clearwater Chapter. Your extreme hard work has made it much easier for us to care for Nicholas when those unexpected problems occur. You are wonderful and we can never thank you enough!

                                     With much love and appreciation,

                        Doug and Mary Ann Mattson … And Nicholas Ashby!