She had frequent fevers. She slept all day. She had no appetite. Her body was covered in bruises.

Sophomore Genesis Garza was diagnosed with leukemia at age 6.

“My birthday was in [a couple] days,” Garza said. “I was about to be 7. It was tough finding out that I had leukemia before my birthday. It wasn’t a really good present. [My parents] didn’t expect something like that.

“They never thought that it was going to happen to their daughter. It was a really tough three years of medication. I got chemos, I got blood from other people, and I got this other type of medicine. I was in really bad condition.”

Pasta for Pennies is a fundraiser that collects spare change and cash to support patients like Garza. All donations go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and will be collected until Friday.

The money is raised through a competition that awards the second period class that collects the most with a luncheon from Olive Garden, while second place is awarded a pizza party.

“We keep a spreadsheet of how much [is] collected and how many students are in the class because we do it by percentage, so a class with three kids still has a chance to win,” said Allison Stamey, Student Activities Director and Student Council advisor. “If we do have a class with three kids win, then we pull the next class up to have one large pasta party. The first place class gets the pasta party and second place class gets pizza [provided by] Student Council. If we have two small classes that win first and second, we combine them and do pasta for those, and then third place winner gets pizza.”

Stamey said the cause is supported every year because of “the difference that [is being made] in increasing the lives of the kids,” and the fact that the money is kept locally within North Texas.

“There’s two quotes that I love, and this is what I believe in, ‘What we do for ourselves dies with us, what we do for others and the world remains and is immortal’ by Albert Pine,” Stamey said. “We see first hand what helping others can do; some schools don’t get to see that. They don’t get to [say] ‘Wow I helped somebody and now he’s smiling, and he doesn’t even know that I helped him.’ It’s just a very rewarding experience. We’re adding many, many years into leukemia-lymphoma patients.”

Garza who called herself “a survivor” is in remission, meaning there are currently no cancer cells in her body.

“I’m doing well,” Garza said. “I go check my heart and my head because the medicine I took could damage my brain or my heart, and I go check my blood, and everything once a year. After I turn 18 next year, I’m done going to Children’s, my hospital. I’ll just go check my heart every three years. I’ve been off treatment for about two-three years and they say I’m doing well. They just make sure it’s not going to come back.”

French teacher Cathy Gelzleichter lost a good friend to leukemia and sees the fundraiser as an opportunity to “make a contribution that might keep someone else’s friend alive.”

“Philippe Moisan was a close friend, married to my French friend, Brigitte,” Gelzleichter said. “Philippe died in 2007 after fighting the cancer for three years. I talked about my French friends in my classes and encouraged my students to contribute.”

About two years ago, Gelzleichter was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells, a type of white blood cells present in bone marrow.

“Since then I have received treatments which included a stem-cell transplant,” Gelzleichter said. “So far, so good. I am currently in remission. In fact my latest blood work shows no indication of the cancer in my blood, thanks to God, a good doctor, and plenty of prayers.

“My treatment at the moment is minor, but my immune system was compromised by the transplant. It is a long struggle back to where I should be.  But while in the hospital, a representative from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society paid me several visits, offering counseling and support.”

Gelzleichter said she never thought she would need help from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, but she was “relieved [by] their advice.”

Stamey added that donations have decreased in the past years and encouraged teachers to make a little time and select a student to take charge of the collection in their class.

“What I really want to get across is [that] teachers have a lot to do with lesson plans, and grading and supervising their classes,” Stamey said. “Instead of a teacher saying ‘I’m too busy for this,’ I would like them to ask what student in the classroom would like to run this project. Appoint a student because there are kids here that really want to step up and become leaders, they just don’t know how to. Nothing is more valuable than teaching service to others, and some kids don’t get that ever.”

The cans and plastic bags with the money collected, which were distributed on Feb. 18 to all second period classes, can be taken to the Student Council room at any time through Friday. As of today, $1,005.17 have been turned in. The goal is to raise $6,000. 

“There is a wonderful saying that goes, ‘No one can do everything, but everyone can do something,’” Gelzleichter said. “I can’t cure the disease, but if my contribution funds the research to find a cure, then I did something.”