By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A little girl's dance family is reaching out to her and her family in their time of need.
13-year-old Camdyn Darrah, a seventh-grader at Hays Middle School, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Darrah has been dancing with Styles Dance Center since she was little and is now on the studio's senior dance team.
Camdyn was scheduled to start chemotherapy Friday at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. She is scheduled for chemo twice a month for six months.
Not only is her mom, Jenna, a single mom, facing medical costs but also travel expenses to KC for Camdyn's treatment, her grandmother Carol Rome said. The family is unsure how COVID will affect where they will be able to stay, as they will be trying to prevent Camdyn from being exposed to the virus.
Jenna is a paraprofessional at Wilson Elementary School.
Styles in cooperation with Gone Logo is selling two styles of T-shirts and rubber wrist bands with the logo #Camden Strong. Follow the link below to order.
https://camdynstrong21.itemorder.com/sale
The deadline to order shirts and bracelets is Jan. 28. Proceeds benefit Camdyn's family.
Alyssa Dechant, director of Styles Dance, has also been accepting cash donations electronically for the family.
The Venmo is @Alyssa-Dechant (Code 3604 if needed.) Please designate this is for Camdyn. Dechant said the she chose to use this platform over GoFundMe to avoid service fees. 100 percent of the donations will go to the Darrah family.
Dechant said the studio is hoping to set up a dance recital that would also benefit that family and invite other dancers and studios in the community to participate.
That is still in the works. Dechant said she was hoping to stage that event in February.
Dechant said Camdyn is a very talented dancer.
"She's very flexible. She works very, very hard. She's a wonderful team member," she said.
She dances ballet, jazz, contemporary, musical theater and modern.
Rome said Camdyn's is an energetic and happy child. She dances, cheers and plays violin.
"She's just an incredible child," her grandma said. "She's always been super high energy. She's funny, outgoing, good student. She's a good dancer. She gives everything she's got. She's good at sports. She's just one of those kids."
She had no symptoms that she was ill until she found two nodules — one at her neck and another at her lymph node.
"Prognosis is still pretty good, but it's going to be difficult," Rome said.
Camdyn's diagnosis has had a profound effect on her extended family, but Rome said she and Jenna have been grateful for the outpouring of support from their dance family, as well as the broader community.
Jenna teaches dance at Styles, and Camdyn's younger sister, Caelyn, 9, also dances with the studio.
The family has been offered food and help with rides for Camdyn's younger sister and an array of other kind gestures to aid the family, Rome said.
"People are being extremely kind and generous," Rome said. "We so appreciate it. ...
"This town is amazing. People always seem to rally, and we are very lucky and blessed to live here and that people care."
Rome asked for prayers and positive thoughts as Camdyn moves forward with her treatment.