Tamaqua High School Students Start Campaign for Collin

Tamaqua, Schuylkill County - Students in Schuylkill County are stepping up to help a little boy battling cancer.  Tamaqua Area School District is hoping to collect one thousand cards and one thousand quarters for Collin Manheim.  Collin will celebrate his one year anniversary since a transplant that saved his life this month.

These junior and seniors at Tamaqua Area High School have never met seven year old Collin Manheim of Wilkes-Barre, in fact they live about an hour apart.  But Collin's story of fight and survival touched these teens.

Senior Emily Demyanovich says, "I felt so grateful that I never had to experience that and I thought at such a young age it really makes him something extraordinary to go through that and come out with as much fight as he has."

We introduced you to Collin last week.  He has been battling leukemia since he was two years old and last December doctors said his body could no longer tolerate chemotherapy.  The only hope left was through a core blood stem cell transplant.  Now, one year later, doctors say Collin is cancer free.

Senior Hannah Miller says, "It's such an inspirational story and if we can do something for that little kid it makes it all the worthwhile."

Through the story Collin's dad asked the community to mail his son a simple greeting card to celebrate one year cancer free.  Marietta Kotch, a teacher at Tamaqua Area saw the story on Eyewitness News and knew her National Honor Society students would want to help, "Although Collin's father did not even request any money that wasn't the point of the story, the point was cards for Collin, we did feel like we could do something extra."

This week the National Honor Society started a campaign for Collin.  They hope to collect one thousand cards and one thousand quarters to give to Collin on December 21^st, the one year anniversary of his transplant.

Donation boxes have been set up at all the schools throughout the district.  They say it's a small gesture that they hope will make a big impact.

The students are hoping to collect the one thousand cards and quarters which would total 250 dollars.  They will then give them to Collin to help make Christmas extra special this year.

You can mail Collin Manheim a card to : 50 Custer Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702

Here is Shannon Murphy's story that aired Dec.4- on Eyewitness News    Click Here