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22.

21.

2013IN REVIEW

Meredith Kelly shines as Belle in the dra-ma department’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The entire cast came togehter to put on a great Spring Musical. “The musical was so much fun! The whole cast had great chemistry,” Kelly said.

Casey Bergeron ‘13 and Alexis Svenson ‘13 address the class of 2013 at graduation at Shea Stadium. “By the time graduation came, it was evident everyone was ready to embark on a new chapter,” Svenson said.

The symphonic band give their all in the CHSSA competition. They received straight 1’s in every category, which is the best score possible. “We definately deserved our scores; we worked pretty hard,” Kate South ‘15 said. “It was a good warmup for our state performance!”

A group of juniors pose on Prom night, before heading to the big dance. The group enjoyed both the dance and after prom. “[After prom] is a great ending to a great night,” Sara Parsons ‘14 said.

The Varsity poms toe touch to kick off their finals performance at Nationals in Walt Disney World. They placed 11th out of 77 teams,. “The feeling we had when we stepped off the floor was indescrib-able. Nothing will ever be able to top it, “ Hope Whitworth, Class of 2013

The boys and girls Tennis teams huddle around and “bring it in” at the end of a summer practice. “Bringing it in” has been something the teams have done to end practice for years. “Bringing it in always brings us closer as a team,” Dane Burk-holder ‘14 said. “Win or lose, we always bring it in at the end of a match.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

MAY

APRIL

JUNE

10.

by Nikki Newman, Liam Kelley, and Carrie Monroe

Nate Nelson ‘14, Logan Schafer ‘14, Liam Kelley ‘14, Zack Rickert ‘14, and Jordan Clark ‘15 of Improv Club proudly hold their trophy after winning the Improv Fest competition. “Winning was a really great way to kick off the year for Im-prov Club, and a great way to get Rock Canyon Performing Arts’ name out in the district,” Nelson said.

The Varsity Cheer team celebrates after hitting a flawless routine and being named State Champions at the Denver Coliseum on Friday, Dec. 6. “I don’t think there is a better feeling in the world than jumping up with your team and falling into a dog pile after being announced as state champions,” Rachel Moote ‘15 said.

Zack Rickert ‘14 performs in the school production of As You Like It by William Shakespeare. The play was a modern ad-aptation of the original. “It was so much fun! I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Rickert said.

SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

AUGUST

JULY

Gabe Tauber ‘15 runs in the 5A Cross Country State race, attempting to win a State title for Rock Canyon. Tauber lent a hand in scoring the cross country team eleventh in the state.

Juniors Jordan Clark, Megana Gowda, and Paige von Bank show off their neon paint and how they dressed up for the “Glow Back to School” dance. “The glow sticks and the lights were really different then we’ve ever had before. Everyone was so unique,” Paige von Bank ‘15 said.

The girls volleyball team scrimmage during a summer practice in order to learn how to play as a team and get as much practice together before the Fall season. “The camp was great because we got to meet all of the new players and get ready for the season,” Ellie Rich ‘15 said.

11.

Go G

olden 8.

“The biggest motivation I had w

as to help the athletes. N

ot every sport gets the fans they deserve and the attention they deserve, so w

hen we go out as a group

and support swim

ming or girls

basketball is a big deal.”

-Matt Vernon ‘14

“Going to the football gam

es and having the cheerleaders put m

e in the air.”

-Evan Hunchar ‘14

“My friend A

ndrew and I w

ere in N

ebraska, touring Nebraska’s

University and w

e saw red and

white overalls and thought it

would be sw

eet if we got them

for Rock Canyon. W

e told all of our friends to order them

and then the group started.”

-Bryce Stutler ‘14

“I try to encourage spirit by going to the events and having fun, show

ing other people that you can have fun no m

atter w

here it is. Even if we arent doing

so well as a sports team

we can

still have fun.”

-Evan Hunchar ‘14

“I love to cheer for basketball games

because it’s a lot of fun, and with

every one inside the gym it gets a

lot louder. It’s also more fun to see

the other student section and their reactions.”

-Andrew

Nicklanovich ‘14

5 Questions w

ith: The Golden Boys

What inspired you to becom

e one of the G

olden Boys?

What is the best experience

you have had with this group?

What brought the G

olden Boys together?

In what w

ays do you try to encourage school spirit?

What events or activities are

your favorite to participate in?

9.

20.

Lukas’ parents have also felt the effects of the situation more so than anybody else. Just like their son, they say that their main philosophy is to stay positive and to carry on in a positive manner because even though things are difficult now, it is only a temporary situation. One of the hardest parts for them is attending soccer games to see one on the field and the other on the bench, because they are so accustomed to seeing both of their sons playing side by side. The entire family also skis together, so having that part missing has also been a difficult loss, but to make up for that they are planning to spend more time at home during the winter, doing other things as a family. “Lukas is missing one or two days from school every two weeks to have blood transfusions, so he had to drop his AP class to keep up with the rest of his school work, and he still manages to do that. It changes your life in every way because it’s all these doctors’ appointments but when we’re at home everything feels normal. And you have to keep laughing because you have to live as normal of a life as possible. We all know at some point it’s going to end so you have to stay positive. What other choice do you have? ” Dena Larsson said. Due to the lack of red blood cells in his system, and because bone marrow produces red blood cells, a bone marrow transplant is the perfect resolution to pediatric myelofibrosis. Ever since October, the Larsson’s have been hosting local drives in the area to attract people of ages 18 to 55 to perform a simple cheek swab to enter into the bone marrow donor registry. Even if the test results do not come back as a potential match to Lukas, the registry includes patients all over the globe in need of bone marrow for a specific condition, and they are equally as in need of the donation as Lukas. The drives began when the Larssons reached out to Be the Match, the national bone marrow registry who partners with Bonfils, and the two organizations worked together to help set up the drive at the Walgreens in Castle Pines back in October. They worked with them to create fliers and help promote people to go out and help Lukas as well as other kids with similar conditions. “After that we really established a relationship with Bonfils and Be the Match, and we’ve also partnered with an organization called Love Hope Strength and they are all very active, holding multiple drives in Colorado each week,” Anders Larsson said. “It takes a lot of organization to put out the fliers and get everyone to know about the drives.” “One really important thing is that the community, our friends, and strangers have come together and helped us so much. Since we both work full time it’s so hard to find the time to get everything set up. Our friends even volunteer at the drives,” Dena Larsson said.

At the drive in November at Little Ricci’s Pizza in Parker, over 100 people came out to support Lukas. For those who haven’t been tested and still wish to, you can obtain a donation kit without even attending one of the drives. At deletebloodcancer.org, you can order a free donation kit that comes complete with the tools to complete the cheek swab and fill out the proper information to be submitted into the bone marrow registry. As if friends, family, and strangers haven’t done enough to spread the word out locally and statewide, Lukas participated in an interview via Skype to spread the word internationally. At a popular restaurant and nightclub in Stockholm, Sweden, Lukas had the opportunity to do an interview with a Swedish celebrity, which was broadcasted on all the TVs throughout the restaurant and club, who start their evenings out with an education seminar on bone marrow and bone marrow donations. The Larsson’s friends in Sweden were able to help set up the interview, and the Larssons themselves were able to write the questions to make sure everyone was on the same page. The interview is just another example of how the Larsson’s have tapped into every resource necessary to spread the word about the bone marrow donations. Today, the Larsson’s are taking a break from setting up the donations themselves, but kindly ask anyone who hasn’t gotten tested and wishes to, to find a drive nearby or simply order a kit online. A life saved is still a life saved, no matter if it is Lukas or not. Lukas, meanwhile, hasn’t changed a bit. If you haven’t met Lukas, you wouldn’t be able to tell that he’s even sick at all. He may still be looking for a match, but his optimism and positive attitude has engraved in his mind that a match is out there, and sooner or later pediatric myelofibrosis will just be two fancy words that no longer affect his life. Sure the initial diagnosis was scary at first, and Lukas has endured pain, but the most important thing is that Lukas has remained positive, and continues to live life as if nothing’s happened. At home, Lukas, Oliver, and their parents Anders and Dena, intend to live life just as they always do, while always thinking about the bright side. All of the Larsson’s have that characteristic, which is why it isn’t surprising that Lukas has remained positive through the entire situation. It’s just in his blood.

For more information on how to help Lukas, visit deletebloodcancer.org, lovehopestrength.org, or bethematch.org.

3.

CONTENTS 2nd QUARTER 2013-14

the First WordPage 10... 2013 in ReviewFrom prom to plays to sports, we go month by month to recap the year 2013 at RCHS.

the Last Word

the FocusPage 12... A Season to RememberHow the 2013 Boys Soccer team managed to produce one of the best seasons in the team’s history and leave a lasting legacy.

Page 16... Looking for a MatchLukas Larsson ‘15 is one out of fifty people in the world with Pediatric Myelofibrosis. The search for a compatible bone marrow donor continues.

Page 26... The Mane Attraction Logan Groves ‘16 has become one of the most prolific teen horseback riders in the nation, spending many hours a week bonding with her various horses.

Page 35... A War on What ExactlySnow is falling, the Christmas lights are up, and to many, the war has just begun.

Page 36... Watch What You Post10 percent of millennials miss a job opportunity because of what they do online. Why is this the case, and how can you ensure this doesn’t happen to you?

Page 38... The Star Spangled ShopperThere truly isn’t any day more uniquely American than Black Friday, but it has gotten completely out of hand.

26.

16

16.

The goals of The Rock, the student newspaper of Rock Canyon High School, are to inform, educate, and entertain the readers as well as to provide an educational opportunity for the students who

produce it.The first three copies of The Rock are free, additional copies are available for 50 cents each.

The Rock invites your comments. Letters to the editor and commentary submissions are encour-aged. You are also encouraged to submit coverage ideas, cartoons, photos or anything else you

wish to see in the Rock. Opinions of the staff are presented as editorials. All editorials are at least the majority view of the editorial board. We also feature a number of columnists and commentary writers. Their opinions are their own. The Rock is a forum and welcomes content from our readers.

Rock Canyon High School 5810 McArthur Ranch Road Highlands Ranch, CO 80124

Phone 303-387-3000/Fax 303-387-3001

12.

Visit us at rockmediaonline.org

the student voice of Rock Canyon

therock

26.

Lukas Larsson ‘15 is only one out of fifty children in the world to be diagnosed with a rare blood disease called pediatric myelofibrosis. His

condition has weakened his physical abilities, but not his hope.

the student voice of Rock Canyonrockthe

5810 McArthur Ranch Road. Highlands Ranch, CO 80124. 303-387-3000. Volume 10. Issue 3. December 13, 2013

14.

The Jaguars pose for various cameras with their 2nd place trophy following the 1-0 loss to Pine Creek, November 9 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

T he ball bounced into the net, and just like that it was over. Some fell to the turf in agony, some let out their emotions into their teammates arms, and as Pine Creek stormed

onto the field to celebrate their title, many of them watched in shock and sadness and thought about what could have been. They huddled together to take their second place photo and slowly straggled off into the locker room, waving to the crowd, many of them wondering if this was the last time they’d ever take the field. This was their biggest game of the year -- and arguably biggest of their careers -- but that isn’t what defined this season. That isn’t what defined this team. This is the story of the 2013 Rock Canyon Jaguars Soccer Team. The journey started with the Denver University soccer camp in July and the summer workouts in the dog days of August. Coming off a bitter loss the year before in the State quarterfinals to Boulder High School, the team was ready to make a deep playoff run. “We played Boulder in a preseason scrimmage early in the year and that was a very physical game,” Goalie Samuel Makikalli ‘14 said. “When the season began, we had that bitter taste of loss in our mouths, and that kept us focused and kept us working hard.”

As the regular season began, it was evident that this was a special team from the beginning. With 17 seniors on the opening day roster this was one of the deepest and most veteran squads in the history of RC soccer. The Jaguars ripped off seven wins in a row to begin the season in just under three weeks. After ties against Mountain Vista and Littleton, as well as wins against Douglas County and Chaparral, the stage was set for a match between Rock Canyon and rival Highlands Ranch High School. Since RC was undefeated, if they were to win this game they would win the Continental League title, something no team had done in Rock Canyon history. “The Ranch game was definitely our biggest of the entire regular season,” Bruno Trinidade ‘14 said. “They’re our biggest rivals and we knew that game was essentially for the league title, so we were really pumped up going into it.” The conditions for the game were horrendous. Winds were blowing at 30 miles per hour with gusts reaching up to forty miles per hour. If that wasn’t bad enough, freezing rain pelted players throughout the entirety of the game. Running into the wind -- as the Jags did in the first half -- was bad, trying to kick the ball into it was even worse. Despite the weather, the Jaguars displayed their dominance from the opening kick. Brian Olcott ‘15 scored in the first 20 minutes of the game to put

the Jaguars ahead 1-0 and the team never looked back. Kyle Rollins ‘14 put in another goal to go along with a pair of goals by one of the team’s four captains, Ben Bartlett ‘14. The regular season concluded with a win against Regis Jesuit and the Jaguars entered the playoffs as the number two overall seed.

Playoffs are a brand new season for all teams and despite the regular season records, anything can happen. Any odd bounce of the

ball, any singular injury, any uncharacteristic game by a team can derail the work they had done for an entire season. This was not the case for this Jaguars squad. From the first round matchup against Doherty, to the quarter-final matchup against Heritage, they had a singular mantra; one game at a time. The goal was to make it to the State title game, but there was still business to be taken care of before hand. “There were eight upsets in the first round of the playoffs,” Head Coach Sean Henning said. “Due to that we knew we had to go out there and play our best game every round and stay focused throughout the playoffs”. Tight games became a commonality of the playoff run, with the Jaguars winning all four games before the championship round by a score of either 1-0 or 2-1. This was in large part due to the backline of

15.

A Run to Remember1. Bruno Trinidade ‘14 collides with a Mountain Range defender in the second match of the season Sep. 3. Trinidade suffered a concussion on the play, but the Jaguars came away with a 3-2 victory after two goals by Josh Kracke ‘14 and a goal by Oliver Larsson ‘15,

2. The Jaguars line up for the national anthem in their breast cancer support socks before their match against ThunderRidge Oct. 1. The Jaguars won the game 3-0 behind a shutout from Samuel Makikalli ‘14.

3. Rock Canyon fans cheer before the State Finals match against Pine Creek, Nov. 9 at Dicks Sporting Goods Park.

4. Gabe Krzywdzinski ‘15 prepares to shoot and eventually score his first goal of the playoffs against Heritage Oct. 30. Krzywdzinski’s goal proved to be the deciding one as the Jaguars came away with the 1-0 victory.

the Jaguars led by Jeremy Purchase ‘14, Kyle Rimer ‘14, Ben Bartlett 14, Andrew Greiner ‘15, and Jake Battock ‘14. This dominance was no more evident than during the semi-final match against Denver East. With a 1-0 lead going into the final minutes, East vigorously attacked the RC defense but to no avail. “I think without a doubt our defense was the best in entire the State,” Makikalli said. “Without them, our other goalie, Nathan Shumer ‘14 and I would have been put in a lot of tough situations. They made our lives a lot easier out there every game, especially in the playoffs.” Seemingly every pass was deflected, every shot was blocked, and when the ball was cleared the final time, the stage was set for the finals. It would be Rock Canyon vs. Pine Creek, November 9 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the home of the MLS Colorado Rapids. “That’s always a dream you have as a kid,” Battock said. “You watch those players out on the big field, and it was a special moment being able to walk onto the field with all of your

closest family and friends watching you and cheering you on”. From the outset it was a defensive grudge match. The game played to a stalemate through regulation with each team at-tempting less than five shots on goal in the first 90 minutes. As the game entered overtime and the sun went down, the tension mounted. Each moment intensified with every player, coach, and fan knowing that any play could be the last of not only the game, but the season, and for some players, their careers.

Sports aren’t like the movies. There isn’t always a happy ending, and the good guys don’t always hoist the trophy at the end. This was the case for 2013 RC soccer team. Midway through the second overtime a deflection

passed through the RC defense and wound up in the net. The season was over in an instant, no title to be held. But their season isn’t defined by that moment, nor is it defined by that game. It’s defined by the league title they took for the first time ever, their chemistry and the way they played with one another, and, most importantly, the bond they all shared.

1.

2.

3. 4.

Photo by: Julia Henning Photo by: Brooke Bell

Photo by: Michael Shapiro Photo by: Michael Shapiro

7.

2.2.

12.

13.

RC SOCCER

ROAD TO

STATE THE STORY OF THE 2013

BOYS SOCCER TEAMBy MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Photo by: Brooke Bell

Photo by: Michael Shapiro

Andy Tinlin ‘14 reaches the summit of the 3.1 mile course at the 5A Cross Country State Championship Oct. 26 at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colo. Tinlin finished the race in 101st out of 189 competitors.

6.

18.

I It’s a common saying: when you’re naturally good at something, someone will tell you that “it’s just in your blood.” Lukas Larsson is no different. On any weekend during the winter months, you can almost certainly catch Lukas and his family skiing the vast terrain of the Rockies. Skiing is more than just a hobby in the Larsson family, so it’s easy to see why Lukas picked it up and mastered it so easily. It’s in his blood. During the rest of the year, you can catch Lukas on the soccer field either playing for his Real Colorado club team or the Varsity team at RCHS. Two of his older brothers, Max and Axel, both played soccer, and his twin brother, Oliver, plays on the Varsity team alongside Lukas. Both he and Oliver made the team as sophomores, and contributed to a run all the way to the state quarterfinals. Soccer is in his blood. Today, things are different. Soccer and skiing are still very much in his blood, but now it’s his blood that’s keeping him away from doing what he does best. At the end of August, Lukas was diagnosed with pediatric myelofribrosis, a disease that has only been diagnosed a few dozen times worldwide. The diagnoses came after a summer filled with painful headaches, pale skin, a massive drop in energy, and a rapid increase in heart rate. At first doctors had blamed asthma and even allergies for the unusual symptoms, and it wasn’t until after a four night stay in the hospital that doctors were able to come to the conclusion of pediatric myelofibrosis. While there was at least a positive in finally having a diagnosis, it also meant that Lukas would have to give up his normal activity, and because his red blood cells were not retaining oxygen, his body’s lack of energy was a sign that activity had to be given up. The one thing you will learn about Lukas however, is that there is always a bright side to every situation. Pediatric myelofibrosis is completely curable with a bone marrow transplant. He knows that with one match and the generosity of one person, his life will return to its normal state. Even if there isn’t a positive match to himself, Lukas also knows that there are many people worldwide who are in a similar situation, and need the transplant just as much as he does. That’s just who Lukas Larsson is. Sick or not, it’s impossible to tell because he never complains about anything. It’s now been almost seven months since Lukas started noticing the symptoms. His story consists of many different things; shock, fear, and pain are a few, but there is one thing his story doesn’t have: doubt. The story begins in May, and at one of Lukas’s favorite places to be in the spring-- the soccer field. He could start to feel his energy drop on the field, and he began to feel tired

much quicker than he ever had before while playing soccer. It wasn’t a lack of hydration, nor was it the result of being out of shape, especially because the feeling was so new and prevalent. To further prove it wasn’t a coincidence, his fatigue progressed into the summer once soccer was over, and only got worse. “Going into the summer I was sleeping a lot more and getting pale,” Lukas said, “and I was working too. All I was doing was working and sleeping, so I didn’t really think much of it then. Towards the middle of July we went to Winter Park and everything got really bad with the elevation.” The trip to Winter Park proved to be the red flag that something was seriously wrong. A trip to the doctor resulted in a diagnoses of just simple allergies, and a nasal spray was given to Lukas to see if it would relieve his symptoms. That doctor could not have been more wrong. Not only did the nasal spray turn out to be ineffective, but Lukas was only feeling worse once he started using it. After three weeks on the nasal spray, Lukas’ energy was deteriorating rapidly, along with the development of painful headaches and an increased heart rate, and the next trip to the doctor resulted in a trip to the ER.

“We thought he was just working and not getting enough sun,” Dena Larsson, Lukas’s mother said. “He was just a teenager growing, and the doctor didn’t even see anything wrong with his color. Last fall during the soccer season, he was given an inhaler and they thought that asthma might have some-thing to do with it, but now we know why the inhaler didn’t do anything because it was his red blood cells.” Not allergies, not

asthma, and the search for a proper diagnosis continued. At the end of July, Lukas spent four days in the hospital, under the close supervision of doctors who ran test after test to see if they could finally give Lukas and his family an accurate answer. The length it took to diagnose Lukas actually made perfect sense. Given the rarity of pediatric myelofibrosis, the doctors had to eliminate almost any other disease they had heard of before coming to the conclusion that it was something they had never seen. Once the diagnosis was complete, Lukas became one of only fifty children worldwide to be documented with the disease. The average level of hemoglobin for an adult feeling sluggish and tired is nine. When Lukas was checked in at the hospital, he measured a hemoglobin level of just three. ‘”It was a lot of blood tests,” Lukas Said. “Every two weeks I would go in for a blood test, and I’ve also had two MRIs and two bone marrow biopsies. I also had an echo, which is basically an ultrasound of your heart, throat, and lung functions.” “The MRI really told him the story,” Anders Larsson, Lukas’

19.

Left: Lukas and Oliver stand for the national anthem before the soccer game against Heritage in 2012, the last season the two took the field together since Lukas’ diagnosis. Top: Lukas and Oliver pose for a picture during the drive at Little Ricci’s Pizza in Parker in November. Over 100 people showed up to get tested. Bottom: Dazbog in Castle Pines is one of many locations to have been a site for the drives, like this one on Oct. 26.

father siad. “When you look at an MRI the skeleton is white and with Lukas it was just gray. That’s when they knew that something was wrong with the bone marrow.” Now that the disease had finally been diagnosed, the next step was of course treatment. With pediatric myelofibrosis, a bone marrow transplant will completely wipe away symptoms for good and return the patient back to full health.

For the Larssons, this was definitely great news, but they were missing the most important thing, a match from a donor. Immediately the attention went to Lukas’s brother Oliver, to see if he could possibly be the match that would cure Lukas. Oliver underwent a bone marrow biopsy and two genetic tests. Since Lukas and Oliver are identical twins, the genetic tests were conducted to see if Oliver’s bone marrow was too similar, and if it contained traces of what initially led to Lukas becoming sick. As of just a couple weeks ago, it was concluded that Oliver will most likely not be the donor, and the search continues to go on globally. However, there is still the possibility that Oliver could be the donor in some time, after doctors can get Oliver’s blood count up enough to help Lukas. Because of Lukas’ overall health, the procedure isn’t completely urgent, which is why there is still a search for another donor. Even though the procedure may not be urgent, Lukas will continue to go through everyday life with pediatric myelofibrosis. One might expect a condition that draining from your stamina and overall health to be a major setback, but not Lukas. This is why this isn’t just a story about how it affects him, but also about how it doesn’t affect him. “For the most part everything is still normal. I can still go to school and hang out with my friends and go about by life. The only thing that’s different is soccer and skiing, and I can’t stay at high elevations for too long,” Lukas said, “ so the parts of my life that I would rather not cut out of my life are the parts that have to be cut out.” The one thing that hasn’t been cut out of his life is his positive outlook on the situation, and nobody has been more amazed and proud of it than his parents. “He’s got a great attitude. Lukas has amazed us with how he remains positive. This will all be ok someday, but imagine having what Lukas has and feeling tired all the time, and still remaining so positive. We just all live as normal of a life as possible now, and with Lukas, you wouldn’t even know he is sick because of how positive he is all the time, and I think that’s such a wonderful thing,” Dena Larsson said. Lukas attributes his positive attitude toward his vision of the future. The fact that he is only sixteen helps him remain optimistic that the things he’s had to cut out of his life like soccer and skiing, will always be there later in life once he is cured. While Lukas remains positive about his future return to activity, his brother Oliver says it was still weird not being able to share the soccer field with him this season, especially a season that ended with a birth in the state championship game. The two have grown up playing soccer together and have been on the same club team for years. They both played on the JV team their freshman year, and both made the Varsity team during their sophomore year. For years they have literally been side by side on the field, since Oliver tends to play in the central midfield with Lukas on the outside. “It’s a lot different because last time he was out in seventh grade, he only missed a few games. Now we know that it’s a completely different situation. Now that he missed the entire high school season and will miss the entire club season, it feels a lot different,” Oliver said.

4.

Just ten minutes before race time, Andy Tinlin ‘14 prepares for the State Cross Country Meet, Oct. 26 at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.Tinlin, along with six teammates, finished in 11th place, the best finish ever for the team. “We have been preparing for this race all year,” Tinlin said. “We had a plan going in and we just tried to go out andexecute it.”

the First Word

4.

5.

Photo by: Andrew Bohren

5.

16.

LOOKINGfor a

By ANDREW BOHREN

MATCHMATCH

17.

ONEout of

FIFTY

Lukas Larsson ‘15 is one out of fifty children in the world to ever be diag-nosed with pediatric myelofibrosis. This disease is known to cause anemia, fevers, bone weakness, and a de-crease in white blood cell production. Because of its rarity, Lukas struggled for months without being diagnosed, fighting off extreme tiredness and weakness to his body. In order to maintain a normal lifestyle, Lukas undergoes a blood transfusion once every two weeks, a process that is not only painstaking, but also damages or-gans and rapidly builds up iron levels. The only way to completely cure

Lukas of his condition is a bone marrow transplant, and the only thing keeping Lukas from his cure is a donor with a match. From a medical perspec-tive, Lukas is fighting off an incredibly rare disease that is causing him to undergo test after test, and transfusion after transfusion just to complete daily activities. From a realistic perspective, Lukas is a teenager with a rare blood disease who continues to look at life no differently than he had before. Pediatric myelofibrosis may have weakened Lukas’s physical abilities, but in no way has it weakened his spirits.