Toys for Tyler’s Community Birthday Party Benefits Children

The St. Francis Xavier Catholic Women’s Club in La Grange gave to children and teens fighting cancer by hosting a movie night in the parking lot of the church titled “Toys for Tyler’s Community Birthday Party Movie Night.” The event was held in memory of Tyler Duelm, a childhood cancer patient who lost his battle and who is continually remembered in the LaGrange community for courage in the face of tremendous adversity. This is the 15th year the community has come together for this event.

When the Community Birthday Party was over, 100's of toys, $130 in gift cards and $2,076.25 had been collected for the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF), the organization that supported Tyler Duelm during his radiation treatment in 2006. Since its inception, this popular event has raised more than $27,206, 1000’s of toys and gift cards for children and teens fighting cancer.

The mission of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Women’s Club is to welcome new women into the parish, provide spiritual and social activities for members, encourage participation in parish life and promote charitable and humanitarian projects on behalf of the parish. Lindsey Mackenzie, President of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Women’s Club said, “The Catholic Women’s Club and the LaGrange Community is privileged to support the Treasure Chest Foundation for 15 years in memory of Tyler.”

Tyler’s mother, Laura Duelm said, “Our family is so honored once again to support the Treasure Chest Foundation in honor of Tyler’s birthday. It was great to see families of all ages come together in memory of our sweet little Tyler.”

POTCF Founder and CEO Colleen Kisel said, “I feel blessed to have the support of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Women’s Club. The community birthday party is truly bittersweet. The Duelm Family has continued to support the Treasure Chest Foundation in memory of their beloved son Tyler for more than fifteen years, and for that, we are so grateful.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 14,600 young cancer patients in 62 cancer treatment centers in 20 states across the nation and in the District of Columbia. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Colleen Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. Ms. Kisel discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 28th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of this year.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s website at www.treasurechest.org.

Photo caption (L-R): Tyler’s mother, Laura Duelm, Cathy Murphy, Past President of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Women’s Club and Toy Drive Event Coordinator and President of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Women’s Club Lindsey Mackenzie proudly display 100’s of toys collected during the Toys for Tyler’s Community Birthday Party at the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation’s Orland Park facility.