Kansas Boy Who Inspired Early Christmas Celebration In Lebo Dies

LEBO, KS — Last month, a tiny city in Kansas located about 85 miles southwest of Kansas City decided to celebrate Christmas for a terminally ill 3-year-old boy, who loved the holiday. Lebo, a city with about 940 people, put on the special celebration Sept. 10. It featured Santa Claus and a horse-drawn sleigh. Numerous homes also put up holiday decorations.

On Saturday, the boy, Christian Risner, died in Emporia. His family announced his death on a Facebook page they created following his diagnosis of Rhabdoid kidney cancer in April 2016. Christian began hospice care in August.

Christian's funeral will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday at Lebo High School, with visitation before the service, the Jones VanArsdale Funeral Home said. (For more information on Risner and other Across Kansas stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The family requests that the public wear Christian’s Crew or Superhero attire. Visitation will be Saturday from 5:00 p.m. till service time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to Christian’s Crew Memorial Fund and sent in care of Jones VanArsdale Funeral Home, P.O. Box 43, Lebo, KS 66856.

He is survived by his parents, two brothers and paternal grandparents.

Photo credit: WIBW-TV via AP