Young patients honored for bravery at Lurie Children's Hospital

CHICAGO - Some very young patients facing huge and scary health problems are being rewarded for their bravery.

A special medal ceremony was held Tuesday—the first of its kind—at Lurie Children’s Hospital in downtown Chicago.

As the world’s eyes are focused on Paris, where top athletes compete for gold medals, at Lurie they’re handing out some gold of their own.

Thirteen-year-old Olivia Wodzynski of Des Plaines, who has Hodgkin's lymphoma and is undergoing chemotherapy, is among several pediatric cancer patients to receive a gold medal to recognize their bravery fighting cancer.

"Me getting a medal is for me being brave. And I felt like I was being rewarded for going through tough times," said Wodzynski.

The gold achievement medals were created and handed out by Danielle Moss and her four-year-old daughter, Margot, who completed 798 days of chemotherapy at Lurie and has been declared cancer-free.

Danielle publicized the idea on Instagram and, within hours, had raised thousands of dollars to buy the medals and fund the program.

"I think when you look at a gold medal you think about someone who works very hard," said Moss. "Look at the Olympians right now, right? And these kids—I’m not going to downplay Olympians, they’re incredible athletes. But these kids are having to put so much of their lives on pause to fight for their lives. They’re the bravest little people. They’re incredible."

Among the honorees was nine-year-old Arylene Alba-Oliva, who is almost finished with her treatments for sarcoma and was delighted to receive the medal.

"I really miss playing with my friends and going to school a lot. I miss a lot of things at school."

Arylene’s mother said the children undergoing treatment deserve a medal for their bravery.

"It’s little things like this that always bring up their spirits, honestly. We’re so grateful to everyone who does things like this, so emotional," said Sandra Alba.

Every child going through cancer treatment at Lurie will receive a medal, including those that never get to achieve the goal of ringing the bell at the end of treatment.

"They seem really happy," said Marlee Speak, a life specialist at Lurie. "Everyone’s smiling. And how could you not, getting a medal and feeling some sort of reward for going through all of this really means a lot to them."

Danielle Moss said she’s already raised enough money to buy three years’ worth of medals. And based on the success of Tuesday’s event, she’d like to see the program expanded to other Chicago-area hospitals as well.

"I think it’s something all kids deserve. And now that I’m here and seeing them get handed out, I’m like how do we make this happen?"