Local Lions Clubs join forces to raise funds for two young Leukemia patients

GLENWOOD CITY — The Boyceville and Glen Hills Lions Clubs will be hosting a fundraiser for two local families who have toddlers recently diagnosed with leukemia. The event will take place during the Hilltopper versus Bulldog wrestling dual at Glenwood City High School on January 25 starting at 5pm.

“We are thrilled to have both clubs working together,” said Glen Hills Lions Club Member, Joan Bartz.

According to Bartz, it’s been a number of years since the two clubs did a project together. The upcoming fundraiser will benefit the Iverson and Dikeman families who have ties to the Boyceville/Glenwood City area.

Willow Dikeman, who turned three last month, was diagnosed with leukemia in October. She lives near Ridgeland with her parents Derek and Amanda Dikeman and sister Gracie. Her dad is a graduate of Glenwood City High School and her mom is originally from the Wausau area.

Kasen Iverson was diagnosed with leukemia in November at the age of two. He has two sisters and lives north of Boyceville with his parents Brittany and Dylan Iverson who are both graduates of Boyceville High School.

Both Derek and Dylan were on their high school wrestling teams, so Lions Club members thought it would be fitting to hold a fundraiser for the two families at the Boyceville/Glenwood City dual.

Those attending the fundraiser can enjoy a spaghetti supper at the high school from 5 to 7 p.m. There also will be a 50/50 raffle and basket raffles during the match.

Money raised at the fundraiser will be donated to the two families who have already spent considerable amounts of time at doctors’ appointments and hospital stays.

According to her dad, Willow started having issues late last summer when she would lose conscientiousness and appear to have a seizure whenever she had a temper tantrum. After quite a few doctors appointments including a CAT scan and an emergency room visit, lab work was completed that showed leukemia as the likely cause.

Immediately after the results came back from the lab work, Willow was admitted to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis where she was officially diagnosed. Currently she has appointments about two times a week and is doing good with her treatments and is feeling well.

“She’s doing good, she is Miss Energetic,” said Derek.

Kasen is currently finishing up his second phase of treatment and heads to Rochester every week for one or two days for spinal taps, chemotherapy and other doctor’s appointments. According to his parents, he is becoming more active and is getting back to his normal self, but also has a long road ahead of him.

“He is bound to have ups and downs but we are taking it one day at a time,” said his dad.

Back in November, Kasen had common cold symptoms and then came down with a high fever that came and went for nearly a week. He was brought into urgent care where he was tested for viral infections. When all of those tests came back negative, blood work was completed and he was diagnosed with leukemia the next day.

“My family wants to thank everyone for their support, thoughts and prayers, none of them are going unnoticed. We are so grateful for the communities that we were born and raised in,” said Dylan.

Leukemia is the most common type of cancer that occurs in children. The exact cause of most childhood occurrences of leukemia is not known, according to the American Cancer Society. On average, treatment for childhood leukemia takes two to three years.

In addition to the Lions Club event, benefits organized by their extended families will be held for Willow and Kasen. One for Kasen will be held at the Boyceville Fire Station on Saturday, March 2 starting at 11am. And one for Willow will take place at the M&M Bar on Saturday, June 1.