White ribbons

We arrived home from vacation to find long streets of trees wrapped in white ribbons throughout the north side of town.

They stand as an eloquent remembrance of a brave young man, Matt Rheintgen, who lost his fight with acute myelogenous leukemia 10 days ago at  age 14.

Matt, the son of Michael and Kathy Rheintgen was diagnosed with the fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow in September 2008. He endured five rounds of chemotherapy and earlier this summer had sought a donor for a bone marrow transplant– a quest aided by students and teachers at Herrick Middle School, where Matt was a graduating eighth grader.

I didn’t know Matt personally, but my daughter was a school mate of his. She remembers that he lit up every room he entered, that he “always had this glow when he walked down the hallways.”

Our town is never smaller than when neighbors come together to offer their love and support, whether in a heartfelt condolence message, a hot meal or a hundred trees bedecked with white ribbons.

May they comfort Matt’s family and friends.