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LEGO donation for young Barrhead builder diagnosed with leukemia

Donors bring love of LEGO to Northern Alberta youngster fighting cancer.
MAYER DONATION SIGN (VM)
This image (which was posted to Facebook on May 4) shows the large sign that was set up at the Barrhead Public Library by Kyle Hughes indicating that cash donations were being collected to purchase LEGO sets for Mayer Tiggelaar, who was diagnosed recently with acute leukemia.

BARRHEAD, Alta — For several years now, the Barrhead Public Library has offered a LEGO program for young “builders,” which has largely been overseen by library staffer Kyle Hughes. 

While it typically took the form of weekly in-person get-togethers, the program shifted to more of a virtual format during the COVID pandemic, with builders having the opportunity to submit their creations via online contests. 

One of the regular participants in the LEGO club was nine-year-old Mayer Tiggelaar, who Hughes recalls as being the only kid to really engage with the LEGO robotics set. 

Mayer’s mother Jeselina says that they have a shed filled with LEGO where Mayer and his brothers go out to build all manner of ships, buildings and robots. 

“It’s a disaster, but it’s filled with LEGO, and they go in there and they play with their LEGO,” she said, adding that Mayer has a creative mindset and loves to build and imagine things. 

With the COVID pandemic now receding, the LEGO program at the library has started up again, but Hughes observed that young Mayer was not participating. 

The reason for that was heartbreaking: Mayer was diagnosed with acute leukemia in late April and was undergoing treatment at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. 

Upon learning the news, Hughes consulted with librarian Elaine Dickie if it would be all right to requisition the donation box for a day and collect money to purchase some LEGO for Mayer as he goes through his treatment. 

Hughes said he posted about collecting cash donations to Facebook on May 4 and also spoke to some local businesses about making donations. 

All told, Hughes said he collected about $800 in cash, but through additional donations like a discount on LEGO sets from a local business, Hughes said he was able to turn that into a purchase of about $2,000 in LEGO. 

According to Mayer’s father Jordan, Hughes said that they were facetiming with Mayer (who was still in the hospital) when the LEGO was delivered. 

“He said that immediately changed the mood. So right then and there it was already worth it,” Hughes added. 

Jeselina said Mayer spent about a week and a half in the Stollery Children’s Hospital receiving treatment before they released him. However, the family had to stay in Edmonton for about a month, as the Stollery’s safety protocols required them to be within an hour’s travel of the hospital. 

She said Mayer got a huge smile on his face when he saw the pictures of the LEGO sets that were donated to him. 

“He was excited to go home and play with his brothers," she said, adding that Mayer gave permission for his brothers to put together some sets while he was gone. 

“He is a sweetheart that way,” she said. 

Mayer has been home since about May 19, and when he feels up to it, he goes out to the shed to put together his new LEGO sets with his brothers. 

Such small comforts will help ease the next year of Mayer’s life. While his cancer was initially eliminated through chemotherapy, the goal now is to prevent any possibility of it coming back with further treatments over the next six to eight months, Jeselina indicated. 

“We appreciate the community is there to help us, because this is a really big thing for our family, and when we have support from the community, as well as our family and from God, we feel like it will be OK,” she said.

Kevin Berger, TownandCountryToday.com

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