Emma Day

Quitman schools honor 5-year-old battling cancer

Emma Mortenson, 5, is held by her aunt Debrah Holsen after arriving to a crowd with balloons at the Quitman schools for a day in Emma’s honor. She is battling an aggressive form of bone cancer.
Emma Mortenson, 5, is held by her aunt Debrah Holsen after arriving to a crowd with balloons at the Quitman schools for a day in Emma’s honor. She is battling an aggressive form of bone cancer.

Emma Mortenson loves the movie Frozen, and her favorite song is “Let It Go.” Her favorite colors are pink and purple. She will turn 6 on Oct. 14, and she wants to be a doctor when she grows up.

Emma also has aggressive osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and on Friday, the teachers and students of the Quitman School District invited her into their schools for a day completely devoted to making her happy.

Before Emma and her family arrived at Quitman Elementary School, the student body was bustling with preparations for Emma Day. Children of all ages were dressed as princesses and Disney characters, and cards lined the halls with greetings for Emma.

At the high school, students created a Frozen wonderland in the gymnasium so Emma could meet her favorite character, Queen Elsa, later in the day. Blue and white balloons were hung around the gym, and white pillow stuffing covered the floor to simulate snow, and as the high-schoolers worked, they sang along to the Frozen soundtrack to get ready for the rest of the day.

The Mortensons — who are from

Panama, Oklahoma — had an official police escort onto campus. Emma knew she was going to visit fifth-grade teacher Theresa Hawks, whom she had become close to after meeting her during treatments in Little Rock, but Emma did not expect the student body to be outside to greet her, chanting her name and waving yellow balloons for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

“Today is our time to celebrate,” Linda Duncan, a school district employee, said as the Mortensons arrived. “It’s a time to celebrate hope. It’s a time to celebrate life. It’s a time to celebrate love.”

Emma was diagnosed with cancer April 14 after an X-ray for a hurt ankle brought up some concerns. In January, Emma had told her father, Ed Mortenson, that she had “popped” her ankle while playing at school, but after a little while, her ankle seemed to be fine. In April, she started complaining again and was limping on the ankle, so Ed decided to take her in for an X-ray.

“When they took the X-ray, instead of just X-raying the ankle, they got from the thigh down,” he said. “They saw the tumor right above the knee. At the time, that was the worst spot, but there was also a small spot on her ankle. Within 72 hours at [Arkansas] Children’s Hospital, they had her diagnosed with cancer.”

After the scans and blood work at Arkansas Children’s Hospital helped doctors determine the diagnosis, Emma’s treatment started with chemotherapy on April 21.

“She’s always felt good,” Ed said, “even when we first found out. Her little energy-filled self has high spirits all the way through.”

Through her radiation treatments in Little Rock, Emma met Theresa Hawks from Quitman. Hawks is being treated for cervical cancer, and her friendship with Emma has fostered a special relationship between the Quitman School District and the Mortenson family. Emma receives “get well” cards from the schools, and the community has learned more about childhood cancer because of the little girl from Oklahoma.

“The outpouring of love from the students has been unbelievable,” Ed said. “We have stashes and stashes of cards for Emma. Every class sent some — I think even the study-hall kids sent cards.”

Hawks, who had her last radiation treatment on Monday, said Emma’s joy and resilience has been an inspiration. That is why Hawks wanted to bring Emma to Quitman and host an entire day of activities for her and her family.

“I’ve never seen anything but a smile on her face,” Hawks said. “Every day. Even during treatments.”

When Emma arrived at the elementary school, she had a decorated wagon waiting for her and a full itinerary of Frozen fun that took place throughout the district’s campus. Emma got a chance to change clothes and dress up as Queen Elsa, her little sister Kourtney dressed as Princess Anna, and the family toured the campus, attended a tea party and were guests of honor at an assembly in the Frozen gymnasium.

As part of the assembly, Emma found out she and her family will visit Walt Disney World the first week of November through the Make-A-Wish organization. She knew she was going to Disney World but didn’t know it would be so soon.

Emma still has a long road ahead of her. Ed said that when the doctors discovered the spots on her knee and ankle, they also found two spots in her left lung and a couple more spots in her left shoulder. Since she started chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the cancer has spread. It has grown in her ankle and shoulder and is now present below both knees, in her pelvic area and in her lower back. The family is now waiting a few more weeks before they know the full extent of the effects of the radiation treatments, and Emma is still undergoing chemotherapy.

Even before she got sick, Emma wanted to be a doctor. Ed said that through this experience, her urge to become a doctor has only grown, and now she knows that she wants to work at Arkansas Children’s Hospital with children who have cancer.

“I’m hoping that desire hangs in there, because she’d be great,” Ed said. “There are a few nurses up there that work in the unit Emma’s in who used to be patients there. They went to nursing school, got their nursing licenses and are now working there with children who have cancer. So, it’s been done before, and it can be done again.”

Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.

Upcoming Events