School backs boy facing leukemia

ROGERS — Northside Elementary School is rallying behind a fifth-grader diagnosed with leukemia last week, said Principal Anita Turner.

Payton Upton, 11, has attended Northside since he was in kindergarten. His classmates were busy on Monday making cards for Payton to show their support for him.

“We’re trying to focus on Payton and his family and his emotional needs, and making sure he knows his school family is here for him,” Turner said.

Jason Upton, Payton’s father, is a math teacher and football and track coach at Heritage High School. He is staying with Payton during Payton’s treatment at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. They are staying at the Ronald McDonald House, a short walk from the hospital.

“He’d been having nausea off and on for two or three weeks,” Jason Upton said. “He was coughing. We took him to the doctor, thinking it was a stomach bug. We went in on Wednesday to have some blood work done, and they sent him by ambulance to the Children’s Hospital.”

Payton received his first dose of chemotherapy on Monday, Upton said.

“He’s doing OK. He’s restless from being in bed so much,” he said.

As for himself, Upton said he’s taking things one day at a time.

“That’s all I can do right now. Just wait for the next step and go with it,” he said.

Leukemia is cancer of the body’s blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system, according to MayoClinic. org. It causes an abnormally high white blood cell count, something that was noticed in Payton during his doctor’s visit last week.

It’s expected the Uptons will remain in Little Rock through Christmas. After that it will depend on how well treatment goes, Upton said.

Payton enjoys playing football and baseball, riding his bike and playing video games, Upton said. Payton’s sister, Layla, is a third-grader at Northside.

A GoFundMe web page was set up last week to help with expenses associated with Payton’s medical care, including travel, food and lodging. Donors had pledged more than $13,000 toward a goal of $30,000 as of late Monday.

“We’ve been overwhelmed with how much support we’ve been getting,” Upton said.

Suzanne Spivey has known Upton and his family for years, starting when Upton did his student teaching under her. After Upton was hired by the district, the two worked together for eight years before Spivey retired a few years ago.

Spivey said she was heartbroken when she heard of Payton’s diagnosis through social media on Thursday. She and her husband, Joe, donated to Payton’s medical fund.

“I called (Upton) and left a message and said if he wanted to talk he could call me, and that Joe and I would always be there for him,” Spivey said.

She had high praise for Upton as a person, a teacher and a father.

“Payton’s a great kid, also. He’s like his father. He has a kind, kind heart,” Spivey said.

Karen Steen, principal at Heritage High, has had Upton on her staff since the school opened in 2008. She and other staff members learned about Payton’s diagnosis on Thanksgiving.

“It hit us all hard,” she said.

Upton will not return to work for the rest of the semester. Substitute teacher Amy Bray will assume responsibility for Upton’s classes the rest of the semester, Steen said.

“We’re making sure we’re taking care of business here so our students continue to learn,” Steen said. “I’m just blessed we were able to find someone so our students won’t have to have a different substitute every day.”

Some Heritage High staff members are planning a faculty lunch on Friday that will serve as a fundraiser for the Upton family, Steen said.

Fundraiser

A GoFundMe page has been established to collect donations to assist with Payton Upton’s medical expenses. The page can be found at www.gofundme.com/twc5xnvn.

Source: Staff report

Dave Perozek can be reached at dperozek@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWADaveP.

Upcoming Events