Bombers to pitch in to aid ailing Sedalia boy

While other 7-year-olds ride bikes, visit the pool, build forts and play catch under the comforting umbrella that is summer break, Donavynn Cronk has been confined to the static and stale atmosphere of his room at Children’s Mercy Hospital & Clinics in Kansas City.

In the past four weeks, Donavynn has only slept in his own bed twice. Surrounded by monitors and tubes, all of which are tracking his health, it’s no wonder the soon-to-be second grader at Washington Elementary School is yearning for a little slice of comfort.

“He misses his home and he really misses his room,” his mom, Serena Cronk, said.

It’s nothing new for Donavynn, who was diagnosed with leukemia on Feb. 25, 2006, at 21 months old, and has since suffered two relapses, his most recent coming in April.

And the symptoms and side effects — the latest an infection surfacing in one of his thigh muscles and having to undergo tube feeding — have made life a constant struggle for Donavynn, who will be once again undergoing lumbar punctures, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and bone marrow biopsies in preparation for his upcoming bone marrow transplant.

His battles have had an impact on the whole family — Serena and her husband, Dave, and their daughters Cheyenne, 13, and Elyzabeth, 14 months. But Donavynn has handled it all like a “little champ,” according to his mom.

There are, of course, bad days where Donavynn becomes overwhelmed by the pain, succumbing to the roller coaster of emotions by either growing quiet or tearful. But there are also days when he’s just a normal, fun-loving, Pixar movie-watching kid.

“He’s done pretty well with it all,” said his mom, who works at Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg. “Really, he’s pretty happy as long as we tell him what’s going on.”

What’s going on is a step forward. In a procedure called histocompatibility testing, or tissue typing, which determines the compatibility of the antigens of donor and recipient, Donavynn’s doctors have found a perfect 10/10 match bone marrow donor. Once Donavynn’s infection passes, he’ll get the green light for the transplant.

The Cronks, who have been through the ups and downs of remission before, are cautiously optimistic this time that the cancer will be completely removed.

“That’s the hope,” Serena Cronk said. “(The doctors) can’t promise anything, but we have our fingers crossed.”

While the Cronks wait, they can rest a little easier knowing the community, and more specifically the Sedalia Bombers, have their back.

Through his sister, Angie Meyer, who is a literacy counselor at Washington Elementary, Bombers manager Jud Kindle recently was filled in on Donavynn’s situation.

“She was talking about how a kid was going through a hard time right now and his family was a great family and just needed some help,” Kindle said. “So that’s what we’re here to do.”

The collegiate summer baseball team, which has a history of helping out local non-profit organizations including the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri, is using Tuesday’s 7 p.m. matchup against Ozark at Liberty Park Stadium as a platform to contribute to the mounting medical costs the Cronks have incurred.

“We’re donating the gate to him and we’re expecting a good crowd, and we’re also doing a 50-50 (drawing) to donate to the family,” Kindle said.

Serena was touched by the kind gesture.

“To have the game in his honor is huge and whatever money is raised will definitely help us with the expenses,” she said.

Wristbands, worn by friends, family and the community to show their support in Donavynn’s fight, will be on sale at the game for $5 each.

As for when Donavynn will get back to his own bed, that’s up in the air. But to make that moment even sweeter, the Bombers will have a surprise in store for the 7-year-old when he returns home.

Informed that Donavynn’s favorite movie is “Cars,” the Bombers have planned to do their version of an extreme home makeover on his room, along with a little roof work and renovation to a bathroom in the house.

With the help of an artist from Knob Noster, Kindle and his crew plan on outfitting Donavynn’s room with wall murals capturing his favorite “Cars” characters, along with a few other small touches to capture his love for the popular Pixar film.

“He would just be over the moon,” his mom said.