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    MAINEiac for a Day

    BANGOR, ME, UNITED STATES

    05.05.2013

    Story by Staff Sgt. Kati Walsh 

    101st Air Refueling Wing/Public Affairs

    BANGOR, Maine - Shannon and Patrick Smith are your average “20-something” parents of two boys from rural Maine. Their sons Caleb, 4 and Carter, 3, are your typical boys who love to play with trucks and dig in the dirt. However, last year, the Smiths received difficult news when they learned that their oldest son had been diagnosed with Leukemia and would need to begin treatment immediately.

    Meanwhile late last year, Master Sgt. Jonathan Duplain, Public Affairs Superintendent of the 101st Air Refueling Wing began conversations with Chief Master Sgt. Robert Peer, Command Chief of the 101st, to develop a Pilot for a Day program, sponsoring families with young children who were facing difficult medical challenges. According to Master Sgt. Duplain, “I sent Chief Peer a couple of video links about units that do a pilot for a day, and I said why can’t we do this?”

    “Chief Peer took it a step further and ran it by Colonel Doug Farnham, [Commander of the 101st Air Refueling Wing in Bangor, Maine] who really liked the idea,” said Duplain. “Peer proceeded to contact Lafayette Family Cancer Center in Brewer asking if any children would be interested in coming out to our Maineiac for a Day event. Cancer Care collected our information, put the word out to families being treated in their facility, and helped link Shannon and Patrick Smith with Chief Peer.”

    According to Shannon Smith, “we heard of the opportunity from cancer care of Maine where Caleb receives his treatments. The child life employee told us about it and gave us Robert Peer’s information. The entire experience was amazing for both of them, Caleb had a chance to forget about hospitals and treatments and just be a kid. And Carter has been put on the back burner many times when Caleb is sick or in the hospital, so for Carter to get just as much attention meant so much to us!”

    “This was all sponsored by Maineiacs Charities and it was an opportunity for us to give back to the community,” said Peer. “We received outstanding support from the Wing. Members didn’t need to be asked to share their time with this child; they just wanted to, and it was amazing. It was his day, but I feel that as a unit we all took more away from it,” Peer said.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.05.2013
    Date Posted: 07.15.2013 15:44
    Story ID: 110220
    Location: BANGOR, ME, US

    Web Views: 104
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN