Anna Wentzloff always has a smile on her face.
Kelly Steffen, St. Joseph-Ogden Math teacher and SJO girls track coach, said the 16-year-old is always upbeat.
“No matter how her day is going,” said Steffen.
Girls basketball coach Kevin Taylor agreed and said Wentzloff is a quiet but determined young lady.
“She always has a smile on her face,” he said. “She isn’t afraid to work hard for what she wants.”
Steffen has coached and taught Wentzloff and said she is one of the hardest workers you will find at the high school.
“When things don’t come easy to her, she chooses not to step down, but rather sees them as a challenge that she will conquer,” Steffen said. “And you guessed it correctly, she always does conquer.”
Wentzloff’s latest challenge is a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a type of lymphoma in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cells called lymphocytes.
She was diagnosed on Aug. 30 after spending a week at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria.
She is currently undergoing treatment at the Children’s Hospital/St. Jude Midwest Affiliate.
“No one ever wants to hear the news of anyone with a diagnoses like the one Anna received,” Steffen said.
“However, I think everyone sees Anna’s perseverance in the classroom and in sports and therefore had no doubt that Anna would immediately put on her optimistic, determined mindset and face the diagnoses full force.“
Wentzloff began treatment on Sept. 6 when she and her mother, April Grant, arrived at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois. Wentzloff had blood work done. She started chemotherapy on Sept. 7. The treatment took five hours. On Sept. 8 she received three hours of treatment and received additional treatment on Sept. 9.
“We will return twice a week for the next two weeks to check blood counts,” Grant wrote on Wentzloff’s Caring Bridge site. “Then the three-week cycle starts over and we expect to do five cycles total.”
Grant said her daughter is handling everything well.
“She knows God is good! She plans on winning this battle just like her favorite Cub: Anthony Rizzo,” Grant said.
Wentzloff returned to SJO after her treatments and Steffen said the students and staff were happy to see her.
“Anna’s bright smile and friendly personality is something that does not go unnoticed during the school day so it was very exciting when she came back to school,” Steffen said. “Her presence at SJO is certainly a ray of sunshine through the school.”
On Oct. 1 the volleyball team, of which Wentzloff is a member, is holding a fundraiser during their home match against Tri-Valley. The event will include a T-shirt sale, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Wentzloff’s family.
Bracelets will also be sold, a 50/50 drawing will also be held.
Volleyball coach Abby McDonald said her team was upset and worried about the well-being of their teammate and friend when told about Wentzloff’s diagnoses but then they decided to focus on how they could honor and support their friend and her family.
“We decided to host an event because we consider the members of our program a part of our family,” McDonald said. “We immediately went to work on how we could support Anna emotionally and financially.”
McDonald said the varsity team members wear a purple shoelace in one shoe, for Hodgkins Lymphoma awareness, and in honor of Anna.
The team also has her jersey on their bench when she is unable to be with them.
“We have hosted similar events in the past for individuals in our community, but this one is even more special since
Anna is a part of our SJO Volleyball family,” McDonald said. “We are greatly looking forward to honoring her next week.”
The team will also be serving a pork chop sandwich, chips and drink meal for $6 starting at 5 p.m. 100 percent of the proceeds from the meal will go to Wentzloff’s family due to donations from the St. Joseph IGA and State Farm
Agent Todd Jacob.
SJO dance team coach Emily Williams is organizing a silent auction for the event.
Williams said they have an Illini basketball and tickets, a Core Life eatery gift card, a Halloween themed thirty-one basket, LulaRoe items, fleece blankets and desserts to auction off.
Anyone wanting to donate to the auction can contact Williams at williamse@sjo.k12.il.us.
Taylor encouraged the community to support the event.
“This could happen to any one of us or our loved ones,” he said. “Anna deserves our support to help her with this fight.”
Steffen agreed the community should come to the event and support Wentzloff.
“It is obvious that Anna wants the best for everyone she comes in contact with throughout her day,” Steffen said.
“She puts the needs of everyone else above herself. Showing support for Anna would simply be repaying the favor that she has given to so many people throughout her life already.”
