When Sharon and Stuart Kirsch began encouraging their children to take part in mitzvah projects, they had no idea any of those projects would hit close to home.
Over the years the children have cooked for the Shearith Israel shelter, taken their dog to visit residents at the William Breman Jewish Home, collected money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, UNICEF and the March of Dimes, and assembled goody bags for soldiers in Iraq.
When Sharon's mother, Joan Barton, was diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer four years ago, Rabbis Yossi New and Dave Silverman suggested the family do mitzvahs in her name. Josh Kirsch decided to do 13 mitzvah projects to honor his grandmother for his bar mitzvah.
In October, the Kirsches' cousin Maia Barton, 8, was diagnosed with leukemia. Jessica, Josh's younger sister, decided to carry on the tradition of 13 mitzvah projects for her October 2007 bat mitzvah at Temple Kol Emeth and to continue the family's five-year tradition of collecting money to fight childhood leukemia as part of her efforts.
Jessica, a sixth-grader at Dickerson Middle School, plays basketball for Walton High School. She has organized a fundraiser during the Walton basketball games Jan. 19 and hopes the community will come out for fun and to help Maia.
Maia, a student at the Epstein School, has taken her illness in stride. According to her parents, Alyssa and Steve Barton, Maia is very matter-of-fact, talking to doctors, asking questions and remaining composed. Since losing her hair because of the treatment for the disease, she has worn a hat but now feels comfortable taking it off in public.
Maia loves to play outside and jump on her trampoline. Of her leukemia, she said: "I knew I'd get over it. When I came back to school, my friends were all helping me. And I'm so happy that my cousin is doing something for me. I'm much better now."
Because Maia also needs blood transfusions, the Kirsch family is organizing a blood drive in honor of her and her grandmother Feb. 1 from noon to 5 p.m. at Chabad of Cobb's temporary home at the Olde Towne shopping center on Johnson Ferry Road near the intersection with Lower Roswell Road. All blood types are welcome to help cancer patients.
You also can donate to the Red Cross in Maia's name at any time.
In March, Alyssa Barton is running a half-marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program to raise money.
"The money we raise goes toward research and services for patients," she said. "The cure rate is so much higher now because of efforts like this. Maybe in the future kids won't have to go through so much. The survival rate is approaching 90 percent."
Visit www.teamintraining.org/ga to learn more, to sign up to participate or to donate in Maia's honor. To contribute to Jessica's fundraising effort, you can send a check to Sharon Kirsch, 1326 Garrick Way, Marietta, Ga. 30068. E-mail her at Stuemplaw@aol.com or call (770) 642-7651 for more details about the project.
