03/20/2010
BENEFIT FOR CRITTER AT INDY KISS FAN EXPO
If you're at this weekend's Indianapolis KISS Fan Expo, stop by the KISSonline booth to help out a worthwhile cause and possibly win yourself a great KISS prize too!
We're holding a special raffle with 100% of the proceeds going to Christopher "Critter" Smith. You may remember Critter from several previous KISSonline stories...he's the 12-year-old KISS fan who continues to battle leukemia.
KISS Prizes being raffled off:
1) Grand Prize - Two Meet & Greets and concert tickets to an upcoming KISS concert
2) Gene Simmons Axe bass guitar
3) Limited Edition SONIC BOOM Print - hand signed by Paul, Gene, Eric, Tommy and Michael Doret
Thanks to Cort Guitars for donating the Gene Simmons Axe and Michael Doret for donating the SONIC BOOM Print.
Cincinnati Enquirer Story
By William Croyle
Christopher "Critter" Smith and the leukemia that invaded his body two-and-a-half years ago are still battling each other.
If you're at this weekend's Indianapolis KISS Fan Expo, stop by the KISSonline booth to help out a worthwhile cause and possibly win yourself a great KISS prize too!
We're holding a special raffle with 100% of the proceedings going to Christopher "Critter" Smith. You may remember Critter from several previous KISSonline stories...he's the 12-year-old KISS fan who continues to battle leukemia.
KISS Prizes being raffled off:
1) Grand Prize - Two Meet & Greets and concert tickets to an upcoming KISS concert
2) Gene Simmons Axe bass guitar
3) Limited Edition SONIC BOOM Print - hand signed by Paul, Gene, Eric, Tommy and Michael Doret
Thanks to Cort Guitars for donating the Gene Simmons Axe and Michael Doret for donating the SONIC BOOM Print.
Cincinnati Enquirer Story
By William Croyle
Christopher "Critter" Smith and the leukemia that invaded his body two-and-a-half years ago are still battling each other.
Every time it seems the 12-year-old has beaten it, the disease or infections resulting from it recur.
"His spirits are usually up, but I think he's sick of being sick," said his mother, Carol Smith.
The disease is also taking a toll on the family financially.
Critter's story received some national attention last year after he stated in an interview with The Enquirer that he was a big fan of the rock group KISS. Word reached the band, prompting singer Paul Stanley and drummer Eric Singer to call Critter at the hospital and fly him to Milwaukee in June for one of their concerts.
Critter, a fifth grader at Fourth Street Elementary School, was diagnosed in July 2007 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells. In the six subsequent months, he underwent a round of radiation, five chemotherapy treatments and a bone marrow transplant. He returned to school and was in remission for 15 months until the cancer reappeared in January 2009.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center was as much his home in 2009 as his own home in Newport. He's avoided overnight stays at the hospital since mid-December, but has been too weak to return to school.
His low white blood cell counts have made him very susceptible to infections. Critter will undergo several tests this week to find out why the counts are so low. Once they increase, he will resume chemotherapy treatments.
Donations can also be made at any Fifth Third Bank location to the Christopher Smith Benefit Fund.
We're holding a special raffle with 100% of the proceeds going to Christopher "Critter" Smith. You may remember Critter from several previous KISSonline stories...he's the 12-year-old KISS fan who continues to battle leukemia.
KISS Prizes being raffled off:
1) Grand Prize - Two Meet & Greets and concert tickets to an upcoming KISS concert
2) Gene Simmons Axe bass guitar
3) Limited Edition SONIC BOOM Print - hand signed by Paul, Gene, Eric, Tommy and Michael Doret
Thanks to Cort Guitars for donating the Gene Simmons Axe and Michael Doret for donating the SONIC BOOM Print.
Cincinnati Enquirer Story
By William Croyle
Christopher "Critter" Smith and the leukemia that invaded his body two-and-a-half years ago are still battling each other.
If you're at this weekend's Indianapolis KISS Fan Expo, stop by the KISSonline booth to help out a worthwhile cause and possibly win yourself a great KISS prize too!
We're holding a special raffle with 100% of the proceedings going to Christopher "Critter" Smith. You may remember Critter from several previous KISSonline stories...he's the 12-year-old KISS fan who continues to battle leukemia.
KISS Prizes being raffled off:
1) Grand Prize - Two Meet & Greets and concert tickets to an upcoming KISS concert
2) Gene Simmons Axe bass guitar
3) Limited Edition SONIC BOOM Print - hand signed by Paul, Gene, Eric, Tommy and Michael Doret
Thanks to Cort Guitars for donating the Gene Simmons Axe and Michael Doret for donating the SONIC BOOM Print.
Cincinnati Enquirer Story
By William Croyle
Christopher "Critter" Smith and the leukemia that invaded his body two-and-a-half years ago are still battling each other.
Every time it seems the 12-year-old has beaten it, the disease or infections resulting from it recur.
"His spirits are usually up, but I think he's sick of being sick," said his mother, Carol Smith.
The disease is also taking a toll on the family financially.
Critter's story received some national attention last year after he stated in an interview with The Enquirer that he was a big fan of the rock group KISS. Word reached the band, prompting singer Paul Stanley and drummer Eric Singer to call Critter at the hospital and fly him to Milwaukee in June for one of their concerts.
Critter, a fifth grader at Fourth Street Elementary School, was diagnosed in July 2007 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells. In the six subsequent months, he underwent a round of radiation, five chemotherapy treatments and a bone marrow transplant. He returned to school and was in remission for 15 months until the cancer reappeared in January 2009.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center was as much his home in 2009 as his own home in Newport. He's avoided overnight stays at the hospital since mid-December, but has been too weak to return to school.
His low white blood cell counts have made him very susceptible to infections. Critter will undergo several tests this week to find out why the counts are so low. Once they increase, he will resume chemotherapy treatments.
Donations can also be made at any Fifth Third Bank location to the Christopher Smith Benefit Fund.
