Tuesday Benefit Set for Montgomery 6-Year-Old Battling Cancer

Kelli Glatt describes six-year-old Isaac Parris as a trouper.

“He’s awesome,” said Glatt, Isaac’s first-grade teacher at in Montgomery. “He has a contagious smile, he’s friends with everyone.” 

Glatt’s praise is doubly impressive when you consider the year Isaac has had. In June, he was diagnosed with brain cancer, and given only two weeks to live without immediate surgery. Now, with that surgery and weeks of radiation therapy behind him, Isaac is entering his fourth round of chemotherapy.

And according to his mother, April Adamo, the bills are about to start piling up. The family’s insurance is about to renew, meaning they will have to pay their deductible amount again for Isaac’s procedures. And though they’re keeping their heads above water now, April says they need all the help they can get.

That’s where Glatt comes in. Her first-grade class has held small-scale fundraisers for Isaac and his family—everything from collecting change to participating in a 5K race in his name. And on Tuesday, Lakewood Creek Elementary is hosting a big one, with the help of the on Route 34 in Oswego.

From the moment the store opens at 10:30 a.m. to the moment it closes at 10 p.m., Culver’s will donate 10 percent of all of its proceeds to Isaac and his family. Fifth grade students from Lakewood Creek will be there to serve meals, and Isaac is scheduled to show up between 4 and 9 p.m.

Culver’s is known for its butterburgers and frozen custard, and Tuesday’s custard flavor is Rocky Road.

Glatt described Isaac as “a huge part of our classroom community,” and said all of his classmates like him a great deal.

“He wants to be here,” she said. “He tries hard to focus. There are times when he’ll come in for a couple of hours, and we have to send him home (for health reasons).” 

April said the third round of chemotherapy was difficult. At one point, she said, Isaac’s temperature spiked, and they had to spend a weekend in the hospital. The treatments have made him more tired than usual lately, and his body sometimes aches.

But his mood is good, she said. And the family knows the goal is in sight—Isaac has six rounds of chemotherapy left before he’ll be considered in remission. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he’ll be cancer-free by October.

And it’s events like Tuesday’s benefit, April said, that show just how thoughtful and caring a community can be.

“It takes your breath away, makes you speechless,” she said. “So many people go out of their way to do something for you. It’s amazing.”

is at 2781 Route 34 in Oswego. For more information, call the restaurant at 630-551-4960. For more on Isaac Parris, read .