June 11, 2008 (Page 13A)

By Kristen M. Daum

Staff Writer

Aluminum foil, feathers, ribbons, tinsel and glitter of all colors covered the craft table of the Jimmy Everest Cancer Center at OU Medical Center, as child cancer patients visited Tuesday morning with local Navy servicemen.

David Haywood of Oklahoma City sprinkled blue glitter across white paperboard, making an artistic American flag.

The 12-year-old smiled gently and, with exhausted eyes, chatted quietly with Navy Cmdr. Robert Dews Tuesday morning in the craft room of the Jimmy Everest Cancer Center at OU Medical Center.

Dews and five other Navy servicemen visited the children receiving treatment at the cancer center as part of the Navy's community outreach during the third annual Oklahoma City Navy Week, which kicked off Friday.

David's mother Denae Hooks, 34, watched with joy as Dews helped her son with his craft project.

"It gives him a break from thinking of what may happen today or what he's going through,” Hooks said. David has had acute lymphoblastic leukemia — a cancer in the white blood cells — for more than two years. He was released recently from the hospital, Hooks said.

Visit was a joyful distraction

For the children, the naval officers' visit served as a joyful distraction, said Jenny Rodgers, 24, a 10-year-survivor of Hodgkin's lymphoma who works at the cancer center.

"It just brightens their spirits and gives them a reason to keep fighting,” Rodgers said.

Eight-year-old Malachi Struthers has stage four myoblastoma, a cancer that attacks muscle tissue.

On Tuesday, Malachi was all smiles as he competed with his 13-year-old sister, Morgan, to build the better aluminum-foil sailboat.

"I like the boats, but I don't like the tape,” Malachi joked, as he fought off a tangled roll of clear tape.