Warwick remembers Katelyn's brave battle with bone cancer

WARWICK-There's something that would dwarf just about any problem in the world n putting all of them into proper perspective. And that is the quiet drama unfolding every day in the lives of those confronting the death of a child. Last weekend Warwick remembered one of those children, 17 year old Katelyn Knebel, who after a three year fight with Ewings sarcoma, succumbed to the painful bone cancer on Sept. 21. Her father and two brothers joined Katelyn's sister Allison at Kings Elementary School for a memorial last Friday, where Allison is a fourth grader. Brother Robert attends Warwick High School and Harold goes to Warwick Middle School. A poem which Katelyn had written to her father was read at the service, as Katelyn's brother Harold held onto his father arm. Accompanying the poem is Katelyn's drawing of an angel. The poem, entitled, "Never Enough," in part, reads: Sometimes I know the words to say Give thanks for all you've done But then they fly up and away As quickly as they come How could I possibly thank you enough The one who makes me whole The one to whom I owe my life The forming of my soul The one who tucked me in at night The one who stopped my crying The one who was the expert at picking up When I was lying The one who saw me off to school And spent sad days alone But magically produced a smile As soon as I came home The one who makes such sacrifices To always put me first Who lets me test my broken wings In spite of how it hurts Who paints the world a rainbow When it spills with broken dreams Who explains it all so clearly When nothing's what it seems What way is there to thank you For your heart, your sweat, your tears For ten thousand little things you've done For oh so many years For never giving up on me When your wits had reached their end For always being proud of me For being my best friend Thank you for all of the gifts you give For everything you do But thank you Daddy most of all For making dreams come true. The recipient of the thanks, Katelyn's father Robert, asked to conclude with a few words, and while choking up said, "Parents raise their children, but the community does too. This school, these unbelievable people help us n we owe a lot to them. Even though they may yell at you, get in line n these teachers are raising our community . . . You may not realize it now, but if you're ever in this position, you will realize one day what a great group of people are in this school system." A table and benches were dedicated in Katelyn's memory and plaques for them were handed to Katelyn's brothers and sister. Kings teacher Pat Reinhardt, the organizer of the memorial, spoke to the entire school student body about the importance of the words on the plaques, "Be of love a little more careful than anything." The school's totem pole, freshly painted, was unveiled by artist Don Stark and fellow pole carvers Duane Card and Bob Linguanti. The principal of Warwick High School and a teacher from the middle school were among those present, where the entire Kings Elementary School student body stood on a hill for the memorial. Principal Sandra Wood, who could not attend because her mother was in the hospital undergoing an operation, had this to say about Pat Reinhardt, "Pat is such a humanitarian at heart and brings such a warmth to the community by her eagerness to recognize those who continue to make Kings great." The peak ages for Ewings sarcoma are between 10 and 20. The cause is unknown, but there is a connection to periods of growth in young people.