Students get creative in support for classmate in health crisis

A Clear Lake sixth grader is getting a good dose of well wishes and support from her schoolmates as she battles a rare kidney cancer.

Natasha Bryan has missed many school days this year, but those at Clear Lake Middle School are keeping her in their thoughts and prayers and doing their best to help her feel better.  On Friday, May 27, Natasha hopes to be in school to enjoy an “Orange Out” held in her honor.

Earlier this year the Mayo Clinic confirmed Bryan’s diagnosis of Wilms’ Tumor, a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children.  According to the Mayo Clinic, Wilms’ tumor is the most common cancer of the kidneys in children, most often affecting children ages three to four-years-old.

Typically surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are performed, but due to the size of Bryan’s tumor, biopsies were performed and chemotherapy was used to shrink the mass.  That was followed by surgery, which involved removing a kidney, and weeks more of chemotherapy and ra-