BACKGROUND

       Leukemia is a form of cancer that affects a person’s blood cells. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a form of the cancer that starts in the bone marrow. AML is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults, but around 500 children in the U.S. will still be diagnosed with it, according to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.[1] The treatments for AML are chemotherapy, radiation therapy and, in some cases, a bone marrow transplant. The five-year survival rate for children with AML ranges from 65-75%, however for some subtypes of the cancer, it can be much lower. 

       Benjamin Layton was two years old when he was diagnosed with AML. He battled the disease for two years, but unfortunately, the treatment was not enough to remove the cancer from his body. Ben died three months after his fourth birthday.[2] His parents, Chris and Hendrika Layton, wanted to do something to honor their son, so they decided to build a playground in his memory. The Laytons hoped the community would feel connected to the playground. To do this, they reached out to local children for help designing their “ideal” playground. Based on the children’s’ drawings, a blueprint was created. For one week in May 2004, over 4,000 volunteers worked together to build the memorial playground.[3]

       Once Ben became aware that he was going to die, he began to talk about the red angel wings he wanted once he made it to heaven. Because of this wish, the playground features red swings, red monkey bars, red slides and the name “Ben’s Red Swings.” Every year during Thanksgiving weekend, the community comes back together to do upkeep on the playground. Using a narrative approach, I want to show how this yearly team effort is representative of everything Ben’s Red Swings stands for: community, compassion and love.

 

[1] https://www.stjude.org/disease/acute-myeloid-leukemia.html

[2] https://www.facebook.com/BRSCP/about_details

[3] https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2014/06/13/bens-red-swings/10490535/