Honoring Erika's memory
When their mother Erika was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, Ben and Jake Rodriguez were 2 years old. Now age 7, the boys are raising money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. (contributed)
Jake and Ben Rodriguez were only 3 years old when their mother Erika Rodriguez passed away after battling acute myeloid leukemia for nine months.
Now, four years later, the twin boys are keeping their mother's memory alive and have been named the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Boys of the Year.
"It's incredible what they remember," said Jeff Timm, Erika's father and the boys' grandfather. "They talk about her all the time."
In March 2012, while living in Alexandria, Erika was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia after going to the doctor for ongoing headaches. She was taken to the University of Minnesota Medical Center, and remained there for nine months, until she lost the fight with cancer.
Though Ben and Jake were young when they lost their mother, they remember her. In the time since Erika's death, her husband Sam has remarried and moved to Maple Grove. He says his wife, Katie, has played a large role in encouraging the boys to fundraise for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and to remember their mother, who was a friend of hers.
"In elementary school, the boys had a program that was called Pennies for Patients," Sam said. "They brought home their box and their job was to go around and get people to donate toward the LLS. ... The school had hoped to raise $2,000 for kindergarten through sixth grade, and Ben and Jake raised nearly $4,000 with the help of Katie."
After raising the money last year, Ben and Jake were honored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Then this year, they were honored again, as each year the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society chooses a man and woman of the year and a girl and boy of the year. The 2017 girls of the year were twin sisters who are both survivors of leukemia.
Due to their fundraising efforts, the Rodriguez twins seemed like a natural choice for the boys of the year.
"Because they were doing twin sisters, they chose the boys as the Boys of the Year because leukemia affects more than just the person who has it," Sam said. "It also affects the family."
Now, the boys are trying to raise $10,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by May 20.
"They're not only giving money themselves, but also going door to door to tell their story about what their mom went through," Sam said. "They're also asking people if they have any chores. They're trying to be proactive and do something besides just asking for money."
Sam says the Rodriguez family will continue to honor Erika and remember her, as well as fundraise to aid in finding a cure for cancer.
"We try to keep her spirit alive as much as we can," Sam said. "They definitely know who their mom was as a person. We're making something positive out of a terrible tragedy, and we've been very blessed in the joy we've found since then."
Donations to this cause can be made by visiting events.lls.org/pages/mn/boysoftheyear and a video about the Rodriguez family can be viewed at www.vimeo.com/184246668.
"It's incredible what they remember," said Jeff Timm, Erika's father and the boys' grandfather. "They talk about her all the time."
In March 2012, while living in Alexandria, Erika was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia after going to the doctor for ongoing headaches. She was taken to the University of Minnesota Medical Center, and remained there for nine months, until she lost the fight with cancer.
"In elementary school, the boys had a program that was called Pennies for Patients," Sam said. "They brought home their box and their job was to go around and get people to donate toward the LLS. ... The school had hoped to raise $2,000 for kindergarten through sixth grade, and Ben and Jake raised nearly $4,000 with the help of Katie."
After raising the money last year, Ben and Jake were honored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Due to their fundraising efforts, the Rodriguez twins seemed like a natural choice for the boys of the year.
"Because they were doing twin sisters, they chose the boys as the Boys of the Year because leukemia affects more than just the person who has it," Sam said. "It also affects the family."
Now, the boys are trying to raise $10,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by May 20.
"They're not only giving money themselves, but also going door to door to tell their story about what their mom went through," Sam said. "They're also asking people if they have any chores. They're trying to be proactive and do something besides just asking for money."
Donations to this cause can be made by visiting events.lls.org/pages/mn/boysoftheyear and a video about the Rodriguez family can be viewed at www.vimeo.com/184246668.
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