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IC NEWSLETTER -
SUMMER 2010
6
Daniella Asfour takes one look at the class with
the “big kids” and hides behind the lockers in
the middle school hallway. Her older broth-
er and mother cajole her. She finally enters
the class clinging on to her mother. She had
things to say but looking at the sea of faces in
front of her, words fail her. Finally, her mother
talks to the class.
“Daniella is pleased to be here,” she said. “She
and her friends created this book to help oth-
er children suffering with cancer.”
She holds up a book. “Once upon a drawing
by the KGII and GS students” is a collection of
stories and drawings. The first page includes
Daniella’s drawing. Underneath is its dedica-
tion: FromDaniella and her friends at IC to the
Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon.
The drawings are based on the KGII and
Grande Section’s interpretations of Henri Ma-
tisse’s works of art led by preschool art teach-
ers, Mona Nashawati and Joumana Boukhaled.
On February 7th, Daniella was diagnosed with
cancer. A heartfelt shock vibrated through IC.
IC administrators, parents and friends got to-
gether to produce this book.
“It just wasn’t fair for a young child to go
through this,” said Ghada Maalouf, Director
of the Preschool, “I felt the need to do some-
thing. A book was the best tool by far.”
Proceeds from the book go to the Children’s
Cancer Center.
For Daniella, the Cancer Center has become
another home. Daniella shows her ‘butterfly’
inserted under skin just above her chest- a
surgically placed catheter to allow chemo-
therapy to enter the bloodstream.
Every two weeks, she heads to the Center to
receive her chemotherapy.
“It doesn’t hurt,” she said. “Not even when they
take my blood.”
She has new friends at the Cancer Center.
Abbas, 9, who is bedridden and Tina, 4, who
comes in every week for her chemotherapy
sessions.
Daniella plays with them both. “Tina likes puz-
zles the most and Abbas likes to listen to the
news all day long,” she said.
Da niella ’s book