A Really Mean Thief and An Addison Update

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Following are exerpts froma a story that appeared in the Boulder Daily Camera newspaper after a gift that was given to Addison that helped him get some much needed exercise and outdoor time was stolen from his back yard.

 That Tuesday was going to be a bad day for Addison Kleinhans, no matter what happened.


Addison, 6, was diagnosed in April with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. That Tuesday, June 8, he was due for an appointment at The Children's Hospital in Aurora, where doctors would draw his blood, yet again.

The test would show if Addison could progress to another round of chemotherapy and if his immune system was strong enough to allow him to be around other children.

Not that Addison would have any energy to play, because the chemo took that away, too.

"The first two months were really hard. He just slept all day," said his mother, Sarah Kleinhans.


Doctors didn't like the results, meaning at least another week inside and away from kids, Sarah Kleinhans said, but Addison did have one thing to look forward to on that day of bad news.


A family member had given Addison a 6-foot-tall yellow Giga Ball the day before. Addison could climb into the ball and roll around in his backyard.

51" Giga Ball

The Giga Ball is a toy and wouldn't protect Addison from germs, but Addison's parents hoped that it would encourage him to play and get some exercise.


"Anything that made him want to move was perfect therapy for him," his mother said.


Addison had spent the prior evening playing in the backyard with his sister, Madelene, 8. It was the first time in a long time he seemed to be having fun.

Addison with his sister, Madelene

But that night, the ball disappeared from the Kleinhans' yard.


"He was just crushed," Sarah Kleinhans said.


A neighbor, said she and her husband awoke about 2 a.m. the night before to discover a prowler in their backyard. They confronted him and he fled, but by that point he had been in the yards of several neighbors. Neighbors suspect he vandalized several homes and yards and stole Addison's ball.


Instead of feeling threatened about the prowler, the neighbors are just angry about the  playful little boy down the street being crushed about losing his Giga Ball after going through so much.

Addison's family and large network of friends -- the Facebook group "Help Addison Kick This Thing" has 864 members -- aren't interested in seeing the thief punished. They just want to make him understand.


"If they caught this guy, he needs to spend a day with Addison in the hospital, to get a finger poke and to see the kids throw up," Kleinhans said.


The story has a happy ending, though. A friend got Addison a new Giga Ball.


About 80 percent of children are cured of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. But the full course of treatment takes three years, and there is a small but statistically significant chance of relapse.


"Relapse is one of those things we'll be afraid of until he's 100," Sarah Kleinhans said.


As of a couple of days ago, Addison"s blood count was still not up enough for him to resume chemotherapy, but it is going up, so he will hopefully be able to resume his treatment soon.  He has to endure the dreaded finger poke every few days to check his blood count.

Addison with his new Giga Ball

Thanks to everyone for the interest, kindness, support, donations and prayers for Addison and his family.