Fundraising supports local student

Evergreen Junior High Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Shaun Forrest can feel the breeze a little better on his newly shaven head, done at the hands of students and teachers.

Shaving his head was the reward for students’ fundraising efforts to benefit Domanic “DJ” Gallegos, who graduated from Evergreen Junior High in 2016 and is currently undergoing treatment for a rare type of cancer that affects the nervous system.

During a school assembly Monday, the top five students who brought in more than $100 in donations each took turns holding the electric razor to shave Forrest’s hair, followed by an even closer shave using a razor by staff members.

“This was the first time I’ve had my head shaved,” Forrest said. And students were excited. “There was a chant going to shave my eyebrows. I said there wasn’t enough money for that.”

At the last minute, sixth-grade teacher Don Petersen joined in the excitement and also got his head shaved.

It was football and basketball coach Ross Darner who got the ball rolling with Evergreen Junior High Leadership Club Adviser Pam Doty to organize a carnival event to benefit Gallegos as part of an incentive day for students who completed all their work.

While a student at Evergreen Junior High, Gallegos had been on the football and basketball teams, which he worked extremely hard at, Forrest said.

“When DJ couldn’t play it was really a bummer for him,” Gallegos’ mother Amanda Shepard said.

Forrest challenged each student to donate $5. With about 300 students that would mean raising $1,500. It was a student who challenged Forrest back.

“I was challenged by a student who asked ‘what are you willing to do if we raised the $1,500? Are you willing to shave your head?’ In light of Domanic’s health and challenges for the next couple of years I thought shaving my head would be pretty minuscule,” Forrest said.

Forrest agreed and students surpassed $1,500 and raised $2,900.

Gallegos, now a freshman at Flathead High School, is currently undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatment at Children’s Hospital Colorado for the cancer called “malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor.”

Last winter, the 15-year-old received the diagnosis after a tumor was discovered pressing against his spine and was surgically removed in January.

“On Dec. 23 they found the mass and then they operated Jan. 26 and let me know on Feb. 7 it was cancerous,” Shepard said.

“Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are a type of cancer that occurs in the protective lining of the nerves that extend from the spinal cord into the body,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

Although the cancerous tumors are known to be very aggressive according to John Hopkins Medicine, in Gallegos’ case, tests have shown the cancer to be localized to his spine, which family members count as a victory.

“He’s holding up pretty good,” Shepard said. “He has radiation every single day Monday through Friday for 34 sessions. He also does chemotherapy every third week.”

Gallegos will get testing done to determine if the cancer is genetic, which can determine frequency of cancerous tumor growth and the extent of monitoring will need to be done.

If all goes well with his treatment and health, Gallegos may come back to Montana in May to finish chemotherapy, Shepard said.

“We definitely do [miss home],” Shepard said.

She is currently living in Colorado to be with her son. Shepard said it’s also difficult for him be separated from his siblings, who stayed in Montana to attend school.

The Evergreen Lions Club, of which Forrest is a member, is planning to donate proceeds of its annual spaghetti dinner and auction to Gallegos’ family to assist with medical and travel expenses. The dinner and auction will be held at 4:30 p.m. April 20 at Evergreen Junior High.

People wishing to track Gallegos’ progress may visit www.caringbridge.org. To make a donation, visit https://www.gofundme.com/domanic-gallegos-medical-fund.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.