More than 300 Bigfork students are rallying around fellow student 11-year-old Ember Fortuna.

They are staging an art fundraiser next week to help raise money for her care.

Fortuna was diagnosed in January with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (a rare disease that affects the immune system) and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (a type of cancer affecting the lymph nodes).

She began treatment immediately at Seattle Children’s Hospital. At one point, Ember’s lungs were too weak to function and she was moved to the intensive care unit for several weeks on a ventilator and a lung bypass machine for artificial oxygenation. As a result, she lost muscle in her legs and arms — as well as the ability to walk on her own — but she works daily in rehabilitation to regain the strength to take that first step on her own again.

“She has her days,” her mother, Melissa, said. “Things seem to be moving in the right direction for the most part.”

Ember has been undergoing two types of chemotherapy and lives with her mother and 9-year-old brother, Logan, at a Ronald McDonald House waiting to be scheduled for a life-saving bone marrow transplant from Logan.

“He will be donating his marrow to Ember, which is such a huge blessing, especially since the only cure for HLH is to receive a marrow transplant,” Melissa said.

Seeing her daughter among other children with similar cases has motivated her to encourage people to donate, whether by joining a bone marrow donor registry or donating blood.

“After each chemo treatment, most patients, including Ember, need blood and platelet transfusions,” Melissa said.

While the Fortunas have insurance coverage for most of Ember’s medical expenses, some costs are not covered. Melissa learned, for instance, that insurance won’t cover some costs related to her son’s bone marrow transplant surgery.

To help the Fortuna family defray medical costs, kindergarten through eighth-grade art students and their art teacher, Amber Britt, banded together to organize an art auction fundraiser for their classmate who loves to make crafts, design clothes and draw flowers and butterflies.

“It is a small school community, and we all know each other,” Britt said. “When someone is ill or hurt, our community knows about it and quickly pulls together to help support in any way we can.”

The art show and silent auction are planned from 5 to 8 p.m. May 11 at the Bigfork Elementary School cafeteria. Admission is free, but donations are requested.  

Students have created more than 30 colorful works of art in the form of stepping stones, tiles, quilts, bird houses, treasure boxes and painted furniture in the style of great art masters from Claude Monet to Georgia O’Keeffe.

“We took old dusty furniture and made it beautiful,” Britt said. “We have a Chagall table, Monet table, Diego Rivera chair and more. Some of the pieces have a particular theme, like lady bugs, birds or moose.”

Fourth-graders literally danced to the tune of art as they put paint to canvas using their bare feet.

Many students, such as 11-year-old Ketura Dennis, used time in and out of the classroom to complete projects. Dennis worked on a quilt for the auction.

“You get to help someone and it makes me happy to see other people happy and I think it would put a smile on Ember’s face,” Dennis said.

Melissa said she couldn’t have imagined how Bigfork would reach out to her family in such a way and that her daughter misses her home, friends and school.

“The unbelievable love we have felt and received from the community and the entire Bigfork Elementary School has been indescribable. We are so grateful for what they are doing with the art auction for Ember as it will be such a huge help to us,” Melissa said.

Britt hopes to make it an annual collaboration with students using their artistic talents to help out people such as the Fortunas.

Artwork will be on display at Ken’s Coffee, Flathead Bank, Her Alibi Salon North, Kravings Cafe, Bear Foods and Bigfork Inn until the auction. For more information, call Britt at 837-7412, extension 339, or email abritt@bigfork.k12.mt.us.

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