HELENA — The phrase commonly associated with cancer is that it touches everyone and when someone beats cancer it’s something to be celebrated. The community of Helena did just that after Easton Ducharme wrapped up his three-year battle with the disease.
Fire trucks, sheriffs vehicles, teachers, and an appearance from the one and only St. Nick were on display today for Ducharme and his sister Kennedy.
Easton’s mother Erin told MTN before the celebration the love and support they’ve received from the community is nothing short of otherworldly.
“It's life-changing. To realize that, when you're going through something so tough and you're not sure if you're going to survive day to day, the stuff that's coming at you. To know that you have a community that is behind you, and supporting you through it is truly something that is helped us get to the end,” Erin Ducharme, Easton's mother.
The display was brought together by the school after Erin informed Easton’s teacher that he would be missing a day for his final treatment, the school then sprang into action to make it as special as they could
"It's just great that we are able to show students, even though they might be digital learners or remote learners or in person, it doesn't matter, we're all in this together," said Nicole Peterson, a Rossiter kindergarten distance learning teacher.
"This staff rallied. I mean, they were excited. It's a testament to the Rossiter. It's a testament to where we live in the state of Montana, for sure," said Rex Weltz, Rossiter Elementary's principal. "To celebrate them as a family getting through this together, made it pretty easy."
Before the drive-by parade took place, Erin said she hopes that her children felt that same support their family has felt across the last three years. Through the plethora of honk, hollers, signs, and the outpouring of support, it was easy to see that they felt it.
