Updated at: 06/03/2009 2:45 PM
By: Laura Kennedy
lkennedy@wdio.com

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Hayward Students Collect Pop Tabs For Local Kid

Faculty members at Hayward Middle School bet their student's couldn't collect a million pop tabs by the end of this school year.

For the middle schoolers accomplishing that goal meant seeing principals in dresses and teachers with pink hair. But it also means money for the Ronald McDonald House, where all proceeds will go after the pop tabs are recycled.

Hayward students collect pop tabs for the organization every year. But this time, it was in honor of 11-year-old Max Disher, whose family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House while he battled leukemia last year.

"It took a lot of stress off of us," said Janelle Disher, Max's mom. "They provided everything for us."

Max was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of the disease last June. His parents were shocked--Max was scared.

"I didn't really know what leukemia was," Max said.

After five straight months in the hospital, Max got a bone marrow transplant in October from his 12-year-old sister, Dakota. She says she wasn't a big fan of the needles, but was willing to do it to save her brother's life.

"He was really sick. I saw him when he was really sick and I started crying," said Dakota. "He was bad. Then I wanted to do it."

Janelle works at the middle school, but took a year off to stay with Max during his treatment. Her husband's coworkers donated their vacation time so he could be with his family. To help with their medical costs, neighbors in Hayward and Ashland raised $30,000 through a fundraiser last summer.

"It really was amazing how the whole community came together to help us," Janelle said.

A year after being diagnosed, Max is now cancer free, and his life is just about back to normal.

"Almost one hundred percent," said Janelle. "We're playing baseball, golfing, he's doing everything a normal 11-year-old boy would be doing."

"I can play with my friends and do more things," Max said.

That pile of pop tabs meant one day of fun for these middle schoolers, but the money they've raised could be life changing for other families like Max's.