MUSCATINE, Iowa - Cameron Christiansen’s full head of shiny, brown hair and the gleam in his 8-year-old eyes wrap up the best Christmas gift his mom has ever had.

Those visible signs of good health, coupled with Cameron’s  boundless energy, brought a sparkle to Marci Christiansen’s eyes Tuesday afternoon as she watched her son and his classmates bring their own gifts to Cameron’s Toy Shop in the Mulberry Elementary School gym.

Mulberry art teacher Lisa Kurtz and her husband Mark  built and decorated the 4-foot-by-6-foot toy shop - made to resemble a gingerbread house - last year. Here they gather toys for patients at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics’  Children’s Hospital of Iowa.

This is the second year Cameron and his fellow students in grades K-2 are spearheading the drive. It’s Cameron’s way of returning the kindness that came his way when he was a patient at the University hospital.

Cameron has been undergoing treatment for Wilms tumor, a cancerous tumor of the kidney that occurs in children, since he was 2 ½.

During his hospitalizations, Cameron received toys that were donated to the hospital and he said the gifts made his treatments more pleasant.

Now, he’s returning the joy.

“It helps other kids at the hospital,” he said. “Last year, we had a van full.”

Last year at this time, Cameron was battling a third recurrence of Wilms tumor when the cancer, which can spread to other body tissues, was discovered in his liver.

This past March, a stem-cell transplant brought him good health. Marci said stem cells were harvested from Cameron’s body and transfused back into his body to help rebuild his immune system after Cameron had chemotherapy to shrink the tumors in his liver.

Marci said Cameron also had radiation to the margins of his remaining liver tissue in April.

A checkup Wednesday brought a second early Christmas gift Marci’s way. Preliminary test results revealed no signs of recurrence of the tumor.

Cameron will continue having check ups to monitor his condition.

The welcome news leaves the Christiansen family, which includes dad Richard and Cameron’s little brother, Conner, 4, with time to focus on the toy drive.

“We had more than 600 toys last year, and we’d like to get as many this year,” said Marci.

Cameron and his friends chattered and giggled as they finished placing toys in Cameron’s Toy Shop Tuesday.

“He loves being in school,” said Marci.

And how is Cameron feeling these days?

“Fantastic,” he announced enthusiastically before he headed back to class.

Reporter contact information:

Cynthia Beaudette 563-262-0527

cynthia.beaudette@muscatinejournal.com