Thatcher’s first day: Nixa kindergartner goes to school after 18 months of cancer treatment

The first day of school took on incredible meaning for a kindergarten student and his family.

In September 2019, Thatcher Dingus was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that attacks adrenal glands. Thatcher mainly dealt with cancer cells in his kidneys. On March 25, he walked through the doors of High Pointe Elementary School in Nixa for his first day of school in a classroom since the diagnosis.

Thatcher, 6, had just had a central line removed from his body two days before. The central line is used to administer chemotherapy, blood transfusions, platelets and other treatments, but it also comes with restrictions and risks. The removal of the central line checked off a big box on the list of improvements that allow Thatcher to attend school in person for the first time in 18 months. Because he’s a kindergartner, March 25 also marked the very first day at his new elementary school.

Thatcher’s father, Kendal Dingus, reported that his son was thrilled to walk through the door at High Pointe, which teachers and students had decorated for the occasion.

“There was a lot of excitement in the house this morning. Thatcher was super ready to get here, it’s something he’s been looking forward to for a very long time,” Dingus said.

Thatcher finished out his early childhood learning virtually with Nixa Public Schools. The Dingus family spent nine consecutive months in Memphis, Tennessee, where Thatcher was hospitalized undergoing treatments at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“He’s done the virtual school, he did the St. Jude school, but he gets that it’s a big deal, being back in the classroom. He misses his friends, just being around other kids,” Dingus said.

Coming home to Nixa was a big step the whole family. For the past year and a half, they’ve been dedicated to Thatcher’s treatment schedule. COVID-19 precautions at St. Jude further complicated the situation. Kendal, his wife Lindsay, and their younger son, Gideon, all lived in relative isolation at the Target House apartments in Memphis for the past nine months.

“For us, it’s a huge step just looking over the past 18 months,” Dingus said. “It’s been something that we have thought about, but it’s been quite a distant reach, so to finally get to this point is a huge blessing and we’re just super excited.”

The Dingus family shared updates on Thatcher throughout his treatment on a Facebook page, which you can find by searching for “Team Thatcher D.” Kendal Dingus said it was important to be open and forthcoming about what the family went through in an effort to help an organization that helped the Dingus family so much.

Patients at St. Jude are not charged for care. According to St. Jude, it costs $2.8 million per day to run the hospital for children who face catastrophic diseases, particularly cancer. Patients travel from all over the United States to Memphis in order to undergo treatment at St. Jude, which is funded entirely through donations.

“It’s an unfunded thing, childhood cancer, so just bringing so much awareness to that has been super important to us,” Dingus said. “And then just bringing awareness about St. Jude. Most people don’t know much about St. Jude. You see the commercials, and you hear the stories, but the things they do for the patients and the families are just unbelievable.”

The message written in chalk at the entryway at High Pointe included the social media hashtag #ThatcherStrong, which has become prevalent in the Nixa Community for the past year and a half. His first day of kindergarten was a great showing of strength for Thatcher, who underwent seven rounds of chemotherapy, six rounds of immunotherapy and 12 rounds of radiation treatments all before turning 6 on March 16. Footage of his “No More Chemo Party” got more than 190 likes from Facebook users on Feb. 8.

“We’re at the end of his treatment protocol, so now we’re at the end of his three-month scans. We’re working on getting his kidneys well, and then just checking up every three months to make sure the cancer is gone,” Dingus said.

The Dingus family is scheduled to return to Memphis in May, so that Thatcher can undergo scans. He will be checked every three months, so long as he remains cancer free.

On top of learning math, reading, writing and other skills that kindergarten students are expected to master, Kendal Dingus said that Thatcher is looking forward to experiencing play like a normal kid once his medical restrictions are lifted.

“Most kids love recess, that’s something Thatcher is most excited about,” Dingus said.