The blessing of a bench
Toni Fortson Merfeld sits on the memorial bench donated by the students at Buffalo Ridge Elementary school when her son, Wes, died from brain cancer in 2002. Toni brings flowers every year on the anniversary of Wes’ passing as a way to remember him and the community who loved him.
Toni Fortson Merfeld visits Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) once a year, at the end of September. She has visited the school for more than two decades as a way to remember her son, Wesleigh, who was a student there. Wes lost his battle with brain cancer at the age of 9; he was in the third grade.
Shortly after his death, BRE staff organized the purchase of a memorial bench in Wes’ honor and encouraged the students to donate the funds. The bench has moved around the halls at BRE since 2002, but it still provides a quiet place to sit, and for Toni, a place to remember her larger-than-life son.
Toni visits on or close to September 30. She brings flowers – usually mums – and leaves them next to the bench; the tradition is joyous for her.
“There are such happy memories of the school, staff, kids and parents at BRE. Everyone loved Wes and took good care of him. It is truly a happy place for me to go,” Toni explained.
When Wes was 6 years old, he had a grand mal seizure. At first, epilepsy was thought to be the cause, and the family was told there was no cancer; but a new doctor retested and found malignancy.
Given six months to live, Wes never let the bad news get him down. He continued to live his life to the fullest – going to school, playing all-star baseball, spending time with his many friends and winning field day activities.
Despite the rigorous radiation treatment plan of five days a week for eight weeks, Wes was not fazed. When he began losing his hair and people started to stare, Wes always broke the tension by making jokes or letting people touch his balding head. He had a knack for making people laugh, from classmates and friends to medical staff and even the brain surgeon after coming out of anesthesia. Wes survived two years after his diagnosis.
Visiting BRE is an “uplifting and warm” way to mark the anniversary of Wes’ passing, Toni said. During her visit, she reminisces not only on her son’s life, but also the community that rallied around him.
“Seeing kids sitting on his bench is such a blessing,” Toni said. She is continually touched that, after all these years, the bench is still there.
Wesleigh Fortson’s last school photo before his passing from a malignant brain tumor when he was 9 years old. With a larger-than-life personality, Wes touched everyone he met, especially his school community at Buffalo Ridge Elementary.
By Celeste McNeil; photos courtesy of Toni Fortson Merfeld
