RAPID CITY - There's never a good time to find out that a family member is seriously ill. That becomes even more true when the family member is a child, but things become a tiny bit easier when the realization hits that there is an entire community providing whatever support it can.

For Keith and Becky Carlson, the past couple of weeks have been extra hard. Their son, Kacey, a 4-year-old with the boundless energy of youth, was diagnosed with a Wilms' tumor, a cancerous growth on his kidney that had to be operated on immediately.

The youngster underwent surgery to remove the Stage 1 tumor - the cancer was entirely contained within the growth - last week at a Denver children's hospital and is back in town recovering and preparing for chemotherapy.

"It's been rough for everybody in the family," Keith said. "You want to be calm for your kids, but you automatically fear the worst. Right away the doctor told us that there is a 91 percent cure rate for this type of tumor that they believed it was. You hear that 91 percent cure rate, but me I heard a nine percent death rate. That's all I heard, I mean he didn't say that or anything, but that was all I heard."

One thing that has made the last couple of weeks a little more bearable for the Carlsons has been Kacey's general outlook and disposition.

"It's been tough," Keith said. "But what makes it a little easier is that Kacey's just such a

happy guy. He's such a cheerful kid that it's really helped us a lot to see him that way."

The Carlsons were a bit lucky in that the tumor was caught as quickly as it was. Just one month ago Keith was roughhousing with Kacey in their backyard when he felt a hard spot on Kacey's side. They went to an urgent care facility and were told that it was probably a hernia. Because Kacey deals with epilepsy there are regular visits with doctors, and the ways that different medications react to the liver and kidneys was a topic of conversation. One doctor thought there might be a enlargement of the liver that was causing the hard spot, before an ultrasound test found the Wilms' tumor.

Almost immediately after the diagnosis the Carlsons were on their way to Denver for the procedure to remove the tumor. They got back last week to find that the amateur baseball community in town had rallied to set up a benefit baseball game to help defray the cost of some of their medical expenses.

Tonight's regularly scheduled game between the Angels and the Drillers at McKeague Field at 7 p.m. will be held entirely for the Carlson family's benefit. All proceeds from the game and concessions will go toward helping them take care of Kacey's health.

The Carlsons had no idea that a benefit game was being held or even being planned until they got back from Denver.

"I've played in the league since I was 19," Keith, who is now 26, said of the Black Hills Amateur League. "I came out of (Post) 22 and started playing amateur ball right away and my son comes to almost all of my baseball games. It just shows how many people care about my son, and it's really just unbelievable to see how many people will come forward and step up for you and your family like that."

NOTE: For people who can't make it to tonight's benefit game at McKeague Field, donations can be made in care of Kacey Carlson at any Black Hills Federal Credit Union branch.

Contact Duffy at 394-8429 or at padraic.duffy@rapidcityjournal.com