Local business owner helps nine-year-old girl fight cancer

TECUMSEH (KSNT) – A local business owner is chipping in, helping a 9-year-old girl fight cancer.

Mike Thompson builds guitars and is the creator of Monkeyhouse Guitars. He’s also helping out 9-year-old Summer Stockman, while she battles B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. While Summer focuses on fighting cancer, Thompson is using his craftsmanship skills to take on her medical bills.

“It is incredibly hard to ask for help, you know,” Thompson said. “And so as soon as I saw that, I was like, I have got the means to be able to help to do something, I have to.”

Thompson’s daughter, Harper, is the same age as Summer and will attend school with her in the near future. Summer was diagnosed in July last year and is receiving treatment at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Summer’s mother, Ashley Purvis, is thankful for Thompson’s help.

“It takes a really wonderful person to reach out and dedicate their time to helping somebody in need, so we absolutely love it and hope that our relationship continues to grow,” Purvis said.

This year’s raffle is a little different. Thompson will craft the instrument with the help of Monkeyhouse Guitars’ fans. Another custom guitar shop from Australia is donating a guitar neck, and Thompson will work with his followers to design the rest. Summer says she is excited to see the end result.

“I think it is going to be awesome and cool,” Summer said.

Summer still has a year and a half of chemotherapy left. You can help by donating to her gofundme or you can enter the guitar raffle.