Local efforts couldn't save boy

THE GOOD FIGHT-Massachusetts teen, Logan Siefert, flanked by his parents, William and Robin, lost his battle with a virulent form of brain cancer earlier this month. Urged by a friend of the Sieferts, Jenni Campbell of Agoura Hills, local community members rallied to provide aid for the boy and his family during the nearly two-year illness. A Massachusetts teenager with inoperable brain cancer may have lived on the other side of the coun- try, but Conejo Valley residents and business owners still did what they could to help the boy's uninsured family. In the end, nothing could save Logan Seifert, 17. He died Sept. 9 in a Pittsburgh hospital after fighting the disease for nearly two years.

Local residents learned about Logan's plight through Jenni Campbell, an Agoura Hills resident who is a close friend of the Seifert family.

Campbell rallied area businesses and individuals to provide support for the boy and his family. When the family went to Houston for treat- ment, Conejo Valley businesses helped fund the trip.

The Hogan Angel Flight Pro- gram, sponsored by the Hogan Family Foundation in Newbury Park, paid the airfare for Logan and his mom. Auto Collision Center in Thousand Oaks helped cover the rental car and Thou- sand Oaks Re/Max realtor Carole Vicens took care of the hotel. Christina Hunter, another Re/Max employee, do- nated money for groceries and living expenses and Best Buy, Whole Foods, Starbucks, Calabasas Regal Cinemas, Kinko's Agoura Hills and other busi- nesses contributed items such as gro- cery gift cards and movie tickets.

Through Re/Max, Vicens also held a rummage sale to raise money for the Seifert family's medical expenses.

Logan and his mother, Robin, came to the Conejo Valley last year, visiting local landmarks and being treated to meals and services by Bada Sushi in Thousand Oaks and Zen Spa in Calabasas, among others. "Logan's California trip was so important to so many. We gathered together to celebrate Logan's life and all of those that made an ongoing impact on our journey to fight Logan's disease," Campbell said.

"Logan made anyone he came into contact with feel special somehow," she added. "He always appreciated people for what they did for him."

Logan's rare form of brain can- cer was discovered in October 2004 after his eyesight became unclear and his head began to hurt. Tests revealed an aggressive, highly malignant brain tumor located in the right thalamus, the most protected part of the brain.

Instead of attending school and doing what typical teenage boys do, Logan underwent a variety of sur- geries and treatments, experimental and traditional, in four states, includ- ing California.

Campbell thanked the commu- nity for all of its efforts. She hopes to hold a local event to celebrate Logan's life.

"Logan was a gift given to not just me but all who knew him," said his mother, Robin Rowe-Seifert. "It is now our turn to carry the torch and live out his legacy of living life in abundance with love, kindness and sincerity."

In addition to his mother, Logan is survived by his father and two brothers.

A nonprofit group called Logan's Reach Foundation has been estab- lished to help other families fighting childhood diseases. For more infor- mation, visit www.loganseifert.com.