School goes orange for classmate battling cancer | News

There was a show of support in Davenport Wednesday for a local teenager facing a tough battle with cancer. From the band room to the science lab, students and teachers at Smart Intermediate School wore orange for their classmate, Morgan Lamp.

“We wanted to show her that we really care for her, and we were scared for her, and we love her,” said friend Breelyn McMahon.

The 13-year-old was diagnosed with leukemia last year and slipped into a coma over the weekend. Currently on heart and lung support in Iowa City, Morgan has a whole community in Davenport keeping her going.

“She’s smart, nice, and caring,” said classmate Eric Smith.

“She’s really spunky… like really happy, and creative and everything. Just a really great person,” said friend Emily Bergthold.

School counselor Kim Bohannon said Morgan is an inspiration to her classmates as well.

“Even with everything that she’s going through, she’s still serving on our Student Senate and being a positive part of our school community, so I think that that’s a good example for the other students,” said Bohannon.

It’s why her friends came up with the idea to wear orange, the ribbon color of leukemia. Word spread via Facebook, but even the day’s organizers didn’t expect the kind of turnout they got.

“It just makes me feel like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I started all of this.’ I mean, I just did it for Morgan and to have her see that people care about her and she’s not alone,” said Bergthold.