Kylie's Kids: Meet Jace

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Back to school is a time for excitement, new beginnings, new lessons. Colombus Elementary School got an extra lesson about cancer this year.

When this week's Kylie's Kid started first grade, his parents wanted to make sure all his friends understood why he looked a little different from last year.

Like any 6-year-old, Jace was excited and nervous for the first day of first grade. But for Jace, there were a few extra worries. For one, he lost all of his hair.

Last year, Jace was diagnosed with ALA Leukemia, which meant missing a lot of kindergarten. But after a summer of fighting cancer at Children's Minnesota, he was determined to make it for that first day of first grade.

"They weren't sure if they were going to make it his first day because of his numbers and his counts. He didn't make it the whole day this first day, but he made it to about 2 p.m.," his father said.

His parents wanted to make sure the school understood what Jace was going through. So they enlisted a little help from Charlie Brown.

"Why, Charlie Brown, Why" tells the story of a Peanuts character going through Leukemia, just like Jace, who thinks it does a good job of explaining what he's been through.

Jace's dad organized a school assembly to watch the video. He even got Dominos and Cub to donate Pizza and cupcakes – all to make Jace's back to school a little smoother. And keep that perfect smile on his face.

"He gets to wear a hat to school. They do let him wear a hat, so he's the only kid at school that gets to wear a hat," his father said.