Area homeschooler shares ‘Loom to the Moon’ cancer awareness project

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

MARBLE FALLS — Tate Johnson bounced around the room from one table to the next. He answered a question from somebody then turned and demonstrated one way to end a loom bracelet.

The 9-year-old Tate didn’t waste time with much chit-chat. He was pretty much all business during the Kids’ Co-op, a homeschooling group program held Sept. 8 at the Marble Falls Church of Christ. Sure, he smiled and encouraged other kids as they worked on creating loom bracelets from small rubber bands. But as much as he’s trying to share looming with the other students, Tate also has his sights set on the moon.

“Well, I’ve been looming for a while now,” he said during a brief stop among the tables. “But this, well, I learned about it from some friends in England. They told us about his boy Skye who had cancer.”

The boy, 5-year-old Skye Benjamin Hall, was diagnosed with brain cancer in August 2013. As part of his treatments, Skye spent hours in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. During those hours, he would loom bracelets and other items.

“The hospital staff would joke with him that they were sending him to the moon,” said Tamara Johnson, Tate’s mother.

Sometime during the treatments, Skye came up with the idea of “Loom to the Moon.” He wanted to loom enough chains or bracelets to create one long one that if stretched out could reach the moon.

During his treatments, however, Skye became paralyzed and wasn’t able to continue the project himself. But his brother, Jesse, and others including, Tate, picked up the idea and began looming away.

“I think it’s important because (Skye) wanted to do this to help other kids with cancer,” Tate said. “It was something I could do and now others could do to help.”

Sadly, on Aug. 29, Skye passed away. But his brother and others around the world are still pressing on with the “Loom to the Moon” goal.

“Tate already knew how to loom, and he enjoys it, but for him to decide to help out with ‘Loom to the Moon’ on his own and then encourage others to participate is so incredible,” his mother said. “I’m so proud of him.”

The project is more than an exercise in looming. It also draws attention to childhood brain cancer. People are encouraged to donate money to Blue Skye Thinking, which supports research into childhood brain cancer.

Tate and his older brother, Tristan, who assisted in the Kids’ Co-op looming program, have committed to donating some of their own money to the charity.

“I just think it’s important to help other people,” Tate said.

Tate’s goal is to weave a chain of bracelets (with the help of others, including the homeschool students with whom he shared the idea) that will stretch the length of a football field. Once they’ve completed their contribution, Tate will send it to England to become part of “Loom to the Moon.”

And with that, Tate bounced off to help another student with his looming.

Go to www.blueskyethinking.org for more information on Skye Hall and “Loom to the Moon.”

daniel@thepicayune.com