Leap day, or Feb. 29, appears on the calendar once every four years — a long wait between birthdays for leap year babies. For Levi Mayo, 8, and his family, the years since his last true birthday have brought a stubborn illness and slow recovery.

Levi was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor that strikes children. When Levi entered Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital in September 2004, the cancer had crept to his spine.

Chemotherapy ended in July 2005, and Levi moved from a wheelchair to a walker to holding his mother’s hand.

He returned to school in August 2005 and is now in his second year of kindergarten at McCleary Elementary School in New Castle.

There, last Friday, Melissa Whiting’s class gathered around a colorful map of the United States for a short geography lesson. Which meant “it’s time to look at Levi’s cards,” she said.

Levi has received more than 500 birthday cards from around the world wishing him a happy birthday. His classmates contributed last week in their own unique way.

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