St. Ann Catholic School in Bartlett has sent a monkey in the mail. Cheeto, the stuffed monkey, sits in Tyler West’s chair at St. Ann while Tyler is battling leukemia at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The “Monkey in my Chair” program helps Tyler stay connected with his classmates during his time of treatment.
Cheeto goes to school in place of Tyler and transports notes and photos back and forth.
Annmarie Ghio McGhee’s third-grade religion classes, where Cheeto sits, also decided to send Cheeto on a journey to share Tyler’s story and the work of St. Jude.
St. Ann students wrote letters to their new pen pals and sent Cheeto to deliver those messages.
Cheeto traveled comfortably to St. Louis, Mo., to visit a former St. Ann teacher and her fourth grade class at St. Joseph Catholic School.
He took the kids some Memphis goodies from the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, FedEx, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and some Memphis barbecue potato chips.
Cheeto will visit St. Louis and then head back home soon.
