EAGLE MOUNTAIN -- In the city of Eagle Mountain, where typically thousands of dollars are spent per candidate each municipal campaign, one incumbent has decided to use part of his estimated $3,500 budget to help someone else other than himself.

Councilman David Lifferth has donated his yard sign fund of $300 to the Lucas Tyler Nelson trust fund at Zions Bank to help the Aaron and Shannon Nelson family with medical and funeral expenses. Their son Lucas died on Sept. 3 after a 3-month fight with an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor that grew on his spine.

"I appreciate it a great deal," said Aaron Nelson. "We've had a lot of people who have helped, there has just been an outpouring. David is another one who has donated to the foundation and helped our family."

Lifferth said as a politician he has name recognition in the community and has been involved in the city since it was founded more than 10 years ago.

"I figured I could take that away and do something different, to do something for these kids with cancer and make a difference in their lives," Lifferth said. "If people don't know me by now, I don't deserve their vote."

In addition, Lifferth and other political candidates for Eagle Mountain helped raise funds for cancer research during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.

"Mayor Jackson, Nathan Ochsenhirt, and I, to start the campaign season, partnered with The Cure Starts Now for our movie in the park event," Lifferth said. "I think it was Mayor Jackson's idea."

Zac and Tiffany Huish began the Utah Chapter of The Cure Starts Now foundation, dedicated to finding a cure for cancer. Their daughter Sadie Huish died June 25 at age 6 from diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma after fighting 16 months with the aggressive brain cancer.

"Our community of Eagle Mountain has been touched by the tragedy of childhood cancer," read a letter from Lifferth about his donation. "Recently we have lost several of our young ones to cancer including 9-month-old Lucas Tyler Nelson and Sadie Huish."

There are at least five children in Eagle Mountain who have fought leukemia or a form of brain cancer within the last few years. Lifferth said he believes because the community has a lot of children -- the average age for Eagle Mountain residents is 13 -- the number of children with cancer appears to be more noticeable.

"I would expect to have an extra focus on childhood disease just because we are so focused on children in our community," he said.

Another child living in the same area of The Ranches, 11-year-old Shelby Fox, is a survivor.

"So the stupid disease doesn't take all of them," said Liz McDermaid, Shelby's mother.

Diagnosed July 10, 2006, Shelby has completed 17 months of chemotherapy treatments and her latest CAT scan shows her tumor, a slower, less-aggressive type than the others, is stable.

"Don't give up, never give up. It's worth it, we have to find a cure for these kids," said McDermaid. "All these angels, they are just miracle kids, all of them are a big inspiration to everybody. I consider that they have won their battle; they are just fighting their battle in a different way. They are helping to find a cure for the other kids."

To help find that cure, Lifferth has also asked his friends and campaign supporters to donate $5 to a worthy cause instead of putting one of his re-election signs in their yard.

"I never heard of anyone doing this for a campaign," Lifferth said. "It makes perfect sense for someone who has name recognition and the discretionary funds to do something good with them to make a difference."

• Cathy Allred can be reached at heraldextra@digis.net.

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