"Random mothers," her friend Courtney Rawlings called them when they began showing up at the teen's fundraising sessions. "No one even knew Kenza, but they all wanted to help. It was so cool. We'd never seen anything like it."
They expected the kids to rally around Kenza, who was a standout at the humanities magnet and will graduate with her class this month. "This really brought all the different groups at school together," said senior Nick Rubino, "because everyone loved her, if they'd even met her once."
Now parents, students and teachers are trying to raise $20,000 to help pay treatment bills and living expenses. Kenza has a 9-year-old brother with Down's syndrome, and her father has stopped working as a flooring installer.
"I'm not leaving my daughter's side," Mike Kadmiry said. "I want Kenza to walk again."
But the mothers realize this is about more than money. "What we're giving him, in the middle of this nightmare, is a place to vent when he's frustrated, angry, confused, afraid," Silverstein said. "What's most important is giving hope."
And their efforts have united the parents as well. They used to grumble about "SAT scores and college tours and AP exams," Silverstein said. "Now we look at our kids and count our blessings."
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sandy.banks@latimes.com
A "comedy night" fundraiser for Kenza, hosted by Rainn Wilson, co-star of the television show "The Office," will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Cleveland High in Reseda. Tickets are available for $15 at the door. The Kenza Kadmiry Fund has been set up for donations at Bank of America, 13700 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423.
