It’s a horrible thing that a 10-year-old boy has to deal with being sick.

We’re not talking about the sniffles, an ear infection or something else simple. No, Casey Jenkins, of Abingdon, suffers from the rare disease called langerhans cell histiocytosis, in which the parts of the white blood cells in his body meant to battle infection, instead gather and attack parts of his body.

He’s had biopsies, MRIs and CAT scans, and for the last eight months has been undergoing chemotherapy.

That’s tough for anyone, let alone a kid who should be out on the baseball field playing with his friends or trying to beat one of them in a video game.

So that makes it all the more special that Casey, who turns 10 today (Friday), isn’t having a regular birthday party. Instead, to celebrate a decade of life, he and his family are hosting a bingo, proceeds from which will benefit the Histiocytosis Association of America, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for his disease.

When the daily grind of life — the jobs, the chores, the carpooling or whatever else we deal with — gets us down, we should look to Casey, and see what a positive attitude he has, when if anyone deserves to have a down day, it’s him.

But he’s taking his disease and turning it into a positive by doing a wonderful thing. We can all learn from his example.

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