Cancer literally came like a blow to the gut for a Pecan Creek Elementary School fifth-grader, but he remains upbeat with the support of his family and classmates.

During spring break in March, Collin Zimmer, who turned 11 on Friday, was playing on a trampoline with a slightly younger neighbor.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

Pecan Creek Elementary School fifth-graders sing “Happy Birthday” to their classmate Collin Zimmer, who has undergone chemotherapy, in teacher Robin Zaruba’s classroom. Collin turned 11 on Friday.

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For whatever reason, the neighbor el­bowed Collin in his side.

A couple of days after that blow, it was apparent that Collin was still in pain, and because he is diabetic, his parents took him to an emergency room.

They thought he might have an internal bruise.

When the doctor came back, they learned Collin’s pain had nothing to do with his neighbor’s elbow.

Collin had cancer.

Kelly Zimmer, Collin’s mother, said the doctor wanted to check his liver and noticed in a CT scan that one of his kidneys was huge.

He had two tennis ball-size lumps on one of his kidneys — which have since been removed — and about 25 quarter-sized spots on each of his lungs.

He underwent chemotherapy once a week for six weeks to fight the spots on his lungs, his mother said.

“He takes it in stride. His attitude’s been better than mine and his dad’s,” she said.

Collin was upset, though, said his mother, when his doctor told him recently the spots were still there after the treatments.

A more aggressive form of treatment be­gan Monday, after waiting for his white blood cell count to increase.

He’s tired but doing well, Zimmer said after Monday’s treatment.

She said he’ll continue the heavy treatment, which includes radiation and a more aggressive chemotherapy, every couple of weeks, and each week he’ll receive a smaller dose of chemotherapy.

It is a process they’ll go through for the next eight months, Zimmer said.

She refers to their neighbor as “the one who saved his life.”

Will Collin let him throw another elbow?

“No, he can’t. It hurt,” he said.

Collin has been homebound since getting sick, and when he’s not going over his schoolwork, he’ll spend his time playing video games.

For his birthday, the Mean Green fan got a visit from Johnny Jones, University of North Texas head basketball coach.

Zimmer said Jones brought Collin a No. 32 jersey designating Quincy Williams, who played forward for UNT.

Collin spent a part of his birthday with his classmates at school.

He misses going to school.

He, his mother, his father, Rod­dy, and his older brother, Ryan, brought cupcakes for all the fifth-graders — nearly 120 of them.

Everyone’s spirits were high, as they crowded into a classroom and sang “Happy Birthday” to him.

It also was a field day, and Collin, in a New Orleans Saints ball cap, was looking forward to participating in some of the activities. But classmates had another surprise for him.

Since May 14, they had been making hundreds of origami paper cranes for him, based on a legend some of them have been studying.

Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds 1,000 cranes will have their heart’s desire come true. So the fifth-graders’ goal is to make 1,000 paper birds.

Many of the cranes have pray­ers and personal notes for Collin, said math teacher Robin Zar­uba.

“We are hoping that our paper cranes and well wishes will help Collin get well,” she said.

Allison Kirk found making the origami cranes “semi-easy.”

“They’re fun — better than doing math problems,” she said.

Julia Ruiter, who was in the same class with Collin in third grade, also made cranes.

She said a classmate made a Web site for Collin, so that he’ll be able to keep up with his friends while he’s out of school.

One of Collin’s best friends, Elijah Allen, has been missing him at school, too. The two have a lot in common and hang out a lot, he said.

They’re both Louisiana natives, Saints fans and like to play basketball and football.

“I just keep him in my prayers,” Elijah said.

AMY DODD THOMPSON can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is athompson@dentonrc.com .