CPL Single Pagesvaldosta.sgaonline.com/2010thomasville/pdfs/childhood...find a cure for childhood cancer, one cup at a time. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing

CHILDHOODCANCER

MONTH

SEPTEMBER

2011

The

faces

of

cou

rage

AWARENESS

ChildhoodCancer

AwarenessSeptember 2011

Special to the ThomasvilleTimes-Enterprise

Published by theThomasville Times-

Enterprise106 South St.

Thomasville, Ga. 31792

HOW TO REACH USSwitchboard: 226-2400Fax: 228-5863

Email:[email protected]

PublisherNorman Bankston, ext.1819

EditorMark Lastinger, ext. 106

Advertising DirectorChris White, ext. 1810

If you have any questions orconcerns, contact us by phoneor through our website atwww.timesenterprise.com

Saturday, September 17, 2011 CHILDHOOD CANCER Page 3Page 2 CHILDHOOD CANCER Saturday, September 17, 2011

CLANTON - MALPHUS - HODGESVETERINARY HOSPITAL & PET MOTEL

“Congratulations, Julia,

on ending your treatments!”

JIMMY CLANTON, DVMBECKEY MALPHUS, DVMDALE HODGES, DVMLAURA HALL, DVMLINDA MCGARRAH, DVMTERRY TERLEP, DVM

2134 EAST PINETREE BLVD.P.O.BOX 547

THOMASVILLE, GA 31799PHONE (229) 226-1914

GROOMING (229) 229-1548FAX (229) 227-1757

E-MAIL [email protected] 69

1108

gav

THOMASVILLETIMES-ENTERPRISE

Dear Reader,

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to remember children who losttheir fight with cancer, celebrate with childhood cancer survivors, and look forward toa day when a cure has been found for all. According to CureSearch.org, there are 36children diagnosed with cancer every single day. One out of five of those children willdie from their disease.

In the Thomasville community, nine children and their families know the horrors of cancerfirsthand. The Times-Enterprise is honored to share their stories with you, including HaleyEason’s. Haley recently lost her battle to childhood cancer, but through the entire 10 year processshe faced each ordeal, setback and success with grace and a steely determination. Her story isone of encouragement and spirit in the face of adversity.

The children featured in these pages have enlightened us to the very real issue of childhoodcancer. They inspire us with their grace under pressure and optimistic outlooks. And theymotivate us to fight even harder to find a cure.

This special section of the Times-Enterprise also features what members of our communityare doing to bring awareness of childhood cancer to our corner of the world. We salute theirtenacity, and hope to encourage others to join them in the future.

We hope you appreciate and are enlightened by this special Childhood Cancer Awarenesssection of the Times-Enterprise.

Chris WhiteTimes-Enterprise Advertising Director

Students inThomasvilleand ThomasCounty schoolshave had the

opportunity over the pastfew weeks to donate toAlex’s Lemonade StandFoundation, a foundationfor childhood cancer.Table-top lemonadestands were placed ineach school to accept“Coins for A Cure,” andsome students have beeninspired to host theirown lemonade stands tobenefit childhood cancerresearch. Alex’s Lemonade

Stand Foundation (ALSF)emerged from the frontyard lemonade stand ofcancer patient Alexandra“Alex” Scott (1996-2004).Shortly before her firstbirthday, Alex wasdiagnosed withneuroblastoma, a type ofchildhood cancer. In 2000,four-year-old Alexannounced that shewanted to hold alemonade stand to raise

money to help find a curefor all children withcancer. Even thoughAlex continued tobravely battle her owncancer, she alsocontinued to hold yearlylemonade stands in herfront yard to benefitchildhood cancerresearch. People from allover the world have beeninspired by her story anddecided to help Alex inher quest to find a cure. In August 2004, Alex

passed away at the age ofeight, knowing that, withthe help of others, shehad raised over $1million to help find acure for all kids withcancer. Through Alex’s

Lemonade Stand, Alex’sfamily and supportersare enthusiasticallycarrying on her efforts tofind a cure for childhoodcancer, one cup at a time.Since Alex held that firststand, the Foundationbearing her name hasevolved into a national

fundraising movement,complete with thousandsof volunteers across thecountry carrying on herlegacy of hope. To date,Alex’s Lemonade StandFoundation has raisedmore than $40 milliontoward fulfilling Alex’sdream of finding a cure,funding over 150 researchprojects nationally. For more

information, to donateonline, or discover howto hold your ownlemonade stand, visitalexslemonade.org orcall (866) 333-1213. Todonate to TeamThomasville’s lemonadestand, visitalexslemonade.org/mypage/75981 .

Makin’ lemonade

Thomasville area students participate in the national fundraiser,Alex’s Lemonade Stand, to raise funds for cancer research

Faces of courageJulia Johnson ..... page 4Avery Rodriguez ..... page 5Zach Singletary ..... page 6Caleb Brown ..... page 7Haley Eason ..... page 8Nevaeh Sloan ..... page 11

Savannah Colquitt ..... page 17Nick Brinson ..... page 18

Submitted photoStudents of Mrs. Singletary’skindergarten class at JergerElementary Schoolcontribute to Alex’sLemonade Stand.

Days afterAvery’s thirdbirthday ourlives werechanged by

his diagnosis of AcuteLymphoblasticLeukemia. He was youraverage little boy. He hadrecurring ear infections,which we thoughtnothing about, and asmall knot under his eyewhich the doctor felt wasdue to allergies but otherthan that his health wasfairly normal. The dayof his birthday party hegot a small abrasion onhis left elbow fromsliding down a giantslide we rented for theparty.The abrasion got

worse and because hehad a mild fever we wereafraid it was infected.The doctor confirmedour fear of infection anddue to the severity, wewere admitted toArchbold for 24 hours ofIV antibiotics. It was atArchbold where werealized something elsefar worse was going on.The routine blood workcame back abnormalmultiple times whichthrew up red flags. Thedoctor felt it best to sendus to Scottish RiteHospital in Atlanta forfurther testing. It wasthe next morning Sept.22, 2010, that we receivedthe news, he hadLeukemia. He began receiving

chemotherapy Thursdayof the same week. Theinfected elbow kept us inthe hospital longerbecause the doctorsfeared it could be in thebone. The doctors didn’tknow what bug theywere facing, thereforethey didn’t know what toprescribe. A few dayslater they found out the

bug was pseudomonas(which is a nasty littlebug) and the doctorsknew then what toprescribe. After thatepisode our situationwas looking good, theinfection didn’t reachthe bone, the infectionwas subsiding, and wewere going home.The doctor released us

from his care and wewere home again. It feltso good to escape thehospital walls but it wasalso frightening havingno doctors or nurses tocare for our boy if wehad an emergency. Wewere ready though, tostart facing thisleukemia. It was only aweek after we had gonehome that we wereadmitted yet again foranother infection. Thistime he had staph in hisblood and that sent usimmediately to thepediatric intensive careunit (PICU). One of themost terrifying momentsin our lives occurredthat day. Avery was inseptic shock and wecouldn’t do anything butpray. After three days inthe PICU and answeredprayer, he beat the septicshock. The first threemonths of treatmentwere by far the worst,spending most of thetime away from home.It has now been

almost one year since wereceived the life-changing news of ourson having cancer, and

we are proud to say he isin remission and doingwell. However, we stillhave a long road ahead ofus with two more yearsof monthly trips forchemotherapy, numerousmedicationsadministered at home,and the fear of futuremedical issues or evenother forms of cancer.Though the past year

has been tough, thesupport we have receivedfrom neighbors, familyand friends has beenamazing and has madeour journey easier. Godhas showed us He isalways there and thosewho are faithful areblessed indeed. Withthousands of otherfamilies, we willcontinue to fightleukemia and fightchildhood cancer, and wepray that you will jointhe battle and conquerthis dreadful disease.Story contributed by

Meagan Rodriguez.


“We Join Our Communityin the Fight AgainstChildhood Cancer”

Home • Auto • Business • Life229.226.4511

Insurance Since 1871

694108dsv 694646akv

On July 6, 2011,10-year-oldJulia Johnsontook her lastchemotherapy

pill of a 28-monthtreatment for AcuteLymphoblastic Leukemia.She took her last pillamong friends at CampSunshine, a camp forchildren who are going orwho have been throughcancer treatment. Hercamp friends, campcounselors, nurses andcamp director all toastedher with juice withlicorice straws, while thegirls sang “We are theChampions” in a cabindecorated with postersand streamers celebratingthe occasion. What a greatmilestone for Julia and awonderful memory! Julia was diagnosed

March 13, 2009, after manyunexplained fevers andlow blood counts.The words “yourchild has cancer”are some of themost devastatingwords parents can hear.You would give anythingto be able to take yourchild’s place, buteverything is out of yourcontrol. We had seen theSt. Jude programs on TVabout children withcancer, but had usuallychanged the channel toavoid watching somethingso sad. On March 13, 2009,we didn’t have a choice.We were forced to look atthe many childrensuffering with cancer …pale, bald-headedchildren, shuffling aroundwith their IV poles fromtheir rooms, to the gameroom, to the hospitalschool … away from home,away from their familyand friends, far away fromany normal childhood. Iremember wondering howeveryone outside of thathospital could continue

going on with their dailylives. Didn’t they realizethere were childrenfighting for their lives?But then I remembered,the day before I was one ofthose people who didn’thave a clue about childrenfighting cancer. Julia was treated at theAflac Cancer Center ofChildren’s Healthcare ofAtlanta at Egleston. FromMarch until November ’09we traveled weekly toAtlanta for Julia’sappointments, and thenher appointments becamemonthly. Julia receivedchemotherapy treatmentsin her port, her spine,injections we gave athome, and nightly pills.She also received manyblood transfusions andimmunoglobulininfusions. She canswallow pills much betterthan her mother,sometimes evenswallowing 11 at onetime. Amazingly, Juliaonly had fourhospitalizations duringher treatment, one afterbeing transported by aplane and one by anambulance.Julia has been very

blessed and veryfortunate. Forty yearsago, the cure rate forAcute LymphoblasticLeukemia was only 15 – 20percent. Today, the curerate is 80 – 85 percent, andJulia was included in aclinical trial that hopes toimprove the cure rate byanother 6 percent. If youdo the math, the cure ratefor Acute LymphoblasticLeukemia has improvedapproximately 65 percentin the last 40 years. Othertypes of childhood cancerdon’t have that good of acure rate anddon’t have adefinite plan oftreatment.Childhood cancer

research is the leastfunded of alltypes of cancerresearch,receiving only 2percent of federalfunding designated forcancer research. We stillare losing many childrento this terrible disease.We are so thankful God

created the brilliantminds of doctors andresearchers who havedeveloped promisingtreatments for childrenwith cancer. We are sothankful to God forallowing the cure rates tobe improved over the last40 – 50 years. We have beenblessed to meet some ofthe bravest children in ourstate over the last 28months. All of thesebrave children are cancerwarriors. Many of themhave survived, but manyof them have not. Ourfamily has been blessed ...we made it through thiscancer journey with ourchild alive. Many familiesdo not.Now that Julia has

survived her cancerjourney, what do we donow? We feel that we needto do our part in payingforward what wasprovided for Julia.Funding has beenprovided in our past thathas allowed researchers tobring childhood cancercures to their currentrates, but we can’t stopfunding research until allchildhood cancers reach100 percent cure rates. Weare so thankful to pastcontributors of childhoodcancer research, and asfor Sharon, Jeff, and JuliaJohnson, we will do ourbest to help raise moneyfor research so that futuregenerations of childrenwill have the promise of acure.Article contributed by

Jeff and Sharon Johnson.

Face of courage: Julia Johnson

Julia Johnson tookher last chemotherapypill in July 2011.

Face of courage: Avery Rodriguez

Avery Rodriguez was diagnosed withAcute Lymphoblastic Leukemiashortly after his third birthday.

It has now been almost oneyear since we received thelife changing news of our son

having cancer and we are proudto say he is in remission anddoing well.

Igrew up inThomasville and wasstudent athlete atBrookwoodSchool. After an

Outward Bound tripwhere a group of usbackpacked throughthe mountains of NorthCarolina for nine days,pain in my hip worsenedto excruciating degrees.Not soon after, I wasdiagnosed with a rarebone cancer that ravagedmy hip and nearly took mylife … I will never forget those

words: “You have cancer.”

It was like my soulimploded when the doctorgave his verdict. Every bitof my vanity shatteredlike fine china on a marblefloor — jagged little shardsof my soul in a millionpieces. I couldn’t believethat this was my reality.My teenage immortality,all that I was, hung in thebalance. Just turned 17and about to embark onmy junior year as a muchanticipated athlete, now,excommunicated to thehorrific reality of being acancer patient all in amatter of moments.

After two years ofbeing on crutches, a fullyear of chemo, andirradiation that endedwith a bone marrowtransplant, I showed nosign of cancer. Throughthe unyielding supportand prayer being pouredout into my life from myfamily, friends and theThomasville community Iwas able to walk out theashes of cancer treatmentwith hope. I managed tofinish my senior year atBrookwood in a fog andwas accepted to theUniversity of Florida. After a tumultuous fallsemester at UF, I decidedto accept an invitationfrom a friend to attend anFCA (Fellowship ofChristian Athletes)meeting at the BaptistStudent Union which waswalking distance from mydorm. What I experiencedthere changed my lifeforever. I saw young,beautiful people withhands raised andworshiping God. I wasstunned and speechless.The Spirit fell on me like awarm blanket. Thepresence of God was sothick, so palpable I couldcut it with a knife. I knewwith all certainty thatmoment God was real andthat He loved me!My friend led me to

Jesus that night and mylife changed forever. I said

Amen to a very simpleprayer, and the “Light ofthe World” stepped downinto this tired worn-outframe and made His homein me. It was the mostwonderful moment of mylife. The hope and faith Iso longed for, I nowpossessed fully. Instantly Iwas transferred from thekingdom of darkness intothe Kingdom of Light. Forthe first time I truly feltthere was a hope and afuture for my life.I would like to close by

saying there is nothingbeautiful and lovely aboutcancer. Your own cellsturn treasonous andquietly seek to snuff outyour very existence. Infact, I loathe cancer,disease and all sickness; Istarred down the barrel ofdeath far too long not to.Besides, it is part ofAdam’s curse that we haveinherited. However, Ibelieve fervently that

Jesus became the curse onthe cross so that in Him wewill be the righteousnessof God and reignvictoriously in this lifesickness free. I believe Heis the cure for all disease,especially cancer. As it iswritten, “He bore our sinsin His body on the crossand by His stripes we arehealed.” But I have alsocome to the realizationthat through suffering Godrefines our souls like goldrefined in fire. I realizeinfirmity, hardship andweakness are still a part ofthe human experience anda part of this fallen world.And God will continue, forall those who love Him, towork all things for theultimate good, even a

disease as horrible anddestructive as cancer. Itmay seem like acontradiction, but I doknow Jesus has done thisfor me. I praise God forthe advancement ofmodern medicine becausewithout it, I might not behere. The conclusion is:God be glory. If He decidesto work through modernmedicine or through theprayers of His saints or amixture of the two (whichwould certainly be true inmy case), so be it. Let uscontinue to advance theeffort for finding a cure forthis horrible disease so itbecomes as benign as thecommon cold.Article contributed by

Caleb Brown.


14375 Hwy 19 SouthThomasville

226-1559

691919bgv

American Pawn Shop

HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES We have over 1100 guns in stock Now is the time to buy your Gun for Bird Hunting

A MERICAN P AWN S HOP 1302 East Jackson St. • 229-228-7296

•BOOKS •CARE KITS

•REEDS and more...

WE PAY CASH FOR GOLD!

Band Instruments & Accessories For Our Local Middle & High Schools

•PERCUSSION

ACCESSORIES

Like us on Facebook 692756xbv

Store Hours: Mon - Fri 8:30am - 5pm Wed until 1pm

Keep Kids Smiling!

220 W. Monroe St.

(229)226-2931 694699swV

Face of courage: Caleb Brown

Caleb today.

A young Caleb, left, is with his brother Wes.

Face of courage: Zach Singletary

It was half a lifetimeago for Zach when hispediatrician said,“There is a mass andit has to come out.” A

simple phrase changed theworld in an instant. Zachhad been having individualhealth issues that were notresolving and the CT scanrevealed that they added upto “brain tumor.” Zach’sjourney would take aradical departure fromnormal with this news. Asparents, we are his guidesthrough life. We didn’tknow what to do next.That night our family

packed up for a journeyinto the unknown world ofchildren’s cancer. Firststop was Shands Children’sHospital in Gainesville,Fla. We met with thepediatric neurosurgeon.The doctor scheduledZach’s surgery for the nextmorning. After some delay the

next morning, Zach wastaken to surgery. Wegathered in the waitingarea with family andfriends. For seven longhours we sat while thedoctors cut a hole in ourfive-year-old son’s head toremove the cancer that wasgrowing inside.Finally, the doctor

appeared with the reportthat all had gone well withZach’s surgery and theywere able to remove all ofthe tumor. Up stairs wesaw Zach lying in his PICUbed surrounded with allthat hospital stuff. Hislittle head was wrapped ina bandage with a tubecoming out the top of hishead.As Zach became aware

of our presence hescreamed, “I want myMommy!” Those were thelast words we would hearfrom Zach for threemonths. He developedcerebellar mutism as a sideeffect of the surgery. Ourrelatively normal five-year-

old child was an infantagain. He could not talk,swallow, sit up in bed,walk, or move purposefullyon his own. Like a baby hewould scream and wewould have to try to figureout what he needed.Unfortunately for Zach, hisfive-year-old mind wastrapped by his now infant-like body.Zach had a NG tube

inserted up his nose to hisstomach to feed him. Hehad daily visits from thephysical therapist,occupational therapist, andspeech therapist. Theywould have to retrainZach’s body to do all thosethings he once could again.Nobody knew how long itwould take or how far hewould be able to comeback. We found out that inchildhood cancer there arefar more questions thananswers.The pathology report

was medulloblastoma, anaggressive brain cancer inchildren. The course oftreatment would beginwith 30 rounds of radiationto his brain and spine.Because of his mutism,Zach would have to besedated for each treatmentto keep him still. For overa month Zach’s newroutine began withsedation and radiation at 7a.m. The rest of the daywas therapy — physical,occupational, and speech.Ten weeks after Zach’s

battle with childhoodcancer began we broughthim home. Despite theimprovements he hadmade with therapy, he stillcould not talk or walk. Athome, Zach began therapywith new therapists. Zachalso began hippotherapy —physical therapy onhorseback — at Hands andHearts for Horses, thetherapeutic ridingprogram Zach’s motherhelped begin a few yearsbefore not knowing that

her child would one day bea participant. Within twoweeks of returning home,Zach began to talk andcould walk with the aid ofa walker.Chemotherapy would be

Zach’s next battle withcancer. Over the next ninemonths, Zach received 13rounds of chemotherapy.This meant multiple tripsto the clinic and hospital toreceive drugs and bemonitored. Three timesZach would lose his hairduring the course of histreatment. No doubt some of you

reading this saw Zacharound town wearing hismask or bald headed orwalking through thegrocery store with hisbright green walker orunfortunately throwing upin public because thechemo refuses to wait for aconvenient time to makeyou nauseated. Today, Zach is quickly

approaching his 10thbirthday. That’s right. At10 years old, Zach has spenthalf of his life battlingcancer and being asurvivor. He is in a regularthird-grade class at school.Most people that meet himon the street have no ideawhere his journey hastaken him to get to thepoint of being thechildhood cancer survivorhe is today. The factremains that despitewinning many battles,Warrior Zach has tocontinue the fight againstthe effects of the cancerand the side effects of thetreatments that havehelped him to be cancerfree for nearly five yearsnow.You can read more about

Zach’s past journey andtrack his progress on hisCaringBridge website —caringbridge.org/visit/zacharysingletary.Article contributed by

Timothy W. Singletary, D.C.

Zach Singletary was diagnosedwith medulloblastoma, anaggressive form of brain cancer.


Southeastern Estate Planning Concepts2024 E. Pinetree Blvd • Thomasville, Ga.(229) 227-1234 • www.nicep.org/twhite

Let us show you how to add 5-10% to your retirement savings!!

690210dsv

Young Communications

229-228-4410

Supporting our Children

®

1433 East Jackson • Thomasville

6827

43ga

v229-228-9826www.rosecityfcu.com

693051gav

H ADLEY ’ S F UNERAL H OME 622 N. Broad St. • (229) 226-5322

Children’s Cancer

Awareness

Supporting The Families And The Little Heros

Battling Cancer. 693066RAV

1501 E. Jackson StreetThomasville, GA

(229) 226-7438694102dsv

“Contemporary Ceramic Studio”

Fighting Against Childhood Cancer in Thomas County

229-226-2130 2963 E. Pintree Blvd. • Thomasville

694544dsv

Imagination Unlimited

Face of courage: Haley Eason

In 2001, Haley wentto Pediatric Centerabout a bump onthe left side of herface. Dr. Cooper

said “Let’s eliminate theworst case first and do aCT scan.” At 4 p.m., Dr.Cooper called Stephanieand said that we need tobe in Atlanta the nextday at 9 p.m. Shocked, Itold Stephanie let’s go tochurch — then we’ll getour feet under us anddecide what to do. Wedropped Curt (age 16) atmy parents and tookAllison (age 4) and Jess(age 5 months) to Atlantato find out where we needto be.On Thursday morning,

Dr. Reisner told us thathe will operate thefollowing Thursday. Onthe Friday after surgery,Dr. Bergsagel told Kathyand I that Haleyhad malignantfibroushystiosytocissarcoma. He said thatHaley needed chemo andradiation. I asked if shewould lose her hair. I wasstunned, and that was allI knew to ask. I wascompletely clueless aboutwhat was coming.On a scale of one to 10,

Dr. B said that the chemowould be a 10. Haley’scancer was rare andaggressive. She was thethird person in 35 yearsto have this type ofcancer in her head. Itnormally shows up in the

limbs and is removedbecause there is moreroom to work onan arm or legversus the head orthey amputate.My daughter was 13,

and we were talkingabout cancer,amputation, hair loss anddeath. Dr. B never saidthis, but I felt stronglythat he gave Haley twoyears. He said at thattime the best medicine tofight cancer is a goodattitude.I feared having a

sickly child too weak towalk. Instead, she wasput on TPN for 10 to 12hours a night and gained30 pounds. Her hair fellout rapidly and she criedeach time she touchedher head or looked in amirror. My heart brokeover and over. She wouldplay outside with Jessand Allison, but then herenergy would drop off acliff.Every two weeks, her

counts would decline andwe drove back to Atlantafor a blood transfusion.Eventually Kathy and Iworked out that Haleywould go to herhouse after chemossince she livedabout an hour fromthe hospital for a weekthen come home.Stephanie set up the

TPN’s and managedHaley’s meds. I tookHaley back and forth tothe hospital while

Stephanie kept Curt,Allison, and Jess on anormal schedule aspossible. My parentsalong with Rhonda andBob made many trips toAtlanta as well.In 2004, a new chemo

from England was used.It is a two on a scale ofone to 10; however, itkicked Haley’s butt. AnMRI showed a cloudypicture. Dr. Bergsageldropped by the MRI andread it. We left about 7p.m. wondering whatnext. Dr. B would onlysay this is not good. Dr. Blater called and said thatHaley has two to threemonths to live. Dr.Reisner calls the next dayand says that he wouldlike to do surgery. Manyprayers were issued onHaley’s behalf. Thefollowing Thursday, Dr.Reisner’s PA came to thewaiting room and says nocancer.The year 2005 marked

oral chemos and Haley’sthird hair loss, with mostcoming out during highschool classes. We aretold about an amazingretreat held near Destin,Fla. for kids withcancer. Malinda, anRN at CHOA was

taking a business courseto learn how to balanceher checkbook. Theteacher asked everyoneto write a few paragraphson what you would do ifyou suddenly received $1million. The RN wrote

“My Girl”Released 1964

I've got sunshineOn a cloudy day.

When it's cold outside,I've got the month of May.

Well, I guess you'll sayWhat can make me feel this way?

My girl. (My girl, my girl)Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)

I've got so much honeyThe bees envy me.

I've got a sweeter song Than the birds in the trees.



I don't need no money,Fortune or fame.

I've got all the riches, baby,One man can claim.



Talkin' bout my girl.I've got sushine on cloudy day

With my girl.I've even got the month of May

With my girl.

that she would takechildren with cancer tothe beach for a week.In 2006, Haley

graduated from highschool. It was a quietyear as far as cancergoes. There were MRIsevery three months. Ithought we were seeing alittle light at the end ofthe tunnel.In 2007, Haley had

another surgery toremove teeth damaged byradiation. She lost 18teeth.Haley turned 21 in

2008, and was not allowedback to CHOA. She hadher 10th surgery atEmory just beforeThanksgiving.In 2009, Kathy worked

to get Haley transferredto M.D. Anderson inHouston. She had hertenth surgery, whichcaptured muscle from herright leg to rebuild herleft jaw. In 2010, she had more

oral chemos and anotherhair loss. In May, Dr.Rhavi said to take thesummer off, enjoy life,and prepare for a declinein the quality of life.Haley was unaware of

those comments. Shecalled me as soon as shestepped out of his officeand asked if we couldtake the bike to themountains.By Nov. 23, 2010, Haley

had about three monthsto live.The year 2011 saw

more ups than downs, butApril was really low.I wanted to send out a

brief summary of thelast 10 years. We havemet many wonderfulpeople that are nowfamily through theLighthouse. We havebeen blessed with peoplelending a helping handand we have beenhonored to have each ofyou ask about Haley.My parents and Rhondaand Bob have been theretime and time again forHaley. Curt, Stephanie,Allison and Jess are inthe very center ofHaley’s heart. Now,Colton rules all in herworld. As I have said all along

— Stephanie is the onewho goes unnoticed —the quiet hero. Article contributed by

Randy Eason.

Submitted photosTop photo, Haley, left, and Rhonda with country star DierksBentley. The middle photo was taken in 2006 when Haleygraduated from high school. The bottom photo was taken in2002, during Haley’s second and third surgeries.

Haley Eason was originallydiagnosed with malignantfibrous hystiosytocissarcoma in 2001.


691058swV

Main Office301 N. Broad St.229-226-3300

THOMASVILLE NATIONAL BANK

Branch Location1320 Remington Ave

229-226-6888

TNB Financial

692759gav

J’s Wine & Spirits J’s Wine & Spirits 1414 East Jackson Street • Thomasville 1414 East Jackson Street • Thomasville 229-226-8544 229-226-8544 “We will gladly match any competitors advertised price”

Raising awarness so Raising awarness so all children may have all children may have a chance to live a full a chance to live a full and healthy life. and healthy life.

693072gav

Raising awarness so Raising awarness so all children may have all children may have a chance to live a full a chance to live a full and healthy life. and healthy life.

As a parent of achildhoodcancersurvivor, youlook around at

all the other cancer kidsand wonder “How can Imake a difference?” In thebirth of that difficultquestion this story starts.My five-year-old son Zachhad a brain tumor.Suddenly, a cause that Iwas casually aware ofbecame priority numberone for me. During theprocess of trying to learnmore about my son’scondition and the differenttreatments, I met othermoms in person and onmessage boards online. Weshared tales of woe andstories of triumph. Avirtual support group wasformed in cyberspace.

Last year, a couple of themoms I knew participatedin the inaugural “46Mommas Shave for theBrave.” The number 46comes from the fact thateveryday 46 mothers aretold their child has cancer.So the plan was made tohave 46 mothers shavetheir heads on HollywoodBoulevard in September toraise awareness ofchildhood cancer and raise$1 Million for St. Baldrick’sFoundation. September isChildhood CancerAwareness Month, and St.Baldrick’s is a foundationthat was formed to raisemoney specifically forchildhood cancer research.After following the other

moms’ stories, I wasinspired by the movement.I could join this year’s

event that will be held inWashington, D.C. Whenconsidering joining themovement I asked mychildhood cancer survivor,“What do you think aboutMomma shaving her headfor childhood cancer?” Hequickly replied, “That isfine as long as I don’t haveto do it!” The emotion ofhis response overwhelmedme. Suddenly I realizedwhat being bald from thechemo had meant to him. Iknew I had to do it for himand all the other kids. Ialso knew that I wantedhim to be there whenMomma shaved her headfor him. Unfortunately,that meant not being one ofthe 46 ‘Mommas’ in DC.My plan takes a new

form. Through St.Baldrick’s, I planned to

host my head-shavingevent in our hometownand let my survivor Zachshave Mom’s head. Aftermuch consideration, theplan is coming together.During halftime of theSept. 23rd Brookwoodfootball game, Zach willshave my head on thesidelines for the entirecrowd to see. There willalso be other supporters

getting their heads shavedduring halftime as well.In our society, a woman

shaving her head is a boldstatement. My boldstatement is being made toemphasize how importantraising awareness andfunding for research is tome as a childhood cancersurvivor’s mom. My goal isto open more eyes andhearts to the lives of

childhood cancer patientsand motivate more supportto find cures for childhoodcancer so no more childrenhave to be bald like me. Tomake a donation or learnmore about how you canhelp visitstbaldricks.org/events/brookwoodschool.Read more about Zach’s

story on page 6 of thissection.

Shave for the bravePatient’s mom commits to bold action to raise awareness

Face of courage: Nevaeh Sloan

On Nov. 7, 2008,our family wasblessed withanotherbeautiful

seven-pound, five-ouncebaby girl namedNevaeh Faith ButlerSloan. She was bornwith three birth defects:hydronephrosis (leftkidney enlarged), Duanesyndrome (no peripheralvision and eyes crossperiodically and difficultyjudging depth/distance),and metropiccraniosynostosis, (no softspot). When she was fourmonths old, she underwenta craniotomy to give her asoft spot so her brain wouldhave room to grow anddevelop. In this surgerythey removed her foreheadand molded it back to thecorrect shape andstabilized it with a plasticplate, screws and fourwires. She was doing greatup until she was ninemonths old. She becamesick with an upperrespiratory infection. Shewas started on antibiotictherapy like normalprotocol but she onlyseemed to get worse insteadof better. After completingthe antibiotics shecontinued to run a highfever.This was the first time

she had ever been sick witha cold, fever or anything ofthe sort. On Aug. 11, 2009,our lives were foreverchanged. We called herpediatrician who agreed torecheck her. We had thisfeeling that something waswrong but didn’t knowwhat. When they decidedto do blood work they cameback and said that theirmachine must not beworking right. Theywanted to draw it again sothey could take it to thehospital and let them runit. What seemed like hourslater, but only took about30-45 minutes, they came

back and told us that ourdaughter had leukemia.We will never forget as longas we live how we felt atthat moment. It was as ifour world had beenturned upside down andshaken.We were admitted to

Archbold and told that anormal white blood cell

count for her age is 10,000-15,000 and Nevaeh’s was350,000. She was at risk forstroke and organ failure.We were transferred viaambulance to Children’sHealthcare of Atlanta atScottish Rite where shewas immediately admittedto ICU. The doctors theretold us the next day thatthere are two types ofleukemia — ALL and AML.Nevaeh had acute myeloidleukemia which is moredifficult to treat, and alltreatment is inpatient.Scottish Rite doesn’t treatAML kids because theyneed a bone marrowtransplant so she was thentransferred to CHOA atEgleston where thetransplant team is located.She spent one week in ICUwhere she was placed on amachine similar to dialysisto filter the white bloodcells out of her blood to thepoint where it wouldn’t befatal to begin chemotreatments. She thenbegan her first of fourrounds of chemo. She wasvery sick from the chemoand had all the side effects.She lost her hair, lostweight, ran high fevers, gotsores on her body and inher mouth and throat,and wasn’t able to eat.She not only had theleukemia in her blood andbone marrow, but it wasalso in her spinal fluidaround her spinal cord soshe received many spinaltaps where they injectedchemo directly in the fluid.Our daughter is tough

and she is a fighter. Shewas and is the most content

and happy child to havebeen through so much inher short life. Each roundof chemo was 10-12 daysand she would be inpatientfor 30 days.On Jan. 22, 2010, she had

a bone marrow transplantfrom her three-year-oldsister, Gracee, who was aperfect match. She becameeven sicker if that ispossible after thetransplant but throughmany prayers and muchfaith we brought her homein March when shewas declaredCANCER FREE,and was 100percent donor cells onthe transplant.Currently, she is doing

great. We love it whenpeople walk up to us andsay “you sure can tell she’sa healthy baby” because itopens the door for us to tellthem about our miracle.We have to take her toAtlanta once a month to theAflac Childhood Cancerand Blood Disorder Clinicand they will follow her forthe rest of her life. All themedications and chemo shereceived placed her at riskfor other types of cancerwhen she is older butthrough faith and prayershe will remain CANCERFREE. As of today she is ahealthy, happyrambunctious two-year-oldlittle girl who wouldn’t stillbe here with us withoutchildhood cancer research.We know that God movedfor our little girl but He also

gave the doctors theknowledge and abilityto treat her. Thank youto everyone whosupports childhoodcancer awareness and

research. Let’s continue tobuild awareness and helpfinancially when we can tohelp protect our childrenfrom the horrible diseaseprocess of cancer.Article contributed by

Jan Sloan.

Nevaeh Sloan was originally diagnosed with leukemia in 2009.

Whendiagnosedwithcancer,patients

are typically informedwhere the cancer is or,when the cancer is in anadvanced stage, where itstarted. However, insome instances doctorsstruggle to determinethe origin of a cancer inthe body.According to the

Canadian CancerSociety, cancer ofunknown primary,commonly referred to asCUP, means that thecancer has alreadymetastasized atdiagnosis and doctors donot know where itstarted. Upon furthertesting, the primary sitefor the cancer might beidentified, but in manycases doctors neverlearn where the cancerbegan. In someinstances, the primarycancer can be identifiedthanks to the cancercells' appearance. Thecancer cells usually looklike the cells in the typeof tissue in which theybegan. For instance, ifbreast cancer cellsspread to the lungs, thecancer cells in the lungwill look like breastcancer cells, givingdoctors a good idea ofwhere the cancer mighthave begun. But theprimary cancer may notbe found for a number ofreasons, including:• the primary cancer

is very small and growsslowly,• the primary cancer

was actually killed bythe body's immunesystem,• the primary cancer

was removed duringsurgery for a differentcondition and doctorsnever realized a cancer

had formed.A CUP diagnosis is

not especially common,though the CCSestimates that roughly 2to 5 percent of all newcases of cancer are CUP.The figures are similarin the United States,where the AmericanCancer Society estimatesthat 2 percent of allcancers, or roughly30,000 diagnoses, areCUP.Because they depend

on where the cancer hasspread in the body, CUP'ssigns and symptoms aredifferent depending oneach individual case.However, symptoms caninclude:• a lump or thickening

in any part of the body;• persistent pain in

one part of the body;• change in bowel or

bladder habits, includingconstipation, diarrheaor frequent urination;• persistent fever for

no known reason thatdoes not go away;• unusual bleeding or

discharge;• night sweats;• persistent cough or

hoarseness in the voice.Despite unawareness

as to its origins, CUP canbe treated. In such cases,

doctors will look at thecancer cells under amicroscope, study labresults and thenconsider which organsthe cancer has affectedbefore determining acourse of treatment.Determining thetreatment strategy,however, is not easy, asdoctors do not often findthe origin of the cancer.In addition, CUP often

involves fast-spreadingcancers, most of whichare already widespreadupon diagnosis. The ACSreports that the averagesurvival time is 9 to 12months after the canceris found.More information on

CUP is available atcancer.org and cancer.ca.Story provided by

Metro CreativeConnection.


Strong Supporters

of Our Local

Families!

Country Oaks Golf Course Located 5 Miles East of Thomasville on Hwy. 122 (Pavo Road) 229-225-4333

692732swV

693028dsv

Services for plantations, residential and commercial customers Pond work, road work, food plots, demolition, bridges, culvert installation, raking, grading, land clearing Serving South Georgia and North Florida Welcome Home Nick Brinson 694642dsv

405 A Sherrod Road, Coolidge GA 31738 Cell: 229-403-7285 email: [email protected]

Submitted photoThe Thomasville City Council proclaimed September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month forthe city of Thomasville at a recent meeting.

Signs of childhood cancerCatching cancer in its early stages can make a huge difference. Learn the signs.

• Continued, unexplained weight loss

• Headaches, often with vomiting, at night or earlymorning

• Increased swelling or persistent pain in bones,joints, back, or legs

• Lump or mass, especially in the abdomen, neck,chest, pelvis, or armpits

• Development of excessive bruising,bleeding, or rash

• Constant infections

• A whitish color behind the pupil

• Nausea which persists or vomiting withoutnausea

• Constant tiredness or noticeable paleness

• Eye or vision changes which occur suddenly andpersist

• Recurrent fevers of unknown origin

Origin of cancer not always knownACUP diagnosis is not

especially common, thoughthe CCS estimates that

roughly 2 to 5 percent of all newcases of cancer are CUP. The figuresare similar in the United States,where the American Cancer Societyestimates that 2 percent of allcancers, or roughly 30,000diagnoses, are CUP.

Metro Creative ConnectionUpon diagnosing a patient with CUP, doctors will study a host of factors to determine the bestcourse of treatment.

Saturday, September 17, 2011 CHILDHOOD CANCER Page 15Page 14 CHILDHOOD CANCER Saturday, September 17, 2011 Downtown Thomasville Supports Childhood Cancer A C u r e

f o r

C h i l d h o o d C e n t e r

I s M y R a i n b o w o f H o p

e

A C u r e

f o r

C h i l d h o o d C e n t e r

I s M y R a i n b o w o f H o p

e

226-5434

226-4363

228-0100

226-6208

226-7090

225-6792

�� 413-2335

226-6301

225-2150

226-7766

226-4034 226-9253

236-6378

227-0402

New Image The Bridal and Formal Wear

Bridal and Formal Wear 226-8016

Associated Press

For decades,global healthleaders havefocused ondiseases that

can spread — AIDS,tuberculosis, new flubugs. They pushed forvaccines, bettertreatments and otherways to control germsthat were only a planeride away from seedingoutbreaks anywhere inthe world.Now they are turning

to a new set of culpritscausing what UnitedNations Secretary-General Ban Ki-mooncalls "a public healthemergency in slowmotion." This time, germsaren't the target: We are,along with our bad habitslike smoking, overeatingand too little exercise.Next week, the U.N.

General Assembly willhold its first summit onchronic diseases —cancer, diabetes and heartand lung disease. Thoseaccount for nearly two-thirds of deathsworldwide, or about 36million. In the UnitedStates, they kill nearly 9out of 10 people. Theyhave common riskfactors, such as smokingand sedentary lifestyles,and many arepreventable.It's hard to fathom the

suffering these maladiesare causing in some partsof the world.For example, until a

few years ago Ethiopiahad one cancer specialist,Dr. Bogale Solomon, formore than 80 millionpeople."Now three more

oncologists have joined,"he said, and these fourdoctors struggle to treatpatients in a countrywhere cancer drugs andeven painkillers are inshort supply.Wondu Bekele took his

2-year-old son, Mathiwos,to that lone cancer centerin Addis Ababa when theboy developed leukemia.The desperate father gotadvice from St. JudeChildren's ResearchHospital in the UnitedStates, procuredchemotherapy drugs fromIndia, and against allodds, got his son treated.Yet the little boy diedbecause the hospital hadno separate ward toprotect him from catchingdisease from otherpatients. The fatherfounded a cancer societyin his son's name and willrepresent cancer groupsat the U.N. meeting."Practically all cancer-

related medicines areeither nonexistent orbeyond the reach ofordinary Ethiopians," hesaid. "We are struggling tomake a difference here."

Advocates may bestruggling to make adifference at the U.N., too.Key officials have beenunable to agree before themeeting on specific goals— reducing certaindiseases or risk factorssuch as smoking by aspecific amount and date.With the global economyin turmoil, finding moneyto meet any goals could bean even bigger hurdle."The timing is difficult

with the economy the wayit is, but it should notprevent us from settinggoals," said Dr. SidneySmith, who heads theWorld Heart Federation,an umbrella group ofmore than 200organizations focused onheart disease."Many of the things

we're proposing cost verylittle" and some, such assmoking cessation, evensave money, said Smith, acardiologist at theUniversity of NorthCarolina at Chapel Hill."We're not talking abouttrying to find a new magicbullet. We're just talkingabout behavior and cost-effective medicines" likeaspirin and generic bloodpressure drugs that lowerthe risk of multiplediseases, he said.This is only the second

time the U.N. has taken upa health issue. Theprevious one in 2001 led tocreation of the Global

Fund to Fight AIDS,Tuberculosis andMalaria, with billionsfrom governments andprivate groups such as theBill & Melinda GatesFoundation.Now even rich nations

are cash-strapped, and it'sunclear whether privategroups will step in. Askedwhether the U.N. meetingwould alter its focus, theGates Foundationindicated it would not."Unfortunately, there is

a lack of comparableinvestment in infectiousdiseases, whichdisproportionately affectthe world's poorest," saida statement from thefoundation. "Our prioritywill continue to beinvesting in cost-effectivetreatments that lead tomaximum impact and fillin a gap where otherresources are notinvested."However, advocates say

there are disparities inchronic diseases, too."The common belief

that cancer is a problemof rich countries is amisconception," said Dr.Eduardo Cazap, presidentof the Union ForInternational CancerControl.Dr. Ala Alwan,

assistant director-generalof the World HealthOrganization, agreed."Most countries in

Africa are currently

overwhelmed with theirincreasing demand" fromcancer patients, and theregion also has thehighest rates of strokeand high blood pressurein the world, Alwan said.In Ghana, 23 million

people are served by twooncology centers; thecountry has four cancerdoctors and no specialistcancer nurses, said Dr.Allen Lichter, CEO of theAmerican Society ofClinical Oncology, anorganization of cancerspecialists. The societyhas trained more than2,000 doctors indeveloping countries oncancer care and plans todo more.Africa also remains the

only region in the worldwhere infectious diseases,maternal-infant healthproblems and poornutrition still kill morepeople thannoncommunicablediseases do.Worldwide, stroke and

heart-related diseases

account for nearly half ofall noninfectious diseasedeaths — 17 million in2008 alone, WHO says.Next is cancer (7.6 milliondeaths), followed byrespiratory diseases suchas emphysema (4.2million). Diabetes caused1.3 million deaths in 2008,but that's misleading —most diabetics die ofcardiovascular causes.The U.N. chose to focus

on those four diseases andtheir common riskfactors: tobacco use,alcohol abuse, unhealthydiets, physical inactivityand environmentalcarcinogens.John Seffrin, CEO of

the American CancerSociety, said the U.N.session must lead tospecific goals and moremoney, or a chance tomake a difference withthese diseases may be lostfor decades."This is our moment in

the sun," he said. "Aresolution alone isinsufficient."


1204 East Jackson StreetThomasville, Ga • 229-226-6965

www.kelliestarlin.com

Honoring the younglives taken too soon

and the survivors who face health

challenges.

693064gav.

Kellie Starlin State Farm

Thomasville Flower Shop, Inc.Spreading awarenessfor the many childrenbattling cancer

322 South Broad StreetThomasville, Georgia 31792

229.226.3424

6930

76ga

v

(229) 226-6845

694069gav

In honor of,Savannah Colquitt

Maxie BarrettNick Brinson

In Memory of Haley EasonFighting Childhood

CancerOne Step At A Time!

BERNIE HALLThomasville, GA229-226-4501

www.cottonstates.com/bernie.hall

694104dsv

Face of courage: Savannah Colquitt

Savannah wasdiagnosed withbrain cancer onAug. 14, 2006,but that is not

where her story begins.In March 2005 she wasdiagnosed with DiabetesInsipidus (DI), a disordercaused by the brain notsending signals to thepituitary gland for ahormone to be releasedto absorb excess waterfrom the kidneys. One ofthe causes of DI is abrain tumor, soSavannah had a MRI inMarch 2005. No tumorwas detected. She begantaking the neededhormone by mouth twicea day and saw anendocrinologistregularly.Toward

the end of2nd gradeSavannah startedcomplaining ofheadaches. In June 2006she had her 8 year oldcheckup and she failedthe eye exam; we thoughtthat explained theheadaches. We made anappointment with an eyedoctor for the end of Julyand went on about oursummer. WhenSavannah’s eyes wereexamined on July 31,2006, no problems weredetected. Savannah wasnot acting like herself;she was sleeping a lotand moody. I called herpediatrician and wediscussed doing anotherMRI. From that MRIher tumor was found.We were sent to Atlantaon Aug. 4, 2006 but oncewe got there found outour insurance was not

accepted. Anappointment was madeto go to Shands inGainesville, Fla., but thepediatric neurosurgeonwas on vacation untilAug. 14, so we waited.We thought her tumorwas benign at this point,due to the location andhow it “looked” on theMRI. Toward the end ofthe week of waitingSavannah started todeteriorate; she wasvomiting, sleeping muchof the time and wasloosing her eyesight.We got to Shands on

Aug. 13, 2006 and went tothe emergency room.They did blood work andanother MRI on Aug. 14.The blood work showedSavannah had cancer.She had a mixed germcell brain tumor near herpituitary. She received 6rounds of chemo, andthen had brain surgeryto try to remove whatwas left of the tumor.Unfortunately, the 1cm

tumor that remained wasnot able to be removed,but the surgeon is fairlycertain it is basicallyscar tissue. After

Savannah healedfrom brain surgeryshe had six weeks ofcranio-spinalproton radiation in

Jacksonville, Fla.

Savannah was declared“cancer free” when hertreatment ended onMarch 13, 2007!Although treatment

for the cancer is overchildhood cancersurvivors are far from“out of the woods.”Childhood cancersurvivors battle the restof their lives. Chemoand radiation have longterm effects, a few are:cognitive loss, fertility

issues andpersonalitychanges.These specialsurvivors are

at an increased risk fordeveloping other cancersdue to their treatments.Due to the location ofSavannah’s tumor shehas no pituitary functionand must replace allhormones, includinggrowth hormone shotsshe endures every night. Savannah is now a

bright, beautiful, funloving 13 year old. Shehas yearly MRIs andcheckups with heroncologist and sees herendocrinologist everyfour months. Savannahis aware of howfortunate she is to be asurvivor; she is ourmiracle!Article submitted by

JD and Leslea Colquitt.

Although treatment for thecancer is over, childhoodcancer survivors are far

from ‘out of the woods.’Childhood cancer survivorsbattle the rest of their lives.

Cancer named as a global threatSavannahColquitt wasdeclared ‘cancerfree’ in March2007.


229-228-5959 1102 E. Jackson Street • Thomasville

Supporting our Children Your local Jeweler Est.Since 1986

692767gav www.billsjewelry.com

Together We Can Make A Difference!Vinson Chiropratic Center

229-226-49801971 Hwy 122 • Thomasville

694096dsv

Racing for a cureVicktoria White is raising money via Team in Training

Face of courage: Nick Brinson

Tuesday, April 19,2011, is a daythat ispermanentlyburned into our

memories. It’s one of thosedays that you can recallwith such clarity that italmost seems like you’retraveling back in time.After a typically beautifulweekend in south Georgia,our family was back to thenormal work and schoolroutine. However, this daywould turn out to beanything but normal.Nick, our 13-year-old son,had fallen the previousevening while riding hisrip-stick, a skateboard-typecontraption. He had a nicegoose egg on the right sideof his head and we treatedit with an ice pack andsome rest.After school the next day,

Nick was not feeling well.He was tired, nauseatedand had a headache.Jennifer noticed his eyeswere dilated and suspecteda concussion, so she tookhim to urgent care wherethey confirmed theconcussion and sent himfor a precautionary CTscan. Upon receiving thescan results the doctorcalled us back over tourgent care. We thoughtthis was odd, but nothingwould prepare us for whatwe heard next. “The CTscan was not entirelynormal,” he told us. Hewent on to explain thatNick had a 4cm tumor inhis brain. We packed our bags and

headed to Atlanta. We toldNick and Grace, our 10-year-old daughter, that wewere going on anadventure. We were sent toChildren’s Healthcare ofAtlanta (CHOA) at Eglestonwhere we learned therewere more tumors and wewere battling cancer,medulloblastoma. Surgerywas required to remove thelargest tumor and acombination of 6 weeks of

radiation and six months ofchemotherapy wouldfollow. All surgery comes with

risks and we ended up onthe wrong side of the riskfollowing Nick’s procedure.In addition to cancer hewas now unable to move orspeak. This is a calledposterior fossa syndrome(PFS) and it affects about 20percent of patients thatundergo this type ofsurgery. Aside from theremaining tumors, hisbrain function is fine, buthe’s unable to coordinateany movement, includingspeech. He would have tore-learn how to walk, talkand do all the simple thingsthat we all take for grantedevery day. We had to guessat when he was in pain,when he wasuncomfortable, and whenhe needed something. Thatdoesn’t truly sink in untilyour son becomes part ofthat 20 percent.We spent the next few

months in a hospital room.Nick had to have a shuntinstalled to relieve thepressure building in hishead and had to have a“port” installed — it’s asemi-permanent IV line —so chemo could be givenand blood could be drawnregularly. He beganmoving his left leg. Weused that to communicatewith him, but it wasdifficult and not veryreliable. He underwent sixweeks of radiation,receiving the lifetimemaximum dose.Rehabilitation was startedto try to get him movingagain. Two weeks post-

radiation, pneumonia setin. His progress in rehabstalled and yet anothersurgery was needed toremove infection aroundhis partially collapsed rightlung, and install atemporary chest tube fordrainage. It was successfuland over the next few

weeks his breathingimproved. While recovering from

this an MRI was done aboutfour weeks post-radiationand it showed that all of thetumors responded well tothe radiation and chemoand were gone. With theknowledge that the tumorswere gone and the effects ofradiation’s fatigue wearingoff, Nick’s body began tostart moving again, veryslowly.Nick was transferred

from the oncology floor toinpatient rehab at CHOA’sScottish Rite hospital inNorth Atlanta for moreaggressive rehab. His daysconsisted of a cocktail ofmedicines, feeding using asmall tube in his nose anddown his throat, physicaltherapy, occupationaltherapy, and speechtherapy. He worked hard;harder than I’ve ever seenhim work before, and itfinally starting paying off.He began to move more andstarted getting stronger.His swallowing got betterand his speech returned,but it was slurred andbroken. These wereamazing weeks as we couldsee his personality returnand improvements were adaily occurrence.Nick came home mid-

September for five daysbefore going back to CHOAfor six months of chemoand continued daily rehab,but he’s a different youngman than when we leftback in April. He is stillunable to walk on his ownand his speech is far fromnormal. Eating anddrinking is improved, butwe still have to feed him.His fine motor skills havenot yet returned so hismovements are very shaky.Cancer has not only

changed all of our lives, ithas changed Nick’s qualityof life. We will keepfighting.Article contributed by

Neil Brinson

Acyclist since 2010, Vicktoria Whitewatched a friend participate in manyTeam In Training events andfundraisers. In July 2011, Whitedecided to sign up for a TNT event

and raise funds herself. White’s goal is to raise$10,000 in honor of six-year-old Hayley Freemanof Live Oak, Fla. Hayley was diagnosed withInfant ALL (leukemia) when she was just threemonths old. As part of her fundraising efforts,White is participating in “The Bowl Movement,”where she moves a purple toilet in front ofpeoples’ houses, and the homeowners then makedonations to remove the toilet from their frontyard.For more information, search for “The Bowl

Movement” on Facebook, or visit White’s Team InTraining page atpages.teamintraining.org/ga/Tucson11/vwhite.Also, visit TeamInTraining.org to learn moreabout the organization.

Submitted photosBelow, Vicktoria White pauses on one of her trainingsessions. Left, now three-year-old Hayley Freeman recentlygot her ears pierced, something she has wanted to do forsome time. Above, images of the purple toilet White is usingto raise funds to fight against childhood cancer.

Nick Brinson was affected by posterior fossa syndrome, meaning he was unable tocoordinate any movement following surgery.

Each year, morethan 1,000suspectedcancerclusters are

reported to statedepartments across theUnited States. Notexclusive to the U.S.,cancer clusters canoccur anywhere, andnotable cancer clustersthroughout history haveincluded a scrotal cancercluster among 18thcentury chimney sweepsin London, skin cancerclusters in farmers and aleukemia cluster inMassachusetts thatinspired the book andfilm A Civil Action.As notable as such

cases have been, cancerclusters remainsomewhat of a mysteryto the general public.Scientists who studycancer clusters, whichmany define as a greaternumber of cancer casesthan would be expectedin a defined geographicarea or group of peopleover a certain period oftime, do so in an effort toidentify areas ofincreased risk and in anattempt to determinewhat might be causingthat increased risk.When newsworthycancer clusters makeheadlines or even makeit to Hollywood, somecommon questionstypically arise.

What makes acancer cluster acluster?Cancer is a relatively

broad term, referring toa group of more than 100diseases, each with itsown characteristics. Ingeneral, a cancer clusterinvolves one rare type ofcancer. However, a

cancer cluster can alsooccur whenever thereare larger than expectednumbers of a morecommon type of cancer.In addition, a cancercluster can also occurwhen a certain group ofpeople gets a certaintype of cancer that is nottypical among theirgroup, such as a group ofchildren getting a cancerthat's more commonamong adults.These distinctions are

important becausecancer is so common.According to theAmerican CancerSociety, nearly half ofall men and slightlymore than one-third ofall women will developcancer during theirlifetimes. So it's entirelyplausible that a numberof people within a smallgeographic area willdevelop cancer atroughly the same time.However, unless cancercluster characteristicsare applicable, thenthese cases of cancer arelikely not a cluster, butmore likely a byproductof cancer's prevalence.

Where is exposuremost common?The ACS notes that

most well-documentedcancer clusters that arecaused by a sharedexposure are not foundin the community wherepeople live. Instead,these clusters are moreoften found in theworkplace. That'sbecause exposure tocertain chemicals orother risk factors forcancer tend to be higherin the workplace than athome or in a community.What's more, it's easierto trace the people beingexposed in a workplacegroup than it is in anentire community.

How often aresuspected cancerclusters actuallydeemed clusters?As mentioned earlier,

the U.S. alone has morethan 1,000 suspectedclusters reported to itsstate departments everyyear. Once a suspectedcluster is reported, aninvestigation will beconducted. In the U.S., asmany as 80 percent ofthese investigationsconclude that asuspected cluster is notactually a cancer cluster.During an investigation,a host of factors areconsidered, including

the types of numbers ofcancers involved, anysuspected exposures thatmight cause cancer, andthe area and time periodin which the casesoccurred. Specifics as toeach person thought tobe affected and about thecancers themselves alsohelp investigatorsdetermine if a suspectedcluster is actually acluster.Each year, thousands

of suspected cancerclusters are reportedacross the globe. Gaininga better understandingof cancer clusters canhelp calm any initialdistress until enoughresearch is conducted bythe appropriateauthorities to determineif a suspected cluster isactually a cluster.Story provided by

Metro CreativeConnection

Scott Pre-Kisparticipating in Coinsfor the

Cure of ChildhoodCancer byorganizing aLemonade Stand atScott ElementarySchool. The Pre-Kstudents are puttingwhat they havelearned abouthaving empathy forothers into action.Mrs. SharonJohnson, parent of alocal child withcancer, came to reada story about a girlnamed Alex whomade a lemonadestand in herneighborhood toraise money forcancer treatments.

Scott Pre-K studentsdecided that theycould do that, too.Students used theirnew skills ofmeasuring andfollowing multi-stepdirections to makehomemadelemonade. Posterswere made to helppublicize the eventduring journalingtime. Students set upthe stand in the Pre-K hallway. Studentscollected quartersand counteddonations. After oneday, the proceedsadded up to over $25.Scott Pre K will host

their lemonadestand for all Scottstudents this Sept.16 and again Sept. 23in the ScottElementary Schoolcafeteria from 2 p.m.to 3 p.m. The wholeschool is encouragedto bring quarters topurchase lemonadefor Coins for theCure. ScottieStadium cups withlemonade will beavailable topurchase for $1.25 aswell. For moreinformation or todonate to the cause,visit the schoolwebsite at tcitys.org.


693068gav

DUNHAM BODY SHOP

11615 US Hwy 319 NThomasville, GA

226-2077

Childhood Cancer Awareness

6930

75ga

v

Helping To Raise Awareness For All The Brave Children Fighting This Disease, And To The Angels Who

Have Lost Their Courageous Battles.

6934

94RA

V

COINSFOR CANCER

Submitted photosTop, Jalen Peterson and Israel Austin, from Brook Everett andBrenda Walden’s Pre K class sell lemonade to Jakala Cavertand Andrew Harper. Bottom, Caleb and Christian Wagner, inJulie Spence and Billye Young’s Pre K class preparehomemade lemonade for the stand.

Understanding cancer clustersCancer is a relatively broad

term, referring to a groupof more than 100 diseases,

each with its owncharacteristics. In general, acancer cluster involves one raretype of cancer. However, acancer cluster can also occurwhenever there are larger thanexpected numbers of a morecommon type of cancer.


1720 Smith Ave. • Between Mom & Dads and Golden Brothers

229-226-0010

A portion of the proceeds will go to Dollars for Dignity, a local Cancer Fund.

6930

62ga

v

B OB & J EFF IGA 229-226-0992

523 West Jackson St. • Thomasville 693272lcv

Faith • Love • Hope

Childhood Cancer Awareness

The thrill ofskydiving iswhat drawsthousands tothis extreme

sport on a regular basis.Taking to the skies andenjoying the rush of free-falling can make you feelmore in tune with nature,connected with personalfeelings — or even helpyou raise money for aworthy cause.This September, in

honor of NationalChildhood CancerAwareness Month, peopleworldwide have theopportunity to skydivewith a collective purpose-- helping to raise moneyfor the thousands ofchildren, and theirfamilies, living withcancer. This year's"Global Leap for Life2011"(www.leapforlife.org)gives people the chanceto join a worldwideskydiving fundraisinginitiative -- allowingthem to "skydive for acause" and raise moneyfor cancer charities.Friends, family membersand coworkers can maketax-deductible donationsto sponsor a skydive andbenefit Alex's LemonadeStand Foundation, anonprofit dedicated tofinding a cure for all kidswith cancer. In addition,people this year will alsohave the opportunity toskydive for anothercancer charity, Strengthfor Life, a New York-based not-for-profitdedicated to empoweringpeople with cancer andcancer survivors throughexercise.As many know, Alex's

Lemonade Stand

Foundation (ALSF)emerged from the frontyard lemonade stand ofcancer patient Alexandra"Alex" Scott who wantedto help find a cure for allchildren with cancer.Alex lost her fight withcancer at age 8, but sinceit's inception, ALSF hasraised more than $40million towards Alex'scancer cure dream. Thefoundation funds over 200research projectsnationally and teams upwith many well-knownorganizations to raiseawareness and money,now partnering withLeap for Life.Nearly 13,000 children

are diagnosed withpediatric cancer eachyear in the United Statesand, worldwide,approximately 11 millionpeople are diagnosedwith some form ofcancer each year.Millions of dollars areneeded to fund theintricate cancer researchthat attempts to findcures and treatmentoptions for the myriadcancer types experiencedeach and every day. Inpast events, Leap for Lifehas raised nearly $60,000for various cancercharities. Their goal is tosurpass that tally thisyear and encourageskydivers from aroundthe world to participatein a unique skydivingadventure."For anyone who loves

skydiving, or anyone whohas always wanted to tryit, Leap for Life is a greatway to personallyexperience theexcitement of beinginvolved in one of thelargest skydiving

fundraisers everundertaken, while alsoknowing that you areraising money for suchan important cause," saysRick Collins, a NY-basedattorney, fitnessauthority and co-authorof the men's health andfitness book Alpha MaleChallenge, who createdthe event in 2009 as apersonal fundraiser inhonor of friends andfamily members who hadbattled cancer. Collinsraised more than $15,000for cancer research thatfirst year and grew theevent into a worldwidefundraising initiative thefollowing year. "Last year,we had more than 100people who jumped withus in the fight againstcancer, and I'm hopefulthat this year even morepeople worldwide willjoin together as we allleap into action in thefight against cancer, andspecifically, to help themany children andfamilies affectedbypediatric cancer."More information

about the 2011 GlobalLeap for Life, includinglinks to arrange toskydive as part of theinitiative, is available atwww.leapforlife.org.More information onALSF or Strength for Lifecan be found atAlexsLemonade.org andstrengthforlifeny.org,respectively. To make a$10 donation to Alex'sLemonade StandFoundation in support ofLeap for Life, text"Lemonade E74636" to85944.Story provided by


Soaring to new heights tofight against childhood cancer

Metro Creative ConnectionHundreds of skydivers areexpected to "leap for life" andparticipate in a skydivingevent to raise money in thefight against cancer.

Text ‘LemonadeE74636’ to 85944

to make a $10donation to Alex’sLemonade Stand

Foundation

Cancer is adisease socomplex thateven the mostveteran of

cancer researcherscannot fully explain thedisease. Progress towardthe diagnosis andtreatment of cancercontinues to be made,but there's still no tellingif an individual will orwon't get this potentiallydeadly disease.One of the many

things the medicalcommunity can say withcertainty regardingcancer is that treatmentis most effective whenthe cancer is found early.Melanoma skin cancer,for instance, can beeasily removed if it'sdetected early and hasnot grown into the skin.In fact, the five-yearsurvival rate, whichindicates the percentageof people who live atleast five years afterdiagnosis, for thosewhose melanoma skincancer is detected earlyenough to remove themelanoma is nearly 100percent. However, if thatmelanoma has alreadyspread to other parts ofthe body by the time it'sdetected, the five-yearsurvival rate is below 20percent.While the disparity

between survival rates isnot as severe for allcancers as it is formelanoma skin cancers,early detection is stillimperative when itcomes to beating cancer.Part of the reasoncancer is not alwaysdetected early is that itdoesn't always make itspresence felt until it hasalready reached anadvanced stage.Pancreatic cancer, forinstance, does not

usually cause anynoticeable symptoms inits early stages. Instead,the first noticeable signsof pancreatic cancer canbe back or belly pain. Atthis point, the cells inthe pancreas have grownand begun to press onnearby nerves andorgans. While thesemight be the first signsof pancreatic cancer, bythis point the cancer istypically at an advancedstage.Still, knowing the

signs and symptoms ofcancer is a great way formen and women to catchthe disease early whenit's most treatable.Though the followingsigns and symptoms arenot always indicative ofcancer, their presenceshould be enough foradults to consult theirphysicians.

Fatigue: Extremetiredness that does notimprove even with amplerest could be a sign thatcancer is growing. Incertain cancers,including leukemia, thishappens in the earlystages. In addition, somecolon or stomachcancers cause blood loss,which can result infatigue.

Pain: Early on, bonecancers or testicularcancer often manifestthemselves throughpain. Back pain can be asymptom of ovariancancer or cancer of thecolon or rectum.Unfortunately, whenpain is a result of

cancer, the cancer hasalready begun tometastasize.

Unexplained weightloss: One of the firstsigns of cancer might bethe unexplained loss of10 pounds or more. Thisis most common withcancers of the pancreas,stomach, esophagus, orlung.

Skin changes:Cancers of the skin andother cancers can causecertain changes in theskin. Jaundice, when theskin and eyes turn ayellowish color, is onesuch change. The skincan also redden, itch ordarken, a conditionknown ashyperpigmentation.Excessive hair growth onthe skin is another skinchange that mightindicate the presence ofcancer.

Fever: A common sideeffect of cancer, fevermost often happens afterthe cancer hasmetastasized. Cancersthat effect the immunesystem often cause feveras the body finds it moredifficult to fightinfection. In certainblood cancers, includingleukemia or lymphoma,fever is an early sign ofcancer.Should any of the

aforementioned signs orsymptoms appear, menand women shouldconsult their physiciansimmediately. Article provided by


Understanding the signs and symptoms of cancer

Associated PressFrom left: Barbara Bush, former first lady Laura Bush, former President George W. Bush,Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.N. Goodwill Ambassador Nancy G. Brinkerattend a ceremony to announce the combating of cervical and breast cancer in developingnations, Tuesday, Sept. 13, in Washington.

Part of the reason cancer isnot always detected earlyis that it doesn’t always

make its presence felt until ithas already reach an advancedstage.

The word"cancer" isused to refer toa group ofmore than 100

diseases. Because of that,it can be hard to keeptrack of all the differenttypes of cancers, andsome are inevitablybound to gain moreattention or headlinesthan others.One type of cancer

that does not garnermany headlines is Wilms'tumor, the most commonform of kidney cancer inchildren. Roughly 500new cases of Wilms'tumor are diagnosed inthe U.S. each year, whilethe Canadian CancerSociety reports that,between 2003 and 2007,220 new cases of Wilms'tumor were diagnosed inchildren and youth ages0-19. (Editor's Note:Wilms' tumor isextremely rare in adults.)Despite its status as

the most common form ofkidney cancer inchildren, Wilms' tumorhas no known cause. TheCCS notes that 90 percentof Wilms' tumor casesdevelop sporadically andhave no identifiable riskfactors. Whileresearchers have yet tolink a specific cause toWilms' tumor, they haveextensively studied theformation of the kidneysin a baby and feel that,when something goeswrong during thatformation, Wilms' tumorcan result. An example ofsomething going wrongduring kidney formationis cells not maturingduring the process. Thesecells instead stay likefetal cells, which cancluster and still be thereafter the baby is born.While these fetal cellsoften mature by the timea child becomes a toddler,

sometimes they nevermature and begin togrow out of control,resulting in a Wilms'tumor.The symptoms of

Wilms' tumor can mimicother conditions,meaning the presence ofany of the followingsymptoms does notnecessarily mean a childhas kidney cancer.Instead, should any ofthese symptoms appear,parents should take theirchild to a physicianimmediately.• painless lump in the

abdomen• fever• blood in the urine• diarrhea• swelling of the

abdomen• pain in the abdomen• high blood pressure• changes to digestion,

including loss ofappetite, upset stomach,nausea and vomiting• the appearance of

large or distended veinsacross the abdomenBecause the cause of

Wilms' tumor remains amystery, the risk factorsare difficult to pinpoint.But many of the knownrisk factors arehereditary. A child mayinherit an abnormal genefrom a parent, increasingthe child's risk of Wilms'tumor, but notnecessarily guaranteeingthe tumor will develop. Infact, the AmericanCancer Society notes thatonly a small number ofchildren with Wilms'tumor have a relativewith the same cancer.The ACS also notes thatWilms' tumor is slightlymore common amonggirls and AfricanAmericans, though thereasons for that areunknown.Wilms' tumor has also

been linked to children

with certain birthdefects. Roughly 10percent of children withWilms' tumor have abirth defect, most ofwhich occur insyndromes, or groups ofsymptoms or problemsthat are commonlylinked to certain changesin genes. In certainsyndromes, part or evenall of a gene might bemissing, and thesemissing or abnormalgenes can cause Wilms'

tumor. Among the birthdefects linked to Wilms'tumor are:• Aniridia: This is a

rare condition in whichthe iris of the eye, whichgives the eye its color andcontrols the amount oflight entering the eye,does not form completely.• Hemihypertrophy:

An overgrowthsyndrome,hemihypertrophy occurswhen one side of thebody grows larger than

the other.• Hypospadias: This

occurs in males when theurinary opening is not atthe tip of the penis buton the underside instead.• Undescended

testicles: A conditionthat occurs when one orboth testicles do notdescend into thescrotum.Treatment is

successful for manychildren with Wilms'tumor, but the survival

rate, as is the case withall cancers, variesdepending on the stage ofthe tumor.Wilm's tumor gets its

name from Dr. MaxWilms, who wrote one ofthe first medical articleson the disease. Moreinformation on Wilms'tumor is available atwww.cancer.org andwww.cancer.ca.Article provided by



689976dsv

Supporting thechildren & families of

Thomas Countybattling cancer.

(229) 226-9291

694100dsv

229-551-9464 Honoring children who have been affected by

childhood cancer 6945

46jbV

SENIOR LIFEINSURANCE COMPANY

For more informationon Careers or

for a FREE quote call

877.777.8808 toll free

694823dsv

“Children with cancer are like candles in the wind

who accept the possibility that they are in danger

of being extinguished by a gust of wind from

nowhere and yet, they flicker and dance to remain

alive. Their brilliance challenges the darkness and

dazzles those of us who watch their light.”

Wilms’ tumor a lesser-known foe to children

Metro Creative ConnectionThough the reasons are unknown, Wilms' tumor is slightly more common among girls.


693038dsv

The Reflections of Hope

Working towards a cure...Flowers Auto Group

Flowers Honda229-225-1144

Flowers Nissan229-226-1106

694543dsv

694543dsv 229-225-9277 1428 Remington Ave. Thomasville, GA

694713akv

WASHING

AWAY

CH I LDHOOD

CANCEROn Sept. 10, community members cametogether for a ‘Car Wash for a Cure.’ Fundsraised were divided between CURE Childhood

Cancer and St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

For moreinformation,

visitcurechildhoodcancer.org andstbaldricks.org

Page 28 CHILDHOOD CANCER Saturday, September 17, 2011

Together We Can Beat Childhood

Cancer.

694093dsv

Win the fight against

Childhood Cancer.

350 Liberty Street • 229-226-1776 Jay Evans, Owner

CPL Single Pagesvaldosta.sgaonline.com/2010thomasville/pdfs/childhood...find a cure for childhood cancer, one cup at a time. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing

Documents