Chilton County Relay for Life Guide 2021

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 ² PAGE 1B

CHILTON CHILTONCOUNTY COUNTY

RELAY RELAY FOR FOR LIFE LIFE

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PAGE 2B ² WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

2021 Relay For Life Queens

2021 Wee Miss Relay For Life, from left Fourth Alternates Emery Gargus and Payton Mims, Second Alternate Paisleigh Hooks, Wee Miss Relay Hallie Hall, First Alternate Wee Miss Photogenic Aubrie Roberts, Third Alternate Morgan Smitherman

2021 Miss Relay For Life and Miss Photogenic Ana Rodriguez and First Alternate Jensyn Porter

2021 Junior Miss Relay For Life, from left, First Alternate Aly Devaughn, Junior Miss Relay For Life Caysen Craig, Second Alternate and Junior Miss Photogenic Jamyracle Williams

2021 Relay For Life Queens, from left, Junior Miss Relay For Life Caysen Craig, Little Miss Relay Dani Claire Brock, Miss Relay Ana Rodriguez, Wee Miss Relay Hallie Hall, Tiny Miss Relay Kaylee Hall, Young Miss Relay Addison McKenna Cordell.

2021 Little Miss Relay For Life, from left, Fourth Alternate Ellie Grace Carroll, Second Alternate and Little Miss Photogenic Carly Beth Meak, Little Miss Relay For Life Dani Claire Brock, First Alternate Maleigha McGalliard, Third Alternate Delaney Hamm

2021 Young Miss Relay For Life, from left, Fourth Alternate Debra Jackson, Second Alternate Adah Weeks, Young Miss Relay For Life Addison McKenna Cordell, First Alternate Kinnsley Renaye Traywick, Third Alternate Da’Nira Worthey, Little Miss Photogenic – Lexi-Kate Hayes (not pictured)

2021 Tiny Miss Relay For Life, from left, Fourth Alternate, Brentley Cleckler, Second Alternate, Zadie DeVaughn, Tiny Miss Relay and Tiny Miss Photogenic winner Kaylee Hall, First Alternate Macie Lee Lovelady, Third Alternate Avery Claire Smitherman

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Chilton Co Relay for Life-Hope is Never Cancelled A Musical Journey May 1

Peach Park We will also be taking donations for ACS and we will draw names for some prizes for those who have given a monetary donation.

The Chilton Co. Relay for Life Event Lead-

ership Team encourages all cancer survivors to sign up before May 1 via the Google Form pinned to the top of the Relay for Life of Chilton County AL Facebook page. All survivors will

be given a T-shirt, at the event on May 1, while supplies last. We encourage all survivors to attend the event and join the 2021 Relay for Life Queens in The Chilton Co. Event Leadership Team delivered pillowcases to the Montgomery leading the Luminaria and Cancer Center. These pillowcases were sewn by Girl Scout Troop 337, Relay for Trees of Hope Lap. Life Queens, Swedish Queens, and the YMCA Queens.

A big thanks also, to Cary-Deidra Gadberry, with State Farm for the Quotes for Good during the month of March. For anyone that got a quote from State Farm during March she donated $10 to Relay for Life.

The Chilton Co. Relay for Life Event Leadership team would like to thank the following queen groups for helping Paint the Town Purple — Relay for Life Queens, Swedish Queens, Blackberry Queens, YMCA Queens, and the Peach Queens. Each of these groups visited businesses in the county and hung purple bows.

SCHEDULE MAY 1 AT PEACH PARK Plan to arrive early and enjoy dinner, ice cream, and s’mores at Peach Park. Walk through the Trees of Hope and enjoy the beautiful trees set up and decorated by local groups, families, and businesses.

Luminarias will also be on sale for the public to purchase in memory or in honor of those who have had cancer.

8:30-9 p.m.: Welcome, introductions, acknowledgement of Trees of Hope Sponsors, special thanks by 2021 Miss and Jr Miss Relay for Life Queens Flag ceremony-Girl Scout Troop 337 Guest speaker Queen Introductions Prize Drawing Survivor Welcome-Shelly Byrne 9 p.m.: Prayer by Rev. James Watkins, West End Baptist Church Luminaria service and Trees of Hope Walk

TREES OF HOPE SPONSORS  Girl Scout Troop 337  Relay for Life Queens  Swedish Queens  Peach Queens  Blackberry Queens  YMCA Queens  Cary-Deidra Gadberry-State Farm  Guardian Credit Union  Chilton Co. Chamber of Commerce  Sunny Mays and family  West End Baptist Church Go Gold Team  C and C Trophy  The Boutique at Peach Park  EXIT Royal Realty-Tonya Seaton, Kim Lewellen, and Monica Parnell  Jemison High School Cheerleaders

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PAGE 4B ² WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021

Against all odds

Mom shares her child’s triumphant cancer battle

By JOYANNA LOVE Managing Editor

At 11 years old, Lilianna Thompson has already overcome more difficulties than some will in a lifetime.

She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia on Aug. 19, 2011 at the age of 2.

“She had been running a fever for several days,” her mom Anna Thompson said. “It would not go away with Tylenol, Motrin, and her gums in her mouth were very red and swollen.”

She also had no appetite.

The Thompson family was on vacation.

When they went to an urgent care facility, they thought it might be strep throat.

Anna Thompson felt like there was more to it, so the family came home to Chilton County, where her pediatrician diagnosed her with acute myeloid leukemia “It’s very aggressive and very hard to treat,” Anna Thompson said.

Her white blood cell count was so high that the medical staff thought the machine may have been malfunctioning.

“They did it three times, and they sent her straight to Children’s after that,” Anna Thompson said.

She went into fight mode.

“My first thing was we were going to fix it no matter what it took,” Anna Thompson said.

Lilianna was at Children’s of Alabama receiving treatment through the end of October 2011. She was started on chemotherapy the Monday after being diagnosed on Friday.

When this did not work, the search began for a bone marrow donor. One could not be found.

A core blood transplant, from an umbilical cord donated to science after the baby was born, was used instead.

That was in December 2011.

Lilianna’s body rejected the cells, so there was more chemotherapy, followed by another core blood transplant.

After the second core blood transplant, which included cells from two different donors, the results looked promising.

But about a month later, it became evident that the leukemia was still in Lilianna’s body.

“They gave us no hope whatsoever,” Anna Thompson said. “They told us there wasn’t anything that they could do.

They told us we needed to go on our Make-A Wish trip.”

The family went on the trip to Disney World in May 2012, when Lilianna was 3, but Anna Thompson would not take the doctor’s statement as the final word.

“I told them that day that they gave us no hope, that I was not

Anna and Lilianna Thompson

Lilianna Thompson was one of several cancer survivors that had an ornament on a tree in honor of survivors as a part of Trees of Hope.

quitting, that I was not going to give up … that if they couldn’t help here they needed to get us somewhere — anywhere in the world

where someone could help,” Anna Thompson said.

At that point, the doctors began looking for other options. Additional chemotherapy was their answer, which meant she was in remission for several months before the cancer came back.

A bone marrow transplant became the only option.

A donor was finally found in December 2012 in Germany.

“It was a nine out of 10, but it didn’t matter because this was the only thing that could possibly save her,” Anna Thompson said.

“It was literally one of the best days of my life,” she said, describing when they found out there was a donor.

Prior to the transplant, Lilianna Thompson received a more intense chemotherapy and full body radiation.

“On Jan. 29, 2013, she had her bone marrow transplant,” Anna Thompson said. “It’s just like a blood transfusion … here we are eight years later, she is still in remission.”

The family has been able to contact the donor through email.

Anna Thompson said she was “over the moon” when Lilianna was finally in remission.

“I was extremely nervous after the bone marrow transplant,” Anna Thompson said.

The family stayed in Birmingham for 100 days after the transplant in a house provided by A-Team ministries.

“It is free of charge to cancer patients and their families that need somewhere to stay,” Anna Thompson said.

During that time, Lilianna Thompson was in the clinic everyday as the doctors watched for

any sign of a fever or complications.

“We just prayed and trusted God that he had brought us this far for a reason,” Anna Thompson said.

Fortunately, Lilianna Thompson does not remember her battle with cancer. However, the impacts on her body from the radiation have been long lasting, leading to health complications, including dental issues, endocrine complication and an increased risk for heart and lung issues.

Lilianna Thompson returns to Children’s of Alabama twice a year.

Doctors have not placed restrictions on activities she can participate in.

She is being homeschooled through Chilton Christian Academy for this school year. Her favorite subject in school is reading. When not in school, she enjoys playing with her American Girl dolls.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 ² PAGE 5B

Trees of hope

Photos by JOYANNA LOVE/ ADVERTISER

Community organizations sponsors trees along the walking path at Peach Park to raise money for the American Cancer Society

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