Come support a wonderful cause on October 21st, beginning at 8:00 am at Ivy Park for the 6th Annual Trick or Trot 5K run/walk and 1mile Candy Dash. All proceeds benefit the patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
There are several children and young adults from our community that have received treatment at St. Jude’s and we want to give back.
One of those is the family of three-and-a-half-year-old Hadley Taylor. Hadley’s mom, Skylar, shared about the experiences they’ve had at St. Jude’s.
Skylar shared their story:
“Hadley was diagnosed with a brain mass on Dec. 18, 2021. She began having a seizure at home and was rushed to the hospital by her dad while I was working in the Emergency Department. We got her seizure stopped and she had a CT scan that showed a 5cm brain mass. She was transported to Batson’s ICU where she had surgery to remove the tumor 3 days later, and was dismissed on Christmas Eve.
On January 4th, we received her diagnosis. ATRT. (Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor) It’s a Grade 4 tumor with a poor prognosis and high relapse rate. On January 17th we arrived at St. Jude’s and they didn’t waste any time getting started.
Over the next 4 months, she had 20 doses of high dose chemo given through her port, 7 blood transfusions, 8 platelet transfusions, and another brain surgery to remove the tumor again. She also celebrated her 2nd birthday while inpatient for chemo! By the end of May of 2022, her chemo treatments were over, and her scans showed no evidence of disease!
Then radiation began. She was sedated every day for nearly six weeks receiving 29 doses of proton radiation. Radiation came with its own side effects, although this part of treatment was much easier than chemo. Her post-radiation scans showed continued no evidence of disease, and we were allowed to move back home mid-August!”
In the past year Hadley has been going for tests and checkups every three months. She’s been doing well but recently became very ill which landed her in two different hospitals for over two weeks in September. She couldn’t walk, couldn’t hold her head up and slept all day. Skylar feared that Hadley’s cancer was back.
After weeks of not knowing, numerous scans, tests, and a lumbar puncture, it was determined she had viral meningitis. Skylar called this a “silver lining because it wasn’t cancer nor bacterial meningitis.”
Skylar and Troy want to give back to St. Jude’s but had to cancel their fundraiser which had been planned for October 7th. Thankfully Hadley is recovering from this illness, and they are thinking about rescheduling their event in November. They’ve signed up to do the 10K on December 2nd during the weekend of the St. Jude Races in Memphis. She’s praying that Hadley can be there at the finish line.
The Taylor’s are also planning to attend the local Trick-or-Trot 5K & Fun Run on October 21st at Ivy Park in Louisville to represent other patients and their families. The public is encouraged to come out and run/walk to support this precious family and others who benefit from the wonderful work going on at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
5K Registration is going on now through October 21st and requires a $30 donation to St. Jude’s. The Candy Dash entry fee is a $15 donation to the hospital. The 5K race begins at 8:00am, and the Candy Dash begins at 9:00am. Fun costumes are encouraged for the Candy Dash, but aren’t required.
Registration forms are available at the following locations in Winston County: Wall 2 Wall Fitness, Discount Video, and Next Level Fitness. Additionally, people may fill out and print their form at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdcmTTAKHNt2pszitaykpVZotwpZmV….
Contact Dinah Smith for details (662) 803-9804.
