Chemotherapy

The staff at Potomac Heights Elementary School is observing casual Fridays, with all proceeds being donated to the Lymphoma Society in support of a fellow staff member. Each $1 donation is in honor of Heather Shaw, who has been undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The staff designated Sept. 8 as "Heather In Your Cap Day" in support of Shaw's chemotherapy. All staff members wore hats and were treated to ice cream sundaes at the end of the day.

By far, the most inspirational book I've ever read is "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" by four-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. Armstrong overcame a virulent form of testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain before unleashing the same resiliency and zest on the French Alps. His yellow jersey is as much about living and breathing as it is being king of the cycling world. Zach Tanner, 17, of Waynesboro, is currently reading the book.

Given a year to live, girl cancer-free for 10 years By JULIE E. GREENE / Staff Writer photo: RIC DUGAN / staff photographer KEARNEYSVILLE, W.Va. - A decade ago Kristy Hahn's family was told by a doctor that the little girl, not quite 2 years old, had less than a year to live. continued Kristy made a remarkable recovery following nine months of treatment in 1990. Subsequent annual checkups showed no symptoms of the cancer. Doctors still were hesitant to say the cancer was gone, said Kristy's mother, Dessa McDonald.

All Chessie Fox has ever wanted, her mother says, is to go to Disneyland and to meet her idol, country music singer Reba McEntire. Those don't sound like impossible dreams, but for Chessie, making either come true will require more help than her family can provide. That's because the 25-year-old Hagerstown woman has been battling Hodgkins disease for four years. The disease, a form of cancer that begins in the body's lymph nodes, has forced her to undergo repeated treatments that caused her hair to fall out and many of her teeth as well.

By DAVE McMILLION Staff Writer WILLIAMSPORT - This year has been a particularly tough one for the Williamsport Volunteer Ambulance Service following news that children of two of its members were diagnosed with serious illnesses. Thirteen-year-old Sarah Roseberry, daughter of volunteer Teresa Roseberry, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in September. Six-year-old Jacob Wentz, son of medic George Wentz, was diagnosed with leukemia in late October, officials said.

Ever had one of those scary dreams? A beast is approaching, a lion or gorilla perhaps, and your legs are like two hunks of stone stuck in cold molasses. The creature closes in, you struggle to escape and then...you wake up, sweating and breathing hard, giving thanks that it was only a dream. Annie's nightmare was different, because it wasn't something she could leave with the pillow when she awoke. Annie's waking horror was an illness, made worse because the 40-something Hagerstown woman, a nurse who works for the State of Maryland, said she'd always been careful about her health.

By VANDANA SINHA Staff Writer On sight, Jimmy Schenk seems like any average 10-year-old boy, sporting his Little League Hartle's baseball uniform, slouching down on his couch and wearing his red baseball cap low over his eyes. Though shy to the point of absolute silence in front of strangers, Schenk still takes a moment to ask mother LouJean when they'll take their next family trip, reach behind to jab younger brother John in the stomach and, of course, roll his eyes when his mother warns him to be careful while playing catch in their large back yard.

It began in December of last year, when the schools were closed for the Christmas holidays. Bradley Palmer, a 9-year-old fourth grader who attends Bester Elementary School, was making a turn at the Starland roller rink when he fell, complaining of severe back pain. His parents thought it was a sprain, so they took him to Washington County Hospital's emergency room, where his mom, Kim Palmer, said the physicians told her to take him home, because there was no fracture.