Special Survivor To Participate In Stokes County Relay For Life (high school, university)

[olivia429]

Meggie Olivia Taylor is a cancer survivor who has beaten the odds. Diagnosed with t-cell lymphoma on Jan. 31, 2008, and given 6 to 8 months to live, the 11-year-old will participate in the May 15 Relay for Life in Stokes County, NC. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life is an annual 24-hour walk held in hundreds of locations throughout the country.

What makes Meggie’s story so remarkable is that Meggie is a dog, a red-haired golden retriever to be exact. Meggie also has a knack for fundraising. She currently is ranked second on the list of fundraisers for this Relay for Life event, having collected $2,050 in contributions from friends and admirers.

After Cindy Taylor of Germanton, NC, Meggie’s mom, posted her story on the Golden Retriever Forum, an on-line community of golden retriever lovers that includes members in the U.S. and around the world, contributions started pouring in.

Having Meggie with me every day is something I don’t take for granted,” Taylor said, “but knowing that Meggie has inspired and given hope to others makes her life even more special. We hope that through this Relay event we can give back and help fight back against cancer.”

Meggie will participate in the Survivor Lap, complete with a special purple T-shirt, at the start of the 24-hour event, most likely riding in her shiny, new, red wagon. Meggie tires easily, so she sometimes needs to use her wheels to get around.

Meggie finished her chemotherapy in May 2008 and also underwent two half-body radiation treatments at North Carolina State University’s veterinary teaching hospital. As a result of the radiation, Meggie lost her hair and went through several months of intense skin issues, but she has regained her beautiful red coat.

Now in her 16th month post-diagnosis, this canine survivor also has struggled with several other complicating factors, including a grade VI heart murmur and a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis in December 2008 after a bad case of pneumonia.

The West Stokes Relay for Life will be held at West Stokes High School on May 15, with the Survivor Lap beginning at 6 p.m. Additional contributions to Meggie’s fight against cancer can be made at:
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/meggie (broken link)

[olivia429]

bump