by K. Burnell Evans (Staff writer)
PETERSBURG - When 1-month-old Landon Moore was diagnosed with stage II neuroblastoma cancer, his mother's heart broke.
"No one want to hear that their child is sick, let alone that he has cancer," said Erin Moore. Landon's father was in Iraq with his National Guard unit when Moore got the news that her infant son's sympathetic nervous system was tumor-ridden.
"I don't know if it was harder on me or on my husband," Moore said. "He only got to spend seven days with Landon before he deployed and by the time he came home, Landon was hooked up to machines."
After a grueling treatment regimen including several blood transfusions and two rounds of chemotherapy, Landon made a full recovery. The Dinwiddie family was proud to stand front and center during the survivor's lap at the 29th annual Petersburg-area Relay for Life on Friday.
"This may sound cheesy, but he really is my hero," Moore said, beaming at Landon as he crunched into a Tootsie Roll lollipop - his treat for completing a lap around the track at Andrew White Stadium.
Thousands of volunteers descended on the grounds of Petersburg High School on Friday evening to go the extra mile for cancer research. Colorful beaded necklaces and trumpeting kazoos underscored the Mardi Gras theme of this year's event, which sponsors the American Cancer Society's fight for a cure,
The grassroots movement, which began in 1985 as a singular effort by Tacoma, Wash., doctor Gordy Klatt to raise extra funds for his local ACS office, has trickled into communities across the country and around the globe, according to the ACS website. Although all events are different, many, including Friday's Petersburg-area Relay, walk their march for a cure from sundown to sunup.
"We try to up our fundraising goal every year," said event Chairperson Pamela Parham, whose brother passed away from cancer two years ago. Her sister, Valerie Claiborne, is a 17-year survivor of the disease.
This year Parham's team set their sights on an $80,000 purse, which is $4,500 more than last year's haul. They have raised roughly $53,000 to date and have several months remaining before their August deadline.
Parham said that 70 teams from across the region had signed up to lap the track into the early morning hours. Hotdogs were grilling, kids were playing and tents were going up in the middle of the field as the event came into full swing following a ceremonial survivor's lap at 6 p.m.
This year's designated honorees included Sidney and Charlotte Bell, Carolyn Jones, Julia Murrell and 13-year-old Raekwon Foxx, who was diagnosed with stage IV large-cell lymphoma at 5 years old.
"He just came to me one morning and said, 'Mom, I'm in so much pain,'" said Raekwon's mother, Pamela. "It was the worst feeling ever."
Raekwon, who Pamela Foxx calls her "miracle child," has grown into a tall, athletic young man who enjoys tearing it up on the football field and basketball court. "I'm just happy to be here," he said.
Survivors Carolyn Jones and Julia Murrell, who both overcame breast cancer and are active in the cancer ministry at Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Petersburg, advised cancer patients to take their diagnosis in stride.
"The part that we like to do is to let people know that they are not alone, to be out and live your life moment by moment and day by day and enjoy every last drop of the time you have," Jones said.
Murrell credited her strength to the support of her friends, family and a higher power.
"Have faith and believe that you're going to get through it," she said.
The faith community made a strong showing on Friday, sponsoring Relay teams and providing the lion's share of a long list of entertainment geared towards inspiring participants to persevere through exhaustion. Step teams, line dancing, choirs and motivational speakers took to a mid-field stage every 10 minutes until an open mic session opened up at 12:45 a.m.
Entertainment Chair Adrianne Green said the main goal was to provide something for everyone.
"We want to keep the crowd engaged, with activities for the kids, adults, we want them to keep going, keep marching until there is a cure," she said.
Until that time, Erin Moore, whose 2-year-old son survived a cancer that the Neuroblastoma Children's Cancer Society says accounts for 8 percent of all cancer diagnoses and 15 percent of all cancer-related deaths, hopes to keep walking, giving back and fighting for those who might not get a happy ending.
"To anyone out there who has been diagnosed, just keep smiling, because you're an inspiration to everyone you meet," she said.
- K. Burnell Evans may be reached at 804-722-5155 or kevans@progress-index.com.
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