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| Blood Drive To Be Held Today In Memory Of Floyd County Teenager |
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| Written by David Grimes | |
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There will be a Blood Drive in memory and honor of Kassidy Foster, a Floyd County teenager who died of cancer last summer, today at the Faith Fellowship Church on Route 220 in Rocky Mount.
Kassidy, was a 12-years-old, sixth grader at Check Elementary School when she was first diagnosed with cancer on March 29, 2007.
She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma - the most common type of bone cancer. The doctors found cancerous cells on her right femur near the knee and close to her hip. They've also found cancerous cells on her chest between her heart and lungs.
The Floyd County teenager started chemotherapy on April 4th. The doctors said she would need 40 weeks of treatments that would end in December. Her main tumor was on her right knee. At first the treatments appeared to be working ...but they were not. On May 3rd, Kassidy had to have her right leg amputated up to her hip. She returned to Roanoke to continue her treatments. No matter what type of chemotherapy her doctors gave her, her cancer continued to grow throughout her body.
On July 9th, Kassidy went on a Make-a-Wish trip to California, where she was treated like a movie star, rode in a limousine and got treated with a day of shopping.
Kassidy returned home on Thursday July 12th where she started having difficulty breathing. Her parents took her to the hospital on July13th, and Kassidy went to Heaven on July16th, 2007.
“During her battle with cancer, Kassidy received many transfusions of blood during her stay in the hospital,” said her father, Danny. “Cancer patients who are under going chemotherapy have to have blood transfusions to raise their white and red blood cells to fight infections.”
The Blood Drive, will be held at Faith Fellowship Church, the church that Kassidy and her family attended, from noon to 6 p.m. The church is located on Route 220 in Rocky Mount next to Bojangles. You can make an appointment by calling (540) 334-3477.
”We are trying to raise awareness about how much blood a cancer patient actually needs during treatments,” said Foster. “And to increase the donations in the state of Virginia (which is the lowest state in blood donation).”
Foster added, “I am asking you to take time to give blood if not on this date but another time. When you give blood you WILL!!!!! save a life."
Foster also noted that another Blood Drive to honor his daughter, Kassidy, will be held in the late spring/early summer at Virginia Techniques in Christiansburg.
For more information on any of the American Red Cross Blood Drives, you can check our community calendar or visit www.GIVELIFE.org, Or, call 1-800-GIVELIFE (1-800-448-3543).
For more information on Kassidy Foster, visit www.kassidyspage.com.
Photos courtesy of www.kassidyspage.com.
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| Montgomergy Museum Heritage Day |
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The Heritage Day festival at Montgomery Museum & Lews Miller Regional Art Center proved a success. With historical re-enactments and live entertainment, the day was filled with plenty of fun. A 2 p.m. scavenger hunt segued the activity to the final Cruisin' Christiansburg of the season. Photos by Larry Middleton |
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| Today's Birthday | |
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Charlie "Bird" Parker was an American saxophonist and composer. As a young man, he moved to NYC to pursue a career in music. There, Parker met and played with a group of young musicians in Harlem clubs. In 1945, Parker and Dizzy Gillespie made the first bop (or bebop) records, becoming leaders of the bop movement in jazz. Parker's brilliant improvisations, noted for their power and beauty, soon earned the admiration of countless musicians. At what age did Parker begin playing the saxophone?
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