Ride Benefits Tate Student Battling Rare Form Of Cancer (With Photo Gallery)

July 29, 2012

A benefit motorcycle ride was held Saturday for Halee Boyd, a 17-year old Tate High School student battling cancer.

Halee is fighting Alevola Rhabdomyosarcoma , ARMS for short, a rare cancer of the muscles that are attached to the bones. There are only a few hundred new cases per year in the United States. She is undergoing regular treatments at Shands Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville..

Saturday, Halee was along for the ride, her smile outshining her fluorescent green sunglasses as the motorcycles traveled from Tate High to Walnut Hill and back to a lunch at Heritage Baptist Church in Cantonment.

For a photo gallery, click here.

In April, Halee started having severe headaches, followed by blurry and double vision. Within 10 days her right eye was swollen, and the Boyds headed to a hospital emergency room. On April 29, they learned she had a tumor.

“It is still hard to hear myself say that she has cancer, the words catch in my throat and tears well up in my eyes and my heart stops. It’s not that it’s affected my life so much; it’s that from April 29, 2012, her life changed so drastically in a hallway in an emergency department,” her mother Mardi said in an earlier interview.

“I think it is just surreal,” Mardi added. “It all seems like a bad dream, I just get up each day and get through it and lean on my faith in God. I have been through some things in life that were bad, but those all made me strong enough to face this. Halee is incredibly strong and we are able to feed off of that.”

Halee does not currently have health insurance. Donations are also being accepted for Halee through the family’s church, Heritage Baptist Church, 3065 Highway 297A, Cantonment, (850) 478-3316.

Pictured top: Tate High student Halee Boyd on a motorcycle ride benefiting her medical expenses as it passes through Walnut Hill. Pictured inset: Halee talks to a young friend waiting for the start of the ride Saturday morning at Tate High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Tate High photos contributed by Kristi Smith for NorthEscambia.com.

Comments

6 Responses to “Ride Benefits Tate Student Battling Rare Form Of Cancer (With Photo Gallery)”

  1. Ruth on July 31st, 2012 6:51 pm

    PRAYING!!!

  2. Valli Saucer on July 30th, 2012 12:07 pm

    Halee,
    My daugher, son-in-law, (Peggy and Doug Price), and my daughter-in-law, Shelly Herrington were along for the Ride. Our Facebook Prayer group is praying for you. The little one you are talking too in the other picture is my youngest grandson, Trey, who is 15 months old. Isn’t he adorable??? We are so thrilled you were able to actually ride with them. You stole their hearts and we will continue to pray for you. Bod bless you and keep you safe and strong. He is able and faithful.

  3. Atmore G on July 30th, 2012 9:46 am

    So wonderful to see our community pull together to help this young lady!! Lets all pray for a great outcome and total remission!!

  4. Packy Mitchell on July 29th, 2012 7:50 pm

    Halee, sorry I could not make it. Was at work day/revival at Gonzalez Baptist. You look sweet as always on the bike… Will continue praying for God’s blessings for you. Stay strong !!!!! Need your smiling face back at the Miracle League Park…

  5. Shirley K. Godwin on July 29th, 2012 1:26 pm

    Halee,
    Many of us at Tate and Miracle League continue to pray for your and cannot wait until you hear the words “cancer free”.

  6. Jane on July 29th, 2012 6:18 am

    This is what I like about this area…the faith in God and the people’s willingness to help each other when someone needs help. Bless her and her family.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, Features, News