News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Holly Davis has successfully battled Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Five-year-old Holly Davis has had a hard fight.
Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Holly, the daughter of Chad and Darcy Davis of Sisters, has undergone months and months of treatment at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland. She finished those treatments in October and is now cancer-free.
The family is celebrating with a Caribbean cruise donated by Royal Caribbean and made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Family, friends and Make-A-Wish volunteers Jan Shaver and Meghan DeMars gathered at Takoda's Restaurant in Sisters last week for a send-off party.
Shaver explained that "either a nurse, a social worker or the family themselves contact Make-A-Wish."
Holly wanted to go with her family on a cruise. Shaver said the organization offered a raft of options, and Holly said, "I want to do it all!"
Absorbed in presents for the trip - from sunglasses to swimsuits - Holly focused on one option in her interview with The Nugget: She wants to "Swim with dolphins... I think they're going to be nice!"
Holly's father, Chad Davis, a detective with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, noted that his family is lucky. Often wishes realized through Make-A-Wish are an end-of-life gesture.
"It's kind of overwhelming to think of the opportunity," he said. "We're thankful that we're able to do this as a kind of celebration - a cap to a rough time in her life."
Among pediatric cancers, ALL is one of the most treatable, and Holly's prognosis is good. She will be checked monthly for a while to make sure there is no recurrence, but as of now, she is not sick.
Fulfillment of wishes is gratifying for the volunteers as well as the family.
"This is probably one of the best volunteer jobs you can have because it's just so fun to see how excited the kids are when they get their wish," Shaver said.
The Davis family was headed out to Florida, where they would start their cruise, which was to take them to the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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