Samantha / CONTRIBUTED IMAGE A local family stricken by cancer has organized an event in Murrieta this weekend to raise money for research to find cancer cures. Jill and Michael Hill have extended an open invitation to the community to help conquer child cancers by attending the fundraiser, which is set for Sunday, March 9, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the main Murrieta fire station, 41825 Juniper St. Featuring head shaving, a bake sale and raffle, the event will benefit the St. Baldricks Foundation, which funds research directed at childrens cancers, Jill Hill said. Hill said the event was inspired by her daughter. Samantha was diagnosed with stage 4 hepatoblastoma (liver cancer) in May of 2005, Hill said in an email note. She survived six rounds of chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, including one that removed three-fourths of her liver and her gallbladder. She went through all of this before she turned 2 years old. Things have improved. Today, she is a healthy 9-year old third grader, who loves school and soccer, Hill said. But the chemotherapy did cause lifelong damage to her. She wears hearing aids, and will for the rest of her life, due to a severe high frequency hearing loss in both ears. And, Hill said, there is now a higher risk of developing a blood cancer. As for the event, there are plans to raffle off an autographed game-day bat from Hunter Pence of the San Francisco Giants, tickets to Pirates Dinner Adventure and tickets to Medieval Times. Lending a hand - or rather, a head - to the fundraising cause are three Murrieta city officials. The police chief, the fire chief and myself have all agreed to shave our heads to support this cause, to help this little girl, said Councilman Randon Lane. This isnt the first time for Lane. He had his head shaved back in October for a similar cause, to help a brother-in-law with cancer. Someone said, So, youre losing your hair again. And I said, You know what, this little girl, given what shes gone through, I can lose my hair. Itll grow back.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 05:06:14 +0000
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