Ride 4 Cure Presents:
St. Jude golf outing in memory of Elizabeth Hoffman
Saturday, October 4 2008
9:00am - 3:00pm
- Spring Creek Golf Course
- Registration
- $35.00 per player (includes 9 holes, food & live music)
- Tee Time
- 9:00am - 3:00pm (four-person scramble, must use two tee shots from each player) Call for Tee Times 920-563-4499
- Raffles, Door and Flag prizes
- 18 hole putting contest
-
11:30am - 6:00pm
5:00pm - 9:00pm
(For information on sponsoring a hole or making a donation to the event, email
ride4cure@charter.net)
Elizabeth Hoffman's Story:
A courageous little girl
There is nothing sadder than the photo of a young person in the obituary columns. Last week we had two: a 3-month-old infant and a girl just shy of her seventh birthday. Why bad things happen to good people, especially innocent children, we'll never know.
However, we do know that despite her short life, 6 1/2 year-old Elizabeth "Kay Kay" Hoffman showed a spunk and courage that will long be remembered.
It was 3 1/2 years ago when a CT scan revealed a grapefruit-sized tumor growing between Elizabeth's spine and rectum, a portion of which had invaded the base of her spine. It was later diagnosed as Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare primitive neuroetodermal tumor in which cancer cells are found in the bone of soft tissue.
Three days after the tumor was discovered, Elizabeth had a colostomy, and then on January 14, 2005, the tumor was removed. The youngster then began a nine-month chemotherapy treatment.
A second tumor was removed December 22, 2005 and Elizabeth underwent another series of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. In the process, many internal organs were scarred, including her bladder, intestine and ovaries. Elizabeth would never be able to have children, and her pelvic bone would never grow beyond its current size.
And yet, faced with probable life in a wheelchair or worse, young Elizabeth held on to an upbeat, even inspiring attitude. It was so upbeat and inspiring that the Purdy Elementary Schooler was named the 2006 Fort Atkinson Relay For Life honorary chairperson.
Unfortunately, shortly after that successful ACS fundraiser, another tumor was found on her spine, and Elizabeth was given 10 months to live. Four months of a more untraditional chemotherapy seemed to have eradicated the disease, yet doctors thought it would return, and suggested a stem cell transplant. So, in February of 2007, Elizabeth underwent an operation to harvest her own stem cells prior to starting another round of chemotherapy, three to four times stronger than she had ever faced before. The transplant took place just over a year ago on July 9, 2007, in an attempt to give her a new immune system. Things seemed to go well, but sadly, that did not last.
Elizabeth's medical care exceeded $1 million, and throughout her ordeal, individual and civic groups raised money to help chip away at the bills. Fellow parishoners from the St. Joseph's Catholic Church periodically brought over dinners. We know that Elizabeth's parents, Larry and Debbie, and her six siblings - Mark, Samantha Jo, Samantha Ann, Thomas, John and Steven - greatly appreciated the countless gifts and prayers ... as they do now in the wake of Elizabeth's death on July 23.
We mentioned before that Elizabeth was a little girl who was full of spunk and courage. She also was a little girl who liked to color, paint, dance and swim, and spend time with her goldfish, Dory and Nemo. Her family says that she loved everyone she met and made sure they knew it ... that she taught those around her that everyone cannot always be treated the same, and if a person has the strength, courage and stubborness, there is nothing that he or she can't do.
And that, we think is Elizabeth Hoffman's legacy. Here was a little girl who, despite a grim outlook, faced each day with a determined smile. A little girl who inspired hundreds of Relay For Lifers as they rounded the track two years ago. A little girl whose memory will continue to inspire Relay walkers well into the future.
No, we will never know why the past 3 1/2 years happened. But we will remember who they happened to.
Bye, bye Elizabeth. Godspeed.
Daily Jefferson County Union. July 30, 2008
Other Events to Watch for:
• Watch in the spring for Bowl 4 Cure Date
• We will have a bikini bike wash again in 2009, Date to be determined
• Next Years Main Event will be June 26 - June 27
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