The girl behind the legacy:
Emmahlene, or Emmah as she was better known (“Emma with a ‘h’ “ she would tell you), was diagnosed with stage IV Neuroblastoma when she was 10 years old. The average age of diagnosis for this disease is between 1 to 2 years old. Its advanced stage at the time of discovery, along with her age, made for a very poor prognosis. In spite of the odds being grossly stacked against her, she showed strength, courage, and resilience throughout. Emmah did not give up on her desire to be a part of the 5th grade talent show nor was she going to be denied the opportunity to perform. In defiance of how the treatments to that point left her feeling, and despite her frailty, she sang “Son of Man” from the Disney movie Tarzan. Emmah enjoyed singing and music in general. She was a percussionist in the school band and a member of the school district’s honors band. In 7th grade she attended and performed with the honors band on their trip to Williamsburg, VA, despite being in active treatment and breaking out in hives, a side effect from a blood transfusion, while they were en route. After bravely facing each treatment challenge and surgical procedure over the course of three and a half years, Emmah’s body had enough and she passed away one month shy of her 14th birthday. The chance for her to further explore her desire to sing or experience the limitless possibilities that life had to offer was taken away from her. She had talked about maybe becoming a teacher and had a larger than life desire to want to help others. She was the eldest of six and loved her brothers and sisters very much. We share her story to keep her memory alive. Although her time was cut short, we look forward to seeing her spirit, tenacity, and zest for life live on through scholarship recipients.
