Fundraiser Planned for Ohio County Teen Battling Brain Cancer
Alivia Faith Burgess was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma brain cancer in January of 2020. She's been fighting the beast ever since. A fundraiser is being planned to send her to the Smokey Mountains on her dream vacation. Here are the details of the "For the Love of Alivia" Fundraiser.
It's easy to see why the Beaver Dam/Hartford community has been rallying so hard for this family. Alivia Faith who's a 16-year-old student at Ohio County High School is a very special young lady. When I talked with her after her diagnosis in January of 2020, she promised me that she was going to fight hard. She said, "God's Got This." He does indeed. I told her that I was proud of her, that she's an inspiration not only to me but to so many others. I also assured her that we'd all be by her side every step of the way on that January day. Everyone in the community has been following her journey and praying for her recovery.
Alivia wrote this a few months after her diagnosis in 2020. Her faith was already on full display.
Alivia has shown such courage, heroism, and grace through her medical journey to date. She's been inspirational indeed with that big, beautiful smile, but she's tired. So very tired. It's been a very tough couple of years, with many highs and lows. She's still keeping her promise to fight hard. We all need her to know that she isn't alone.
On January 29th, 2022, her mom shared this medical update.
Alivia's new treatment regimen will be Avastin, and the doctor said he might add back Temodar later. She had her first treatment of Avastin IV chemo yesterday and will receive it every two weeks indefinitely. She tolerated it well. Her MRI will be in March.
The doctor said they've run out of options unless he finds a different trial.
We'll do our best to try and keep her as healthy as possible. We've had conversations about whether she's interested in traveling for drugs that only have a small chance of working. They mentioned the experimental Car T-cells, but Alivia isn't interested because the port will be in the brain, and the chances of it working is small, and it's in Seattle.
So please continue to pray.
Alivia Faith & Stacie Supporting St. Jude
In February Alivia and Stacie joined Chad and Angel for the St. Jude Radiothon. There wasn't a dry eye on that day listening to both of them speak about their cancer journey. Many called in and became a St. Jude Partner-in-Hope during her hour to show support. Grab a tissue and press play to be inspired by their faith amid the fight.
In this segment, Alivia and Stacie share how they found out that Alivia had stage 4 glioblastoma brain cancer.
In this segment, Alivia and Stacie shared their journey after diagnosis.
And, here they share how their faith has guided them through it all.
For the Love of Alivia Fundraiser
Let's show Alivia that we're still standing by her side during this difficult time. Come out to Beef 'O' Brady's in Beaver Dam on Saturday, March 26th, 2022 from 12 PM until 4 PM. There will be silent and live auctions, delicious food, and we'll announce the amazing artists that are lined up to play at the fundraiser on Friday. You're going to be blown away! We hope that you can join us.
For the Love of Alivia & Chrome Cruise-In
Awards will be handed out for the Top 10 at the cruise-in. All makes and models are welcome to attend. Come out for some fun at Beef 'O' Brady's in Downtown Beaver Dam. Let's send Alivia on an amazing vacation!
Alivia showed her fierceness in this post at the end of 2020.
"This year has slapped me in the face many times and hugged me too. I’ve gotten to meet amazing people, share the new chapter of my life, and tell people God’s got this. This year people may say it wasn’t my year, but it was, the world threw cancer at me and I grabbed it and said “ that’s all you got?” So, yeah I’ve cried, a lot, but I’ve become a new me and a stronger me. And I showed people I may look like I won’t be strong, but my bite is worse than my bark. So what I got from this terrible year for not just me, but for everyone else, is don’t hold back and do what you think right, cry when you need to, stand up for what you believe in, but at the same time listen to others. Thank you everyone for supporting me and please keep doing it because the fight isn’t over. I love you all and keep praying for next year and let’s see us kick cancer’s butt." #livingstrong4liv
More Ways to Support Alivia
Please send Faith a card to help lift her spirits and make her day brighter. You can drop a card off at the radio station or mail one: 119 Southdale Drive Hartford, Ky.
You can support this beautiful family by purchasing a Never Give Up bracelet for just $3 HERE.
Thank you for being an inspiration and for sharing your journey. We will continue to pray, as Liv continues to fight.