SPECIAL SURVIVOR TO PARTICIPATE IN STOKES CO. RELAY FOR LIFE

Cindy Taylor April 29, 2009

Germanton, NC

Phone: (336) 591-5358

SPECIAL SURVIVOR TO PARTICIPATE IN STOKES CO. RELAY FOR LIFE

Meggie Olivia Taylor is a cancer survivor who has beaten the odds. Diagnosed with t-cell lymphoma on Jan. 31, 2008, and given 6 to 8 months to live, the 10-year-old will participate in the May 15 Relay for Life in Stokes County, NC. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life is an annual 24-hour walk held in hundreds of locations throughout the country.

What makes Meggie’s story so remarkable is that Meggie is a dog – a red-haired golden retriever to be exact. Meggie also has a knack for fundraising. She currently is ranked second on the list of fundraisers for this Relay for Life event, having collected $1,625 in contributions from friends and admirers.

After Cindy Taylor of Germanton, NC, Meggie’s ‘mom,’ posted her story on the Golden Retriever Forum, an on-line community of golden retriever lovers that includes members in the U.S. and around the world, contributions started pouring in. Meggie soon met and quickly surpassed her initial $200 goal. Soon thereafter, the $500 goal fell, followed by $750 and $1,000 targets. Her current goal is to raise $2,300 to aid the fight against cancer.

“Having Meggie with me every day is something I don’t take for granted,” Taylor said, “but knowing that Meggie has inspired and given hope to others makes her life even more special. We hope that through this Relay event we can give back and help fight back against cancer.”

Meggie will participate in the Survivor Lap, complete with a special purple T-shirt, at the start of the 24-hour event, most likely riding in her shiny, new, red wagon. Meggie tires easily, so she sometimes needs to use her ‘wheels’ to get around.

Meggie finished her chemotherapy in May 2008 and also underwent two half-body radiation treatments at North Carolina State University’s veterinary teaching hospital. As a result of the radiation, Meggie lost her hair and went through several months of intense skin issues, but she has regained her beautiful red coat.

Now in her 15^th month post-diagnosis, this canine survivor also has struggled with several other complicating factors, including a grade VI heart murmur and a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis in December 2008 after a bad case of pneumonia.

The West Stokes Relay for Life will be held at West Stokes High School, with the Survivor Lap beginning at 6 p.m. Additional contributions to Meggie’s fight against cancer can be made at

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=10027105&fr_id=12720&pg=personal

For more about Meggie, visit her Web site at

http://home.earthlink.net/~pocod/