Guest Column: The Extra 469 Miles

Have you ever been so influenced and touched by someone that you knew you would go an extra mile for them?

How about 469 miles?

Recently, our community came together to make a wish come true for a very special young man.

is a seventh grade student at . Collins has been battling a rare and aggressive brain cancer, glioblastoma grade IV, for about 10 months now. Collins has been through surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Collins has shared his story of faith, hope and perseverance with everyone he has come in contact with, and has been such an inspiration to so many.

Some of our local principals asked if we could get together a trip for Collins and his family to go to Tampa to see the play in the Outback Bowl. Principals Sue Zinkil (Teasley Middle), Debra Murdock () and Jan Adamson (R.M. Moore Elementary) rallied their troops and began raising financial support to get Collins, his family and best buddy to the game. Offers of plane tickets, vans, hotel rooms, and prayers for travel began flooding in. Fellowship of Christian Athletes utilized contacts at UGA, where FCA has a football team chaplain, to get tickets and a hotel room so Collins could stay where the team would be staying.

All this time, Collins was really having a tough time with complications from the tumors and weakening from the strong chemo that is being used to get control over the cancer.

Sheriff Roger Garrison, who has previously helped Collins, reached out. He mentioned that he could not get Collins off his mind and felt that perhaps he could help get Collins to the game, safely and securely. Little did Collins know that he would have private transportation in the form of United Medical Response. Two paramedics made sure that Collins was riding in style all the way to Tampa! How thankful are we that we live in a community where the sheriff is answering a call to make sure that everyone is safe and cared for above and beyond.

I ask for prayers for Collins. His body is in triple overtime, fighting hard to get this cancer backed down. Pray that his disease can be forced “under control,” that victory over the cancer can be claimed!

Collins’ family has maintained such outward expressions of faith and grace in the face of this fight. They have been so humbled and sincerely grateful for the all of the people, some mentioned here, some not. Together, they are part of the everyday angels who have been touched enough to go those extra miles to make one young prayer warrior's dream of attending a Georgia bowl game come true.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Donate toward Collins Dixon's ongoing treatment. For more information, go to www.bendyourknees.com.
• Leave inspirational messages at www.carepages.com/carepages/collinsupdate. You must register to use the site.

Amy Turcotte is the female sports director for the Cherokee County Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Contact her at ATurcotte@fca.org.