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inform. educate. connect.
Arlington & Lakeland’s Community Newspaper
theview
.com
Dec. 2017 - Jan. 2018
AMAZING GRACE
Arlington Teen, Cancer Survivor Completes St. Jude
Half-Marathon
By Terry Bondurant
Grace Richardson’s smile lights
up the room when we meet last
Friday at a local coffeeshop. The
petite 17 year old can barely
contain her excitement that in less
than 24 hours she will be not only
participating in her first half-
marathon, but also giving back to
her beloved St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital.
Photo by Courtney Barnes
Photo by Terry Bondurant
“I haven’t been able to stop
smiling all week,” she confides.
“I’m excited. It will be different to
be able to see the race from a new
perspective.”
Grace
was
born
with
Walking the final steps to the finish line of the St. Jude Half-
Marathon on December 2, Grace was flanked by her mother,
Kim (left) and Zac Mims (right) who pushed her through
much of the race.
hydrocephalus,
Chiari
Malformation,
Crouzon
Syndrome, Craniosynostosis and
later developed a syringomyelia.
She had her first brain surgery at
Photo by Adina Wiseman
Riding in style, Grace documented the day on her phone,
while Kristi Mims (left), and son Zac Mims propelled her
through Memphis. Members of LiveFit Studio and friends of
Grace, including Dana Viox and Allison Payne joined in the
journey
six months old. By the time she
was 13, she had had 40 surgeries
and she had been a patient at Le
Bonheur Children’s Hospital more
times than she could count.
In March 2015, at age 14,
Grace was diagnosed with
Alveolar
Rhabdomyosarcoma
stage 4 cancer and was referred to
St. Jude. She was given a 20%
chance of survival over the next
five years. Her treatment included
34 rounds of chemotherapy and
30 rounds of radiation.
As a result of her previous
surgeries and cancer treatment,
Grace
has
constant
pain
throughout her body, chronic
headaches, and weakness in her
hands and feet that causes balance
and mobility issues.
But Grace still dreamed of
walking the St. Jude 5K. Mom
Kim Richardson worried that she
wouldn't physically be strong
enough. “She’s a 17 year old
(Continued on page 6)
Inside this edition...
Happenings, p.2
Business News, p. 4
Real Estate Report, p. 8
School News, p. 10
Sports, p. 15
Views from 38002, p. 16