The buzzing of clippers rekindles fond memories of
special girl
R. Shawn Lewis is managing editor.
Contact him at 943-2513; e-mail
slewis@indexjournal.com.
Hair today, gone tomorrow?
I'm ready to carry out my pledge to
allow
me a Mohawk hairdo. The question is,
are they ready?
They'll have to beat a tough
Westside squad tonight in the state Class AAAA
Division II
semifinals to earn the right to shave these locks. If they do,
North-South selectee
Josh Norman will be the barber. He's the author of the
best-looking Mohawk I've seen on the team, one
sported by Mackenzie Tharpe.
Several Eagles were honored Monday
by The Index-Journal and
Touchdown Club,
and I was there to hand out some of the hardware. The
and when I responded "of
course," they were highly surprised.
They don't know me that well yet.
I'm no stranger to offering up my
hair to motivate youngsters, though the
last time I did it was under very
different circumstances. I did for a girl
- and a
very special one at that.
Amber Ashworth was an active member
of the youth group at First Baptist in
Amber was a very sincere young woman
whose smile could brighten the darkest
day. She was the daughter of Jerry and Sandrell Ashworth of Ellerbe and has
a younger brother, Jerry Wayne.
In the summer of 2003, Amber was
diagnosed with a form of bone cancer -
right after she returned from a mission
trip to
eroded her right shoulder and quickly
advanced into her lungs. The
basketball-sized tumor eventually forced the
amputation of her right
shoulder.
During her illness, Amber endured a
36-week battery of chemotherapy. As the
treatment got more intense, she spent a lot
of time at the hospital.
Chemotherapy, beneficial though it
can be, has several side effects.
It made Amber very nauseous and
weak.
It also caused her signature thick
blonde hair to fall out. Rather than fuss
with the mess, Amber shaved her head.
That was a traumatic experience for
the young woman and her parents.
Despite the discomfort and fears,
however, the smile never left Amber's
face. That's because Amber and her family
put matters in God's hands. Amber
lived her teen years with a fantastic
motto: F.R.O.G. That's short for
"fully
rely on God."
And that she did.
She stared down adversity with a
reassuring peace in her heart and mind that
no matter what, everything would be
all right. That attitude deserved
company.
So, Aaron Hyde - a fellow youth
member - and I joined locks in solidarity
with Amber one Sunday night. We let her
shave our heads after church. The
scene, the kitchen in the fellowship
hall, was far more intimate than
nonetheless.
I'll never forget the joy Amber
experienced that night as she ran the
clippers through our hair. It was one in a
series of moments with Amber and
the Ashworths
I'll cherish forever.
Amber became quite the celebrity.
She, along with Hope Stout of Indian
Trial, N.C., helped the Make a Wish
Foundation raise more than $1 million to
fulfill the dreams of countless children
across the nation.
It was Hope's idea. When asked by
the Make a Wish Foundation what her wish
was, the bone cancer victim said her
request was to honor other children's
wishes. Hope knew how much it cost the
Make a Wish Foundation to grant
wishes and so she sought to raise money
for the agency. You may have seen
her plea before a nationally televised
Carolina Panthers game.
Amber was one of the first children
to benefit from Hope's generosity. She
went on a cruise to the
When she came back, she made it her
goal to raise money for the Make a Wish
foundation. A fundraiser in her name generated
more than $10,000 for Make a
Wish. It was so successful that it
became an annual event.
Amber had one last wish. She wanted
as many people as possible to visit her
Web site, www.amberashworth.com, and sign her guestbook. Her goal, which
was
published in the Richmond County Daily
Journal and on its Web site, was to
have someone from every state sign the
book.
She accomplished that feat in just
four days. Within two weeks, signatures
and well-wishes from dozens of
countries were flowing in daily.
Amber had that effect on people. Her
motto, F.R.O.G., also became her
symbol. When her illness became public,
frog flags started popping up across
By May 2004, you couldn't drive from
them. I know. I made the trip to be with
the family.
I get chills thinking about all
those flags today.
Amber left this world behind on May
13, 2004. But she's never left my heart.
I never see a frog without thinking
of her.
I'm sure if
watching ... and laughing. And I'll be
smiling ... thinking of her.
R. Shawn Lewis is managing editor.
Contact him at 943-2513; e-mail
slewis@indexjournal.com.