|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
June 8, 2004Cancer patient makes a run for festival tiara Record-Eagle/Lara Neel Lauren Hemming, a Traverse City native who grew up on a cherry farm, is seeking to become the next cherry festival queen. TC native Laura Hemming grew up on cherry farmBY FORREST KARBOWSKIRecord-Eagle Staff Writer TRAVERSE CITY- Dawn and Jed Hemming had a tough time believing their daughter when she told them of her plans to seek the National Cherry Queen crown this summer. "She has a great sense of humor, so I was kind of waiting for the punch line," Dawn Hemming said of her daughter Lauren. "But I think it's awesome. It's an amazing testament to her courage, strength and willingness to get on with life." Lauren, 20, is in the midst of chemotherapy treatments for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a form of malignant cancer. Her decision may have surprised her family, but Lauren said she's always aspired to the title. A Traverse City native, she spent her childhood playing in her parents' cherry orchard. Cancer treatments robbed Lauren of her shoulder-length hair, but the illness didn't deter her plans to try for a tiara. "My first reaction was, 'Yeah, right,' " said her father, Jed Hemming. "I mean, here's this young lady with all the qualifications, except she's bald. "But when I thought about it, it makes sense. She always sets her goals high." Lauren became ill two months ago while participating in a lifeguard certification class at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, where she is a junior studying civil engineering. She was constantly fatigued and had trouble breathing, and after several tests was diagnosed with lymphoma. She immediately left school, came back to Traverse City and began chemotherapy. "I thought chemo would be a lot worse," she said. "It's not that bad. I don't feel like I have cancer. It's still really surreal, even two months after." The past two months also gave her time to get used to being bald. "I go out, and people are like, 'Does she have cancer, or is she just doing that?' " she said. "But a lot of people have said, 'Oh, you're actually a really pretty bald girl.' " Despite the occasional stare, Lauren doesn't plan to wear a wig for the festival competition. "A wig would be more of a pain," she said. "I don't mind it - showers are really fast. Anyway, this way my head gets a tan." Several of Lauren's friends and family shaved their heads in a show of solidarity, including one of her cherry queen sponsors. Lauren's optimism and determination are just part of who she is, boyfriend Pat McCabe said. "She's really made a good thing out of a bad situation," McCabe said. "It's like she doesn't even have cancer." Lauren will continue to receive chemotherapy treatments until July 28, when she's scheduled to begin radiation therapy. Lauren is one of 22 young women from the Grand Traverse area who are competing for National Cherry Queen honors. The top five candidates will be announced June 12. And what does she think of her chances? "Hopefully good," she said. "I've lived in Traverse City all my life and I grew up on a cherry farm."
|
|
