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Crystal’s Fight

Crystal Etheridge and Raymond Booker with their children at UAB Hospital as she prepares to undergo intensive chemotherapy.          

 

APRIL RICHEY/THE GREENVILLE STANDARD

At the young age of 29, this mother of four has been told she may never see any of her beautiful children grow up. Earlier this month Crystal Etheridge was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Cancer is terrifying for anyone, but this young mother was told she only had 5-6 weeks to live without treatment. For Crystal this was not an option since she does not have health insurance. Thinking about her four babies, Crystal made the decision that no matter what she had to do, she was going to fight this.

She wanted to be there for her children. “This is a very aggressive cancer and it is spreading very fast. They are not sure what my chances are with the treatment, but it’s a lot better.  The first year, I will be in the hospital more than I will be home” Crystal said.

Crystal was admitted into UAB in Birmingham. Her treatments are considered very aggressive. She is currently on four different treatments and some weeks she will take treatments three times a week. Between headaches and treatments Crystal welcomes visitors.

However, she says “My immune system is going away very fast and the slightest cold, germ, anything could be potentially fatal to me, so if you come over to visit please, please, please wash, sanitize, glove up, all that, cause it could be life and death for me.” With no health insurance, Crystal and her children are depending on friends, family, and neighbors to help raise money to cover expenses.

There are several ongoing fundraisers, along with several events to help with the expenses. A GoFundMe account has been set up by Laken Stinson. You can find the account by looking for “Crystal’s Fight” on the GoFundMe website. Taylor Stinson has a raffle going for a chance to win $100. You can reach her on her Facebook page to purchase a chance to win.

T-shirts for “TeamGreen” can be purchased from Tabbetha King, Laken Stinson, Taylor Stinson and Casey Springer. There is also a donation account for TeamGreen set up at Woodforest Bank. There are donation jars located at several businesses. There was a BBQ sale at F&S Tire on Friday, June 16 that raised over $2100!

There is a poker run and auction being organized now for July 1. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the ChooMolly Bar in Georgiana. The run is open to all street legal vehicles.  Cuts and Curls by Hope and Kristi are even helping to put a ‘Color Around Town’ fundraiser in support of Crystal.

You can contact Hope or Kristi to get your funky color. Sonic is selling the Community Cards for $5, with all money from sales going to Crystal. There is a weekly prayer group that meets up at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings at the Crysell shop located next door to the old skating rink close to the intersection of Alabama Highway 10 and U.S. Highway 31. Everyone is invited to come and attend.

All money raised from these fundraisers will be used to pay for medical treatments, gas, food and lodging for her children to make the trip to Birmingham to see her.

Crystal graduated from Greenville High School and went on to study at LBW Community College. She currently lives in Georgiana with her boyfriend Raymond Booker. Crystal has so much to look forward to watching her children grow and become adults themselves.

“I thank you all so much. God has truly blessed me with amazing people like you all that are helping me. I have a very long road ahead of me and all of this wouldn’t be possible without God, the doctors and yall! I love you all so much and I appreciate everything you truly do, God Bless yall!” stated Crystal.

You can find all of this information along with daily and weekly updates for Crystal on Facebook through her many family and friends.

 

 

 

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