Emily’s Encouragers started as a core group of 13 family members, friends & neighbors of Emily when she first got sick in August 2006. The primary goal was for encouragement and prayer support for Emily and her parents as they faced a long and difficult journey. Almost immediately, the outpouring of support in the form of prayers, financial help, and much encouragement through phone calls, letters and cards began to be extended to the Hollis family. Her parents were able to keep in contact with all of us at home and give us “Emily Updates” via a laptop and website made possible through my brother. Care packages were sent almost daily to Emily from churches, schools, businesses, many folks that never met Emily, provided much needed support.

Emily’s Encouragers began participating in community fund raisers with local events, a BBQ, Christian Concert, Fried Chicken Dinner, Raffles, and the well attended “Emily’s Day in the Park & Walkathon” at her favorite local Kiwanis Park in Hampstead. Throughout Emily’s journey and the support of many people around the community, state and other areas of our country, Emily’s Encouragers was able to raise approximately $140,000 to assist with the medical expenses and to help with an apartment near Duke Children’s Hospital while Emily was in treatment.

Emily quickly became Hampstead’s “Hometown Hero” and was quite the popular little girl. Frequently featured in local newspapers and local TV stations. Men, Women and children all still take great delight in wearing pink and purple, Emily’s signature favorite colors. Emily’s journey provided many of us with an in depth understanding of what a family must endure when a loved one has a terminal illness. We learned how to be patient, feel more deeply, and love much greater! Emily taught us the true meaning of love and life and how much we should cherish everyday with our loved ones, never wasting a moment on trivial things. The dishes can wait, the lawn can be mowed later, schedules are meant to be broken. What is important is the here and now! She had an inner strength, beauty, knowledge and appreciation for life that was well beyond her 6 short years here on earth and what she taught us will never be forgotten.

Through Emily’s cancer journey, our Emily’s Encouragers group grew well beyond the first 13 members. When our local Pender County Relay for Life asked us to participate in the 2007 Relay and requested Emily be their sponsored child, we did not hesitate to join them. Her journey began to reach an even larger group of people and Emily’s story was told everywhere we went! Emily’s Encouragers was the top fund raising Relay team for 2008, raising over $13,362 in her memory to fight cancer of all kinds.

There was no question that Emily loved crafts and adored drawing and painting. She drew the butterfly picture for the Day in the Park T-shirts, the Noah’s Ark design for the 1st Annual 2007 Relay Kids Walk and before her health began to decline, was able to draw the T-shirt pic for the now very popular 2008 Caterpillar Relay Kids Walk! Local children were so aware of Emily’s journey that 2008 boasted over 100 children signing up for the Kids Walk. They walked in her memory in their caterpillar shirts because everyone knows, “you have to be a caterpillar before you become a butterfly!”

Emily’s Encouragers continues to fight cancer and promote an awareness of Childhood Cancer. It is through Emily’s legacy and in her memory that we will continue with our local Relay events to raise funds to help find a cure for this dreaded disease. In the near future, with the support and guidance of her parents, we also hope to help raise funds for designated childhood cancers, such as Anaplastic Medulloblastoma that Emily fought so hard to conquer.

The last fund raiser, held a month before Emily left us, was held at Elon University by the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. It was a run/walk called “March for Emily: If she can fight the battle, we can march behind her”. Emily fought the battle for 20 months, and while she may be gone ahead of the rest of us, we will continue her march and we will continue to fight in her memory.

Thank you Emily, for all you have taught me and so many others.
 

Stephanie Ottaway
 

Chairman of Emily’s Encouragers

Emily’s 2nd Cousin, but to Emily I was simply “Aunt Stephie” …..“You sure do talk a lot, yes you do.” (Emily always told me this)