JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – 8-year-old Madeline walked the 5K with her family. She had a bout with brain cancer.
“It was a long battle, and it was scary,” said Alisha Brazzeal, who is Madeline’s mother. “It is still a long road ahead of us.”
Madeline was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in May 2022. That is a brain tumor that starts in the lower back part of the brain.
Madeline had to go through rigorous treatment, including brain surgery and chemotherapy.
But thankfully, Madeline is cancer-free now. She received that good news in March.
“[Madeline is] very strong, said her father, Jimmy Hunt. She is our hero.”
“She never complained,” said Brazzeal. Never had a bad word. Never complained about anything. Most people in their lives don’t go through what this 8-year-old has already gone through.”
Dianne Fenton Waters started this event in 2016 to honor her late husband’s honor.
Fred died from glioblastoma in November 2016.
Waters says she and Fred were celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary on a cruise. At some point Fred had an excruciating headache.
That kind of headache persisted for several weeks, and he ended up getting tested.
He died with a year of getting that diagnosis.
“Being alongside him during his whole battle, it was just a fight,” Waters said. Even though he lost his battle, I just was not done fighting.”
Waters says she wants people to know they are not in the fight alone.
“It is a very emotional time,” she said. I feel their pain. It is like they are family members, too.”
This 5K has raised more than $113,000 so far.
All of the money is going to Baptist M-D Anderson Cancer Center for brain cancer and tumor research.