By Betsy Finklea
The Dillon County News, LLC
Toni Graves declared her victory over cancer and rang the bell as a symbol that she was moving from a cancer patient to cancer survivor at a celebration in her honor at Brandi’s Banquet Hall on Tuesday, December 23rd.
Tonya Brown, emcee for the event, said Toni was someone who meant so much to so many. She said the ringing of the bell triumphantly marks the end of arduous cancer treatment and entering cancer survivorship.
Toni’s husband, Reggie, talked about the journey, the struggle, how being surrounded by good people helped and about Toni’s “never give up” attitude. “Thank you for not quitting,” he said to Toni said she didn’t expect this many people to show up at the celebration. She said with all that she has been through this was the best year of her life. She said she gives thanks in all things. She said this gave her time to be still and rest. She thanked God and her husband, who went to all of her appointments and did not ask her to do anything. Toni had over 100 appointments in the past year. She also thanked everyone in the room and said that she couldn’t have done this without her village.
Before dinner, Toni rang a pink bell with a cancer ribbon on one side and a cross on the other. Then everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner, and the program continued.
At 10:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve, she will ring the bell at the hospital. At 1:00 p.m., she will have a procedure. Then she will continue chemotherapy by pill for a couple of months and on July 17th, she will have her final reconstructive surgery.
She presented several plaques to people who went the extra mile to help her during her journey. They included Renee W. McNeil, Tyrone “DaRibking” Manning, Maggie Murphy Dunham, Kristen Pittman, Shaning Bethea, and Lula Richardson.
There were some closing remarks and several came forward to take pictures with Toni to commemorate the occasion.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Betsy Finklea/The Dillon County News, LLC
