Cancer and Angelina Jolie's Big Decision

Jolie announced Tuesday she underwent a double mastectomy to prevent her chances of breast cancer.

Actress Angelina Jolie announced Tuesday in a New York Times op-ed piece that she recently underwent a double mastectomy to cut her chances of developing breast cancer after discovering she carries the "faulty" gene, BRCA1. Jolie wrote she decided to receive genetic testing since she was at a higher risk of breast cancer — her mother fought the disease for almost a decade before dying at age 56 — and because she wanted to make sure she would be there for her children, according to her New York Times column. Patch caught up with Selvi Palaniappan, MS, CGC Coordinator at Northside Hospital Hereditary Cancer Program, to learn more about these cancer genes. P: What are the BRCA genes? SP: They are two different genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2. …

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UPDATE: [Funeral] Where Lilies Grow

Lily Anderson started a new journey Saturday night. Thousands will miss this precious little one who brought so much courage to all of us. But this isn't goodbye...it's a chance to grow. Lily wouldn't have it any other way.

UPDATE: 12-18-12, 1:50 a.m. (Funeral arrangements) Lily's Obituary: Lillian Kate Anderson, 11, of Cumming, earned her angel wings on Dec. 15, 2012 at her home surrounded by her family. Born in Atlanta she was the daughter of Joel and Jennifer Anderson. Lily was a sixth grader at Vickery Creek Middle School. She was a cheerleader and loved to sing. She was fearless, outgoing and beautiful. She was a perfect girl who never met a stranger. She provided light to all around her and an inspiration to the world! In addition to her parents, Lily is survived by her sister, Audrey Marlene Anderson, age 5, and her grandparents, Michael and Marlene Tallant and Jim and Kay Anderson. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, Dec. 18 from 1 p.m. …

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Cumming Gets Festive with 'Celebration of Lights'

This annual holiday tradition is expected to bring together more than 3,000 people on Saturday, Dec. 1.

Light the Night Fundraiser, Huge Success

Nearly 2000 walkers gathered at the Cumming Fairgrounds Saturday raising more than $200,000 for LLS.

The second annual North Metro Light The Night Walk (LTN), a fundraising event for the Georgia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), was a huge success. Nearly 2000 walkers, making up about 85 teams of families, friends, and co-workers, along with local and national corporations, gathered at the Cumming Fairgrounds Saturday to give back to the community. The goal was to raise more than $200,000 for LLS, but that amount was surpassed. "We raised $283,000," said Tracy Manning, Senior Campaign Manager of the Georgia Chapter. One of the local teams led by John and Torri Westmoreland also did very well. "The Stick It 2 Cancer & Friends team raised $106,000 - AMAZING," stated Manning in an e-mail to Cumming Patch. Walkers proudly …

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Light The Night Walk Returns to Cumming

More than 2,000 walkers are expected for Saturday's second annual North Metro Light The Night Walk.

On Saturday, Sept. 22, thousands of walkers will converge at the Cumming Fairgrounds for the second annual North Metro Light The Night Walk (LTN). The walk, an event for the Georgia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), encourages teams of families, friends, and co-workers, along with local and national corporations to come together to raise funds for the health agency. "So you are going to have folks from Siemens [a sponsor] walking right next to somebody who formed a team from a cul-de-sac rallying around a friend who has cancer," said Torri Westmoreland, a team captain and member of the executive committee for the North Metro Walk. During Saturday's event, walkers will carry illuminated balloons - white for survivors, red …

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One Tough Lily

She's pretty like a lily, but she's also tough as nails. Eleven-year-old Lily Anderson is showing cancer who's boss. Hear from her live during WSB's Care-a-Thon on July 26-27.

If there's an art to battling cancer, 11-year-old Lily Anderson has it down pat. Her war is a strategic battle that combines knowledge, diplomacy and perseverance against the enemy, in this case, known as Neuoroblastoma cancer. Neuroblastoma is an aggressive cancer that develops from nerve cells and most often makes its appearance in children under the age of five. However, Lily was 8-years-old when she was diagnosed with stage four Neuroblastoma in 2009. She was admitted to the AFLAC Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to undergo treatment that would aggressively rival her cancer during a notoriously long program which holds no promises. Her parents, Joey and Jennifer Anderson were blindsided with the news. "I remember …

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Walkers Light the Night in Cumming

Thousands of walkers light the night in Cumming for fundraiser.

Updated: Oct. 4, 2:30 p.m. (number of walkers and money raised) The Georgia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) held its first Light The Night Walk in Cumming on Saturday. According to Tracy Manning, Campaign Manager of the Georgia Chapter, the inaugural walk in Forsyth County drew about 3500 walkers and more than $227,000 was raised. The walk encouraged teams of families, friends, co-workers and local and national corporations to come together to raise funds for LLS. It was the fifth Light The Night event held in Georgia and the first in Forsyth County with more than 85 teams and thousands of walkers participating. See highlights and photos of the event here on Cumming Patch.

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