2 THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5,2016
TANNER
Continued from 1
With the arm swelling,
the Spragues headed for the
ER at Vidant Chowan Hos
pital. X-rays detected no
breaks, but the doctor did
see a mass in Tanner’s right
arm.
“We believe that that
(fall) happening was just a
godsend because his tumor
was so small, it would have
taken a long time to find
the tumor or be able to no
tice it,” Holly Sprague said,
adding that a later diagno
sis could have resulted in a
much different prognosis.
The next day his primary
care physician sent him to
Children’s Hospital of the
King’s Daughters for an MRI.
It was not clear whether the
tumor was attached to the
bone itself or just very close
to it, Holly Sprague said.
The family went back to
CHKD two days later, and
was sent to oncology, even
though no one had said the
word “cancer.” Orthopedic
doctors reviewed Tanner’s
test results and thought per
haps doctors in other places
might be better able to treat
Tanner. They shared test
results, and doctors from
the Washington Cancer In
stitute at Georgetown Uni
versity Hospital diagnosed
periosteal chondroma, a
benign cartilage tumor. All
the doctors were in agree
ment, and the Spragues felt
relieved.
And so, just over a month
after Tanner’s fall, the fam
ily went to the Institute in
Washington, D.C. for a sim
ple surgery to remove the
tumor.
“We felt good about it,”
Holly Sprague said. “Even
after the surgery, they
thought it was benign.”
Less than two weeks
later when they went back
for a follow-up, doctors
said it was healing well and
looked great.
“Now we need to talk
about the pathology,” Holly
Sprague remembers the
doctor telling them. “It’s
come back as osteosar
coma. I lost it and started
crying.”
The D.C. doctors had
already consulted with
CHKD, so the family came
home to tell their families
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Tanner lost his hair but keeps his smile.
— Holly’s parents in Hert
ford and Shane’s in Charles
ton, S.C. - what was happen
ing and prepare to go back
to CHKD. A port was put in
the following week and Tan
ner started chemotherapy.
The Spragues said when
CHKD looked at the pathol
ogy report, there was some
question about the margins
— the area around the tu
mor — and whether there
might be any cancer cells
there. That, combined with
the misdiagnosis at George
town, gave the Spragues
pause.
“We weren’t satisfied
with ‘maybes,’” Holly
Sprague said, so they went
to the sarcoma center at
Duke University Hospitals
for a second opinion. Duke
requested tissue samples
from Georgetown, did then-
own testing and felt that
there was still a positive
margin.
“We knew we had to do
everything that we can to
prevent this from coming
back,” Holly Sprague said.
“Recurrences take you to
another level.”
The decision was made
to remove the ulna in Tan
ner’s right arm, where the
tumor had nestled, and re
place it with the fibula and
surrounding blood vessels
from his left leg, an 11-hour
surgery.
Soft tissue biopsies done
dining the surgery came
back clean.
“Our main goal was to get
it (cancer) all out and it’s all
out,” Holly Sprague said.
“All margins now are nega
tive, so we are very blessed
and thank God for that.”
Five days later, Tanner
underwent skin grafts.
Tanner is now in a wheel-
chair recovering from the
surgery. He can put no
weight on the arm or leg
until it heals well. X-rays
are scheduled for this week
to check progress. Once
enough wound healing has
taken place, Tanner will re
sume his chemotherapy.
He is considered cancer-
free at this point.
Tanner has known and
been a part of his diagnosis
and treatment plan from the
beginning.
“Tanner knew from the
start,” Holly Sprague said.
“We haven’t kept anything
from him at all. Things
have been explained to him
through the whole process.
“When we told him about
the second surgery, he said,
"Then I have to have the
surgery because you have
to make sure you get it all
out.’”
Tanner has faced the en
tire ordeal with amazing ap-
lumb, according to both of
his parents.
“He’s a very grown up 9-
year-old,” Shane Sprague
said. “He’s had a great
dose of adulthood over the
last year. It definitely has
changed his personality in
. some things.”
But through it all, the
honor student with a mil
lion dollar smile who an
swers questions with the
best of Southern manners,
has been amazing.
“He’s well-mannered with
lots of drive (and) that’s
helped him through,” Shane
Sprague said. “He goes to
chemo with a smile on his
face, ready to go. He lets
the side effects roll when he
can. He stays positive. He’s
not a complainer.”
And Tanner reports that
he’s doing really well writ
ing and eating with his left
hand.
The family has bonded
as they’ve faced this crisis
together. While their priori
ties have always been cen
tered on faith and family,
they don’t take things for
granted and they appreci
ate how they’ve all pulled
together using their indi
vidual strengths to fight the
illness.
“Cancer in general is just
something that will just
change you forever,” Holly
Sprague, who lost her fa
ther to cancer as a young
ster, said. “I sure have let
a lot of things go and slide
that would normally maybe
bother me, and now I’m just
like, oh, that’s nothing!
“Just watching him some
days when I might be hav
ing a day when I’m just not
with it or I’m just not as
strong that day, and I’ll look
at him and I’ll think to my
self, all right, you know, you
need to stop because look
at him, look at what he’s go
ing through so you just need
to pull it together.”
“It makes you look at a
lot of things really different
ly, just the every day things
people take for granted,”
Shane Sprague added. “The
reality is that we don’t know
whether it’s going to come
back and whether we’re
going to have to battle this
again a second round—You
just have to keep your faith
that God is gonna’ help you
through it. You keep your
faith and you press forward.
We live our lives right now
moment to moment, day to
day.”
What has overwhelmed
them has been the outpour
ing of support from so many
places. A child in Tanner’s
class at school last year
wanted to do something and
decided to sell Team Tanner
T-shirts as a fund raiser for
Tanner’s family. That was
followed by several fund
raisers, donations and kind
nesses shown to the fam
ily that they have just been
taken aback.
“We’ve just been com
pletely blown away by ev
erything,” Holly Sprague
said. “We are very thankful
and appreciative. We want
to thank the community
and surrounding counties
for all the love and support
they’ve given to us.”
Sometimes it’s tough to
accept help and share a sto
ry, but the Spragues were
told from the beginning that
they should.
“You need to talk about
it, don’t hide anything, it is
what it is,” Holly Sprague
said they were told. “When
people want to help abso
lutely let them help. Just
say ‘thank you’ and you let
people help you.”
So they have shared then-
story and people have been
wonderful, they said.
A Team Tanner Facebook
page has helped them up
date family and friends, as
well as provided a vehicle
for others to send encour
agement and support.
The family is speaking
out about what they’re go
ing through to help spread
awareness of childhood
cancer, especially during
September, which is Child
hood Cancer Awareness
Month.
This year, 10,380 children
from birth to 14 years are
expected to be diagnosed
with cancer, according to
the National Cancer Insti
tute. Over 1,200 children
are expected to die. The
Institute reports that cancer
death rates have fallen by
about 70 percent over the
past 40 years, but cancer
is still the leading cause of
death from disease among
children.
The effects of childhood
cancer treatment are par
ticularly concerning, the
Institute’s website states,
because it can lead to physi
cal and emotional concerns
even after the treatment
ends, and sometimes those
effects are profound.
Tanner has also met new
friends through what he’s
been through, as has his
family.
“I’ve met a lot of cool
people,” Tanner said. “I’ve
made a lot of new friends.”
And they said the CHKD
prediction that the hospital
would become their home
away from home has come
true.
“There’s always some
thing fun going on up there
for the most part,” Shane
Sprague lauglis. “They let
you get in trouble!”
Nerf gun fights, squirting
each other with syringes
and other shenanigans help
brighten days for children
going through some tough
treatments- and parents
facing heart-wrenching di
agnoses and decisions.
“There’s that immedi
ate connection (with other
families at CHKD),” HoUy
Sprague said. “You know
how each other is feeling.
“It’s kind of like dorm
life, you come out in the
morning in your pjs to get
your coffee. We have our
own little section so you
have the same nurses all
the time, so it’s great. You
really feel connected (with
patients families and medi
cal staff.)”
“I think we know some of
the people at CHKD better
than we know our families,”
Shane added. “While you’re
there, you’re helping each
other — buying each other
dinner, picldng up a cup of
coffee for someone when
you go get one for your
self.”
Holly Sprague said peo
ple often ask her how she
can be so strong, how she
can talk about what her
only child is going through.
“You don’t know how
you’ll act or respond until
you’re put in a situation,”
she said. “You are stronger
than you think you are. This
is what it is. This is the way
it is right now and we’ll deal
with it. At the beginning, you
cry a lot, but then you just
get into this mode where
you are just determined.”
And there have been sad
times as some of those with
whom Tanner made friends
lost their battles.
“It’s tough,” Shane
Sprague added. “Other chil
dren weigh heavily on your
heart. Obviously we’re fac
ing a situation where there
can be bad consequences.”
But the Spragues won’t
dwell on the negative.
“There’s been so much
positive,” Holly Sprague
said. “There’s been so much
good that’s come. Hey, we’re
gonna’ beat this!”
WIND
Continued from 1
begin copies of the tran
script of the hearings will
be provided to Commis
sioner Emmett Winborne,
who was absent last week,
and to Commissioner Ellis
Lawrence, who was absent
Thursday.
Apex presented testi
mony that more than 70
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PUBLIC NOTICE
The Perquimans County Board of County
Commissioners will continue the Quasi-Judicial
Hearing on Monday, October 17, 2016 through
Tuesday, October 18,2016, at 5:30 PM each night
in the Courtroom on the 2nd floor of the Perquimans
County Courthouse Annex Building located at 110 North
Church Street, Hertford, NC (next door to the Historic
County Courthouse), to consider Conditional Use
Permit No. CUP-16-01, by Timbermill Wind, LLC,
c/o Apex Clean Energy Holdings, LLC, for a Large
Wind Energy Facility in the Bear Swamp and
Centerhill Communities [to include Tax Parcel Nos.
3-0039-00011B; 3-0047-00001, -00002, -00014 and
-00028; 3-0048-00001 and -00003; 3-0049-00009,
-00024A, -00025, -00026, -00038 and -00039(part);
3-0058-00004(part), -00007 and -00013; and
3-0059-00012A(part)], and extending west into
Chowan County.
Property owners, residents and other interested
parties may review this item during normal business
hours before the quasi-judicial Public Hearing at the
Perquimans County Planning & Zoning Office, 104
Dobbs Street, Hertford, NC, or call 252-426-2027 or
email dgodfrey@perquimanscountync.gov for more
information.
peer-reviewed studies on
the health effects of wind
energy generation facilities
had found no substantial
evidence of harm to human
health at the setback dis
tances that are included in
the county ordinance.
The opposition sought
to introduce testimony by
longtime practitioner of in
ternal medicine, Dr. Wayne
C. Stegall, but the board did
not accept Stegall as an ex
*€aU now* fab keAeMMtiom
252.482.4113
pert witness.
Stegall said he had inter
viewed more than 20 people
in three states about the ef
fects large-scale wind tur
bines had on their health.
He said he is still in the
process of conducting such
interviews.
“I intend to continue this
kind of study in collabora
tion with my colleagues as
the months go by,” Stegall
said.
Henry Campen, an at
torney representing Apex,
asked Stegall whether he
had any specialized training
in psychiatry or psychology.
Stegall said he was not a
specialist in psychiatry but
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The Hertford Town Council will hold 2 public
hearings on October 10, 2016, 7:30 PM. The
meeting will be held in the Municipal Building
located at 114 W. Grubb Street. The following
items are on the agenda:
Perquimans
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Vol. 84 No. 41
Published each Wednesday.
• Proposed amendment from the Planning
Board addressing section 3-6 of the Town’s
Zoning Ordinance, Lots with Multiple
Frontages.
• Proposed amendment to section 8-25 of
the General Town Ordinances addressing
nuisance abatement.
Any information regarding this may be obtained
from Town Manager Brandon Shoaf, at the
Municipal Building, or by calling 426-1969 x. 9.
You may also submit comments regarding this by
mail no later than 5:00 PM Friday, October 7th.
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PUBLIC
HEARING
he added that most men
tal health treatment in the
country is provided by pri
mary care physicians rather
than by psychiatrists.
John Morrison, an at
torney advising the county
commissioners in the CUP
hearing process, advised
the commissioners not to
accept Stegall as an expert
witness since his study had
not been completed.
The board members pres
ent at the hearing voted
unanimously not to accept
Stegall as an expert witness.
Winborne was excused
from the session for medi
cal reasons and Chairman
Jeff Smith has been recused
from the CUP hearings be
cause his family farm is in
cluded in the proposed proj
ect area for the Timbermill
project.
In addition to expert testi
mony presented by the par
ties, the hearings last week
also included brief testimo
ny by some citizens who live
near the project.
Kim White said she was
concerned about how close
the windmills will be to her
home and property. She said
she is concerned about the
effect the wind turbines
could have On drainage.
“Don’t put them so close,”
White said.
She said she was con
cerned because she doesn’t
know how the wind turbines
will affect the ecosystem.
Liz Alons said the closest
of the wind turbines would
be just a little over half a
mile from her home. There
will be 27 turbines within
two miles of her home, she
said.
Alons said she has lived
on Paradise Road for 30
years. After the wind proj
ect is built the sky will be lit
up with red lights at night,
she said.
Because of the negative
effects from having 27 wind
turbines near her home she
won’t be able to sell her
home, she said.
The wind turbines will
harm property values, Alons
said.
Farmers have been blind
ed by the money they think
they will be receiving, she
said.
Alons said the wind tur
bines will make flooding
worse, kills bats and birds,
and cause families living
nearby to become sick.
“We do not want our
home to be surrounded by
these industrial structures,”
Alons said.
Another resident of the
county, Bob Kirby, said he
was concerned about the
dangersposed by accumu
lation of ice on the turbine
blades.
Kirby said the county or
dinance states that a condi
tional use permit is valid for
one year after it is issued.
He told the county commis
sioners that they need to
hold Apex to that require
ment.
“Once you vote the clock
starts,” Kirby said.
Kirby said he has a lot in
vested in his property and
he is concerned about the
effect the turbines will have
on plants at his home. By
killing bats, the turbines will
increase the threat posed by
insects to the plants his wife
cultivates at their home, he
said.