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EE EE a | ELIZABETH STEWART : Herald Correspondent Layla Anne Harris, 4, is a happy, precocious little girl who adores her identical twin, Abbie, and their big brother John, 6, and romps and plays with them and their big, red dog, Houston, either on skates or on family beach trips with parents, Ashley and Johnny Harris. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, visitors to the Resurrection Lutheran Church 4-year-old Pre- School class see double. The lively blondes are always in the thick of activities and Abbie takes the role of big Sis. The difference in the twins is that Layla has an extra special challenge in life and she, by all accounts, is a trooper. In November 2004, Layla, then 2, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. She depends on an insulin pump to treat her disease, which eliminates the need for mul- tiple daily shots. The amazing child proud- ly checks her own sugar 6-8 times a day, something almost unheard of for a tod- dler to assume ownership of such a task. No one would ever guess that the decora- tive pouch (which resembles a small money pouch) she wears at her waist contains the life-saving insulin pump which connects with a tiny catheter in her skin. When it’s time for swimming, - Layla simply disconnects dives i in the pool. “We are so proud of Layla,” said Mom Ashley Harris who at times is asked by her daughter, “How long do I have to have diabetes?” Mrs. Harris says they pray for a cure in Layla’s lifetime. The 11 children in Layla and Abbie's class at Resurrection Church Pre- school have become great friends of the Harris twins since they all started in Mom's Morning Out two years ago. Says Ashley, “Johnny and I considered taking Layla out of the pro- gram when she was diag- nosed with diabetes but the staff has been so supportive and helped us so much dur- ing that difficult time in our lives when we were scared to death.” Ashley continues the story of her family’s courageous fight. “Early on in my pregnan- cy we found out that we were having twins. It was a shock at first because instead of one baby (John was 2) we were to be blessed with two more babies. Our three children were very healthy. Two years ago they came down with an ill- ness doctors called “hand, foot and mouth disease” associated with day care childhood illnesses. Layla was thirsty, would not play with the other children and went to the bathroom a lot. She didn’t lose weight but appeared thin. We rushed her to the pediatrician who quickly diagnosed juvenile SSE the time we prayed that something else was the cause of her illness.” Family and friends and - parents of children with Type I diabetes were the support system they needed. Last year the Harris family walked in ‘Walk for a Cure’ at Carowinds Theme Park and helped raise $20,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They didn’t walk in the recent fundraiser this year because, with the help of Marsha Brown, the twin’s teacher at Pre-School, got the idea to undertake a cookbook proj- ect to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. It was a monumental task, according to Ashley, and was completed in four months after mothers of pre- schoolers helped with solic- iting, compiling, editing and typing the recipes for “Cooking For A Cure.” Brown chaired the com- mittee with the assistance of Ashley Harris, Lisa Medlin, Kelly Bell, Lori Lewis and Amanda Tackett. Young Layla drew and colored the pretty tulips on the front cover of the hardbound cookbook and her sister, brother and classmates helped decorate the book by inserting drawings at pages of favorite recipes submitted by parents of the preschool class. “The project has really mushroomed and we have printed hundreds of cook- books which are available at the church, the Chamber of The Kings Mountain Herald, Thursday, June 1, 2006 risk of cardiovascular dis- ease, kidney damage and contacting me at home for a $20 donation,” said Mrs. brother, a kindergarten stu- dent at North School, to i l Layla and friends ‘Cooking for a Cure’ LIB STEWART / HERALD Abbie, John and Layla Harris outside their home in Kings Mountain. ' Harris. She said all the pro- ceeds will be presented at the Walk for a Cure next year in which her family will participate. Founded in 1970 by par- ents of children with type I juvenile diabetes, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has always focused on a single goal - accelerating research progress to cure diabetes and its complications. Nearly 177,000 children and adolescents in the United States have diabetes and sta- tistics show that juvenile loss of eyesight are just a few of the complications of diabetes. “We are so blessed by hav- ing three wonderful children who are so close and even now look out for each other,” said Mrs. Harris. Layla, who sat in her favorite spot in her bed- room, held up the beautiful- ly-decorated cookbook, and also smiled for the photogra- pher as she played and then autographed her book. She said her favorite foods are cinnamon apples, pizza, car- rots and hot dog on a bun. come home from school. On March 7 Layla’s birth- day cake was a Cinderella cake and Abbie's cake was a Nemo cake. They helped their brother celebrate his birthday on Feb. 17. Mrs. Harris formerly taught marketing classes at Cleveland Community College and may return to work in a few years. Now, she enjoys her role as a full time homemaker. Both she and her husband, Kings Mountain businessman Johnny Harris, enjoy their family. After all, the proud A TE diabetes and Layla was in the catheter on her side, the hospital four days. All removes the pouch and Fallen firemen Mom says, aren't all children .- Tt miracles? , ! remembered in Shelby service diabetes is clearly reaching epidemic proportions. The She likes to play, swim, ride Commerce downtown, or by her bike and look for her i eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com On the night of May 25, 1979, a fire raged in the heart of downtown Shelby. Five men died trying to save the community from this untam- able threat. Their gallant actions and those of every fireman were honored and memorialized on the fire's originated, on the corner of S. Lafayette and W. Warren streets around 6:30 pm. It looked as if the firemen were winning the battle to calm the roaring fire. The flames appeared to be retreating. But the war was far from over. BOOM! The explosion blew out the front and rear walls of two nearby stores. Three firemen died instantly. explosion. More propellants flew through the air, injuring 12 firemen and dozens of bystanders. JE’s Clothing Store and five other businesses in the 100 block of W. Warren St. were completely destroyed. Smoke from the inferno was said to have been seen 10 to 15 miles away. Kings Mountain Fire Chf. 27th anniversary at the The rubble crushed a city fire Frank Burns remembers the Cleveland County Memorial truck. 1979 fire in downtown Service for Fallen The bodies of Shelby Shelby, because he was there. Firefighters. Underneath the Fireman Floyd Sharts and He had started working with the KMFD in the mid-70s towering ceiling of the City Utilities Worker Max Shelby City Fire Bowling, who had gone to and was serving as Volunteer Department's (SCFD) #2 the scene to turn off the gas, Assistant Chief at the time. Station, firemen from across the county, loved ones and quiet spectators gathered to recall the brave men from that fateful evening. On the night of the 1979 blaze, firefighters arrived at JE’s Clothing Store, where the fire was believed to have were found at the back of the clothing store. The explosion ripped off the tops of neigh- boring businesses sending glass, brick and other debris flying. Wide-eyed spectators, gasping and screaming, watched in terror as the fire spewed forth its second Memorial Day Sale This Week Only SAMAMNALIE 50% OFF Watches: Wittmaver, Bulova Large Selection 2 op Diamond Sere & Bands “They called every one that could come out,” he said. “It was a bad fire” He was assigned a sector of the loca- tion to keep the fiery destruc- tion from spreading. Over 100 firefighters from 13 sur- rounding departments bat- See Firemen, 10A Kings Mountain Fire Chf. Frank Burns talks with Jeff Cardwell, the Battalion Chief over the Special Ops Gamewell Fire Department, and Shelby City Fire Chf. Roland Hamrick, after the ' service. TIRED OF RISING HEATING GOST? Heat Your Pool! Also ask about our Natural Sanitizing Systems CLASSI +25 Year Limited Warranty Available Thanks to : Herald Published every Thisday Periodicals postage at Kings Mountain, NC 28086 USPS 118-880 by Republic Newspapers; Inc. Postmaster, send address changes to: P. O. 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The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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June 1, 2006, edition 1
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