Matthews-Mint Hill - Carolina Weekly

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® Mini-Mac Storage Center “The Best for Less” YOU LOCK IT, YOU KEEP THE KEY Ideal for Homeowners, Apartment Dwellers, & Large or Small Companies 704-545-6313 - Located in Mint Hill On Highway 218 (BESIDE THE MINT HILL FIRE STATION) Your child’s success depends on you. Rent by the Month Community Vows and final bows Kara Lopp/MMHW photos & courtesy of the Town of Matthews Specialists in Pediatric Physical Therapy For more information, please visit our website at www.childworkstherapy.com (704) 575-2670 Elected officials in Matthews and Mint Hill have taken their oaths of office and are getting to work. (Clockwise, from top) The current Mint Hill board, under the leadership of Mayor Ted Biggers, was sworn in Dec. 10. After reminiscing about the past 18 years with Mayor Lee Myers at the helm, Matthews residents watched Dec. 14 as Jim Taylor became mayor. Political newcomer John Urban joins former commissioner Paul Bailey and current, re-elected board members Suzanne Gulley, Nancy LaFond, Jeff Miller and Kress Query. Lee Myers, who didn’t seek re-election, received North Carolina’s highest honor, the Order of the Long Pine, from the office of Gov. Bev Perdue, presented by Tricia Cotham. Top Individual Fundraisers Bank of America 2009 Most Successful Walk Team Top Team Captains Top Team Captain Kim Snipes Bank of America Gregg Huether Wachovia The American Diabetes Association Extends Special Thanks and Appreciation to Our Top Walk Team Captains, Individual Fundraisers and Sponsors And to all of our 1,150 walkers that participated in the 2009 Step Out Walk to Fight Diabetes Dan Choi Bank of America Mary Ellen Baker Bank of America Tamisha Jones Duke Energy Special Thanks to Our National Sponsors: Exervio From Strategy to Results. Susan Faulkner Bank of America Page American 10 • Diabetes Dec. 18-24, Ad 12-8-09.indd 20091• Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly www.matthewsminthillweekly.com 12/14/09 3:56:54 PM
Remembering DeAnna Mint Hill mom speaks on behalf of all parents who have lost a child by Kara Lopp kara@matthewsminthillweekly.com Among the 1,200 engraved bricks in the Our Children’s Memorial Walkway uptown, there’s one for DeAnna Greiner of Mint Hill. The 23-year-old died from cancer just six months ago, joining the unenviable group of area youths who die before it seems they should, leaving siblings, parents and grandparents grieving. Greiner’s mother, Kitty Huffstetler, was the guest speaker at the ninth annual National Children’s Memorial Day Service Dec. 12 at the walkway in Frazier Park, 1201 W. Fourth St. in Charlotte. The walkway and an adjacent garden were created in 2001 through a partnership with the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department. “I am just another mom who said this would never happen to me,” she said. “Your child going before you is just not the norm.” (Left) Cancer claimed DeAnna Greiner, 23, of Mint Hill, June 9. (Inset) An engraved brick in her honor at the Our Children’s Memorial Walkway uptown in Frazier Park. Photos courtesy of the Huffstetlers & the Our Children’s Memorial Walkway Despite wet weather, about 150 people attended the event, during which each parent read the name of his or her child aloud, organizer Jerry Mudge said. “(Parents) come because they want to take the time out to remember their children and say their name,” Mudge said. The Huffstetlers have turned DeAnna’s journal, complete with drawings and poetry, into a book, “This Side of Heaven: Guided by Her Angels: Battling Life and Cancer.” They sell the book, $20, and use the proceeds to help area families in crisis. About 2,000 copies have sold so far. Most recently, the family helped pay for LIVING SAFE. LIVING HEALTHY. LIVING SMART. the funeral of a 36-year-old mother in Concord who died in a car accident. “When you live in the cancer world … you find people (in need) and they find you,” Huffstetler said. ‘The most amazing thing’ In 2004, at age 19, DeAnna complained about her right leg giving out occasionally. She’d fallen several times because of it. An X-ray revealed the unthinkable: stage 4 Ewing’s sarcoma, generally recognized as a pediatric cancer. DeAnna, a Butler High School graduate, underwent surgery, stem cell treatment and a bone marrow transplant, radiation and chemotherapy before going into a threeyear remission. The cancer returned in March 2008, this time in her pelvis. After more medical treatments, DeAnna, then a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, died June 9. Describing her daughter as an “extremely sassy” young woman who lived in high heels, Huffstetler said her daughter’s Christian faith grew throughout the ordeal – even when DeAnna decided to stop treatment. “If God is with me who shall be against me?” still is written on a dry-erase board in Christmas! After the Party! Community DeAnna’s room, penned by the girl who got ink stains on her blankets because she loved writing so much, her mom said. “She was sassy, but she loved the Lord with all her heart and soul,” Huffstetler said. “DeAnna’s courage and dignity through faith was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed in my life.” Huffstetler, a former teacher at Clear Creek Elementary in Mint Hill, is busy these days speaking locally about her daughter and raising money to help other area families experiencing tough times, due to cancer or other reasons. Anything to keep DeAnna’s name in the community. “I loved DeAnna so much and like any other mom who has lost a child you don’t want anyone to forget them,” Huffstetler said. q Want to know more? For more information or to buy a copy of “This Side of Heaven,” contact Huffstetler at 704-545-1003 or kittyhuff@carolina.rr.com. Donations to help others in crisis can be sent to the DeAnna Memorial Fund, State Employees Credit Union, 8124 Blair Road, P.O. Box 691717, Charlotte, NC 28227. Happy New Year! “Special Holiday Brunch” $ 12.95 Our managers don’t just manage, they live right there in the communities with residents they call their friends. And if your friends include those with fur, that bark or purr, not to worry. We like pets too! Enjoy award-winning activities and exciting events with a full monthly calendar of things to participate in. Our resident enrichment program focuses on activities for the mind, body, and soul. ©2009 HOLIDAY RETIREMENT 2973 Our all-inclusive monthly rent saves you time and money with utilities paid, three chef-prepared meals a day, transportation service, housekeeping, travel accommodations, and so much more! Uniquely Distinct, Undoubtedly Familiar Brea 704-841-8 Call 866-293-3270 today to learn why living in a Holiday Retirement Community is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. Shads Landing Independent Retirement Living 5101 Prosperity Church Road, Charlotte, NC 28269 shadslanding.com Crescent Heights Independent Retirement Living 240 Branchview Drive NE, Concord, NC 28025 crescentheightsretirement.com Willow Grove Independent Retirement Living 10043 Idlewild Road, Matthews, NC 28105 willowgroveretirement.com Carmel Place Independent Retirement Living 5512 Carmel Road, Charlotte, NC 28226 carmelplace.net Please bring this coupon in to a Holiday Retirement Community for your complimentary meal and tour. Call 866-293-3270 today! www.matthewsminthillweekly.com Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Dec. 18-24, 2009 • Page 11
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Matthews-Mint Hill - Carolina Weekly

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