FORT MILL, S.C. – This September, Fort Mill is shining brighter than ever as the community rallies behind one of its own. Libby, a junior at Fort Mill High School who has been fighting brain cancer since infancy, is leading the charge to Turn Fort Mill GOLD for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Diagnosed in 2010 at just 18 months old, Libby has endured more than most adults will in a lifetime: 16 months of weekly chemotherapy, two brain surgeries, countless MRIs and blood transfusions, hormone therapies, and treatment for a life-threatening aneurysm. These experiences left her blind in one eye and with limited vision in the other. Despite the challenges, she has thrived—earning straight A’s in honors and AP courses and recently being named drum major of the Fort Mill High School marching band.
A Community Tradition Since 2013
The Turn Fort Mill GOLD initiative began in Baxter Village in 2013, when resident Dana Boutwell, as part of her Strawberry Queen platform, brought pediatric cancer awareness to the forefront. Inspired by a neighbor’s child battling leukemia, the community began raising funds by selling gold bows for mailboxes, doors, and businesses. Since then, the campaign has grown into a powerful annual effort uniting Fort Mill around children facing cancer…