Thomasville Times Article 2-21-03

Friday's Internet Edition, February 21, 2003.

Nine-year-old given new lease on life
Browning's childhood gets second chance
By Ann Beard, People Editor - Erin Browning was just like the rest of the neighborhood kids on Monday, riding her sled down icy banks shouting, laughing and sharing a fun day in a winter wonderland of white.

She may have enjoyed it even more than any of the other youngsters who were playing with her.

Erin, a cancer survivor, had not played in the snow since her diagnosis of cancer in September of 2001. "It was too dangerous, I might have broken a bone," she explained Tuesday.

But she had no such worries Monday.

After 12 months of chemotherapy and nine weeks of radiation treatments there are no signs of the bone cancer that had invaded her body. Her doctors have declared her in remission.

The date 9-11 is forever embedded on Laurie Edwards' mind. Not just because of the terrorist attacks on America, but because that was the same day doctors told her that her daughter had the worst case of Ewing's sarcoma he had seen in his 20 years as a doctor. Her prognosis was grim.

At age 7, Erin had just started second grade at High Point Christian Academy, but in order for her to undergo her treatments she was home schooled for the rest of the year by her grandmother, a retired school teacher. She had to give up her beloved dance lessons and playing basketball and other active sports and begin chemotherapy treatments every three weeks for 12 months. She would go into the hospital for two days of treatments for one visit and the next three week-visit she would be in for five days.

The whole family's schedule revolved around Erin's treatment plan and getting her better.

Edwards said of her oldest and youngest daughters, "They were wonderful. They never once complained about going to the hospital to see Erin."

By September of this year, life started getting a little easier for Erin, her older sister Mary Beth Browning, a 6th grader at High Point Christian Academy, their younger sister 3-year-old Caroline Edwards and Mom and Dad Laurie and Joey Edwards. Erin started back to school at High Point Christian and she finished her chemotherapy treatments on Sept. 24.

But then, Edwards said, as a precaution doctors wanted Erin to undergo a series of radiation treatments. These were administered every week-day for nine weeks. So every day we would pick her up after school and drive to Winston-Salem for the treatments. She had the last one on Dec. 27, a late Christmas and birthday present.

Erin celebrated her ninth birthday on Dec. 23. And the family celebrated that last treatment and Erin's remission and the beginning of a new year with a trip to Myrtle Beach.

Erin is again back in her dance classes at On Stage School of Dance in Greensboro where she takes ballet, tap and jazz. She's looking forward to the May recital. I get to dance in center stage in one dance called "Prayer."

It's an appropriate number for Erin since she and her family and a host of friends and even strangers have spent a lot of time in prayer for her during her bout with cancer.

And she is once again playing basketball with her Dad and Mary Beth. They love to get out in the driveway and shoot a game of Horse.

Looking back on her time of illness, Erin said Tuesday, "I feel that God was right beside me 100 percent of the time."

During an interview last February, she told the Times she wanted to be a missionary nurse. That's still high on her list, but she's also giving some thoughts to becoming a Christian singer.

There's one more thing she's back to doing now that she couldn't do when she was undergoing treatment.

Growing hair.

She's wearing a stylish pixie cut at the moment but she said, "I think Ill let it grow long."

People Editor can be reached at 472-9500, Ext. 230 or at beard@tvilletimes.com.