Generations Celebrating Life for Carson By Amber E. Holifield

For McKinney resident Carson Richardson, his 7th birthday celebration will be anything but ordinary. But then again, Carson is no ordinary kid!

In August of 2006, Carson was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of pediatric liver cancer. Since his diagnosis, Carson has endured one biopsy, several surgeries, dozens of rounds of chemo and radiation treatments, and countless blood draws and shots. The extraordinary thing about Carson is that he has endured all of this with a brave smile on his face and an infectious positive spirit. Every person who comes into contact with Carson or his parents, Ryan and Kimberly, is inspired by their resilience and steadfast faith in God.

As a result of this inspiration, people from all over the community are coming together to plan a fundraising event in celebration of Carson’s 7th year of life. Lori Wimbish of Allen is spearheading the event. “I’ve watched Carson and his family carry this cross of cancer with amazing grace and faith,” Lori said. “They live joyfully despite going through challenges that could break anyone. With Generations Celebrating Life for Carson, we want to bring all generations together to celebrate another year of life for Carson and let the family know that the communities of Allen and McKinney are here to support them and pray for Carson’s miracle.”

Friends from Carson’s neighborhood in McKinney, his school in Allen (Boone Elementary), his home church (Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church), and his pediatric office (Raintree Pediatrics) are banding together to make this special event a spectacular success. The event will be held on Sunday, January 17th from 5:00-8:00 PM at Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church (1015 State Highway 121, Allen, TX). All proceeds will benefit the Carson Richardson Medical Fund and will help pay for chemotherapy that is not covered by insurance.

“Generations Celebrating Life for Carson” will be an event with activities for the young and the young at heart. Festivities include food by Bar-B-Cutie, face painting, bounce houses, a cake sale, and a raffle of kid-themed baskets. The highlight of the evening will be a performance by Lyndy Phillips, an illusionist and “entertainer who captivates audiences with laugh-out-loud stories, comedy sleight of hand, pick pocketing, and audience interaction.”

There will also be an online auction prior to the event and a silent auction on the night of the event. The auction will feature items such as sports tickets, restaurant gift cards, jewelry, movie tickets, health & wellness services, home maintenance services like pest control, decorating consultation, and much more!

The auction items, tickets to the event, and t-shirts are available online at www.generationsforcarson.com.

Ticket prices are as follows:
Kids under 3: FREE (please bring a decorated jar of coins for Carson).
Ages 3-65: $5
Over 65: FREE
T-shirts: $8
Family packs: $75 includes tickets, t-shirts, and food for the whole family, no matter the size of the family!

Please join us to celebrate Carson’s life and to support the Richardson Family as they face the next battle in their war against this cancer.

To read more about Carson’s journey visit:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/richardson.

Amber E. Holifield, physician assistant at Raintree Pediatrics in Allen.