Eight year old Holly Springs resident, Meg Wasley, is an average kid whose eyes light up when you talk about shopping at Justice, Taylor Swift, or Beanie Babies. She loves to dress up, sing, play sports including lacrosse and soccer, and adores her best friend. She will gladly pose for pictures with her brother, Jake, age 10, and is easily prompted to pretend box with him. She’s a typical elementary school kid right? Well, not really. To see and speak with this lively girl, you would never know she is also battling an inoperable brain tumor - Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).

A few months ago, Meg’s parents, Jim and Terri, noticed that their daughter was having some difficulty walking for no apparent reason. A doctor’s visit on February 25, 2010 is forever burned into the Wasleys’ memory. Jim recalls, “My wife and I took her to our doctor and the next thing we knew, Meg was at Duke having an MRI. Later that evening we were told the news.”

The type of tumor Meg has grows in the supportive tissue of the lowest part of the brain known as the brain stem. This area controls many of the body’s vital functions including breathing, and swallowing. Jim shares, “Because the tumor grows against the nerves, surgery is not an option.”

What advice did their doctor give to them? In a whisper Jim relays, “He told us to take our trips now.” Meg was admitted immediately to Duke University Medical Center where she stayed until March 5 to undergo radiation treatments. She did have a return, multiple day stay, in April to treat complications from an infection she contracted in a shunt she had placed in her head that drains cerebral spinal fluid into her stomach. Now, looking strong, with no visible signs of her treatments other than a concealed section of closely cropped cut hair along the back of her scalp, she has completed her radiation treatments and continues with her chemotherapy medications at home.

Since Meg’s diagnosis, Jim and Terri have been overwhelmed by the ground swell of support not only from family and longtime friends, but also from new friends and strangers throughout Holly Springs and neighboring towns. “People have been there for us in so many different ways,” Jim explains. “A group of our friends, Tom O’Brien, Marc Slocum, Chris Dahm, Joyce Falchi, Mike and Kristi Gutshell, are the ones that got the ball rolling on various fundraisers.”

Meg’s current round of chemo costs $15,000 every two weeks. Since many of the treatments Meg will receive in future months can include clinical trials that are considered experimental, and not covered by insurance, the Wasleys are thankful for the generosity that will help them be able to continue with these types of treatments. The fundraising money goes into special medical fund that will help cover out of pocket medical expenses, as well as travel and lodging expenses, as the Wasleys may have to travel to other states for treatment.

Throughout the last few months, local fundraisers ranged from a golf tournament at Devil’s Ridge, to a “Meg Night” at McDonalds, to lemonade stands where, as Jim reports, “Little girls came to my door with change they collected from selling cups of lemonade.”

Meg’s lacrosse coach, Lori Lepsch, organized a fund raiser that included a silent auction at a middle school tournament played in May at Holly Springs High School. And, a few weekends ago, Jackie Miller of Brit Fit Personal Training, organized a fun run right in Meg’s Holly Glen neighborhood. Over 300 people participated. All the fundraising combined to date has put over $25,000 into the account. Terri and Jim become emotional when they speak of their gratitude they have for the many organizations and individuals that have helped with lifting their spirits as well. “The Duke Women’s Lacrosse team adopted Meg as their little sister…” comments Terri unable to hold back tears and continue.

Taking a very long and deep breath, Jim completes his wife’s thought, “And they came at a time when we really really needed that the most.”

Meg jumps in to explain, “They would come to the hospital to see me every day and do fun things like crafts. Now they all text me and send me messages. I like having all those big sisters!”

The Holly Springs and Apex lacrosse teams dedicated their May 7th playoff game against each other to Meg. Jim adds that, “The Apex Sports Authority also dedicated their travel lacrosse season as Play for Meg, and the YSL Program of Holly Springs renamed their girls’ team, Meg’s Team.”

“We were pretty private, keep to ourselves, kind of people,” Jim explains. “Then this happened and now there are all these people who stepped up to help. It’s just unbelievable.”

Terri puts how she feels very simply by saying, “We are just in awe.”

Jim says that he often reflects on words he’s heard Mayor Sears say in the past. “I remember the Mayor saying he always wanted Holly Springs to be a big small town, and really, that’s exactly what Holly Springs is. We are clearly living his vision.” On a recent shopping trip in town, Jim says that he experienced a moment that opened his eyes to how far reaching the awareness of his family’s situation is with fellow residents. “Here I am in Walmart just picking up some groceries and I see all these people wearing the blue and pink “for the love of Meg” bracelets. I didn’t know how I should react. Should go up to these people and thank them? I mean, they don’t even know me, they don’t even know I am Meg’s dad. How do I begin to thank everyone?” How Meg does feels about all this attention, “I feel loved,” she says with a smile. “Loved.”

As Meg and Jake prepare to start a new school year at Holly Grove Elementary, the entire family keeps their daily lives marching to an upbeat pace. Plans are in the works for a very special Make-A-Wish Foundation trip to New York City that has been fully funded by monies raised from the 8th grade class at St. Michael’s Church/School where Terri is a Spanish teacher. The trip promises to be full of surprises. Jim and Terri say they will share details with everyone as soon as the plans are finalized. Meg did slip and share that there’s some “America’s Top Modeling” involved. Jake and Jim are hoping for a visit to Yankee Stadium.

Jim and Terri chronicle their daughter’s treatments, triumphs, and plans to “unwrap the gifts” that each day brings on a Caring Bridge website. Visitors can follow the family journal entries and photo submissions, as well as, leave messages for Meg and her family. Visit at: www.caringbridge.org/visit/megwasley

Another site to visit and get your “for the love of Meg” bracelet is: www.supportthewasleys.com “We just really wanted to express a huge THANK YOU to you all!” Jim reiterates. “You cannot understand how this support keeps us going.”