Coppell Chronicle Vol. 6, No. 8
Young Cancer Patient Gets Time in Spotlight • Coppell ISD Candidates Make Their Cases • Hunterwood Park Closed for Erosion Control • Doggy Day Care Proposal is Off the Table
Young Cancer Patient Gets Time in Spotlight
For an extended period of her young life, Raegan Parker couldn’t muster the energy to get up off her couch. But this week, the 10-year-old from Coppell will stand tall while strutting down a runway during a fundraising fashion show.
Raegan is among 18 children who will be models during the Children’s Cancer Fund Fashion Show & Gala, which will happen on April 17 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. To hear her mother tell it, Raegan’s yearslong battle with neurofibromatosis type I is not the only aspect of her life that qualified her for this opportunity.
“She’s a diva, so she loves stuff like that,” Meagan Magill said. “She loves fashion, and she loves art. Those are her two favorite things.”
Raegan and the other models were introduced last month at NorthPark Center. That’s where she was photographed with (from left) gala co-chair Kasey Lemkin, NorthPark co-owner Nancy Nasher, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, and gala co-chair Bina Palnitkar.
Prescott has been an honorary co-chair of the gala for years along with one of his predecessors on America’s Team, Troy Aikman. The quarterbacks are among the celebrities who have escorted models like Raegan down the runway during previous fashion shows.
“The joy these kids bring, knowing everything they’re going through and the resilience it takes just to be here, is what brings me back year after year,” Prescott said in a statement released by the fund. “Being part of a night that gives them spirit, love, hope, and support — while recognizing the obstacles they face every day — means the world to me.”
Raegan has certainly faced more than her share of obstacles. She began an experimental form of chemotherapy at the age of 2 that robbed her of any quality of life, her mom said. Magill had to quit working because Raegan needed so much assistance. For the past few years, she’s undergone a different type of chemotherapy that’s been easier to deal with.
A plexiform neurofibroma is a tumor that grows on several nerve bundles. Magill said Raegan has one that’s wrapped around her carotid artery and her jugular; it caused sleep apnea, which led to the removal of Raegan’s tonsils and adenoids. Last December, part of the tumor was removed, but it nearly touches her spinal cord, so Magill said it will probably never be fully gone. The goal is to try to shrink the tumor so its effect on Raegan’s day-to-day life is lessened.
Despite her ordeal, Raegan’s motto is “Always be positive and have a smile.” Her inclusion in this year’s fashion show has led to more smiles than normal.
“It’s been such a cool thing for her, because she’s been through so much for the last eight years,” Magill said. Raegan has missed about 10 days of her fourth-grade classes at Austin Elementary due to treatments and other appointments, but at her previous school in Lewisville, she had enough absences to generate a truancy notice. “This has been a bright light — something for her to look forward to.”
Coppell ISD Candidates Make Their Cases
Kevin Chaka and Khanh Windham are vying to succeed David Caviness on the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees. The candidates appeared at two forums last week, and your correspondent was able to attend one of those.
Moderator Lisa Johnson asked seven questions during the April 8 forum hosted by Coppell ISD’s PTO presidents. Here are the three that I thought generated the most interesting responses.