Ashford community lends support to families in need

Children have a natural ability to bring joy into the lives of those they meet. When children are touched by catastrophic ailments, their stories, their struggles and their hopes for a complete recovery can bring a wide range of reactions from the people they interact with on a daily basis.

For one Ashford High School employee, the news of three young people battling major illnesses was a call to action.
When Mary McGriff, a 30-year employee of Houston County Schools, learned that two students at Ashford High School, where she works as a member of the office staff, had been diagnosed with major illnesses, she knew she had to do something to help. Her plan was to raise funds to help the students’ families with the expenses involved in the multitude of trips to UAB and Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.

Matt Steele, a senior and three-sport athlete at AHS, was diagnosed with a congenital aortic valve deficiency. The problem was discovered following a routine dental procedure that led to an infection in the lining of his heart. He underwent open heart surgery November 12 at UAB to replace the valve.

Freshman Nicholas Castrejon was sent to Children’s Hospital to find the cause of a sudden onset of seizures.

“I learned of Matt’s ailment through his parents (Keith and Paula Steele),” Mrs. McGriff said. “And Matt comes by and talks with me a lot. I have a good relationship with him.”

McGriff was shocked to learn of Matt’s illness
. “He went to the dentist,” McGriff said as she recalled the sudden onset of Matt’s illness. “His problem started there. He eventually had surgery in Birmingham.”

The outlook for Matt Steele gets better with each passing day. He was in Birmingham last Monday for a routine check-up.

“He’s been released from the doctors (at UAB),” Mrs. Steele said in a telephone interview. “The Lord’s hand has been on him. He really hasn’t had a minute’s problem (since the surgery). He will be back in school in early December.”

It’s ironic that it took a visit to the dentist’s office to uncover the congenital problem in Matt’s heart.

“He’s had physicals every year,” Mrs. Steele said. “He’s a three-sport athlete at Ashford. The problem was never found in the physicals.”

Mrs. Steele says her son’s positive attitude has played a major role in his remarkable recovery.

“Matt’s had a good attitude about all of it,” Mrs. Steele said. “That has helped him tremendously.”

And the news he can return to competitive sports has also helped.

“The doctors have told him that, if he does what he should, he will be on the baseball field in February,” Mrs. Steele said.

Mrs. Steele says Mrs. McGriff’s efforts on behalf of her family are a blessing.

“I’m so appreciative of Mary,” Mrs. Steele said. “She’s a godsend. We live in a world that is unpredictable. It’s during something like this that family and friends come together to help you.”

McGriff says she was equally stunned to hear the news of Nicholas Castrejon’s illness.

“I remember Nicholas checked out of school,” Mrs. McGriff. “He was sick. That Friday night, he started having seizures. He was sent to Birmingham, where he stayed a long time. He’s doing pretty good now, according to his mom (Lara Cook).”

“Nicholas has not had a seizure in two weeks,” said Mrs. Cook as she addressed her son’s physical condition during a telephone interview. “He goes to therapy three times a week. We will go back to Birmingham next week to see if any progress has been made.”

In addition to his therapy sessions, Nicholas takes 27 pills per day to stabilize his condition.

During Nicholas’ stay at Children’s Hospital, Mrs. Cook says she didn’t pray for an immediate cure.

“I prayed for answers, to find out what was wrong with him,” Mrs. Cook said.

The family is hopeful of a good prognosis for Nicholas. “He’s making progress one day at a time,” Mrs. Cook added.

Mrs. Cook and her husband, David, are very appreciative of Mary McGriff’s efforts.

“Mrs. McGriff is a blessing,” Mrs. Cook said. “We had no idea she was doing the fund-raiser. She cares about the children. She has such a big heart.”

The Cooks are motorcycle enthusiasts and have participated in numerous events to raise funds for others in need. They didn’t expect to be on the receiving end of community support.

“My husband and I do poker runs to help children go to Children’s Hospital,” Mrs. Cook said. “Now, it’s happened to us.”

Mrs. McGriff, who has seven children and eight grandchildren of her own, says caring for children in need is a natural response for her and should be a natural response from the community.

“People need to get involved in their community,” Mrs. McGriff said. “If you see a need, find out what you can do for them. We especially need to look out for the children. They are our future.”

Donations will continue to be taken to help the families of Matt Steele and Nicholas Castrejon with the expenses incurred with visits to their children’s physicians. They can be sent in care of Mary McGriff, Ashford High School, 607 Church St., Ashford, AL 36312.

A third family touched by illness has come under McGriff’s watchful eye. Hannah Harrison, who will turn three in December, had a tumor removed from her brain this past May.
Her mother, Marci Harrison, is a teacher at Ashford High School, and her father, Jarrod Harrison, is the office administrator at Dothan’s First Presbyterian Church.

Hannah’s symptoms started with bouts of vomiting. Headaches soon followed. An early diagnosis was that the problem was caused by a virus.

However, Hannah suffered four more episodes of vomiting, followed by blank stares. The cause was not a virus.

“A CAT scan found a mass,” Mrs. Harrison said as she described the events that unfolded over the span of a week in May. “That same afternoon, we were in Birmingham at Children’s Hospital.

Doctors removed a penioblastoma from Hannah’s brain. The Harrisons were relieved to hear that the surgeon removed the tumor completely and that no signs of the cancer were found in any other location in Hannah’s body. As a precaution, Hannah has been scheduled for five rounds of chemotherapy. Each round requires a one-week stay at Children’s Hospital.

Through the support of fellow employees of the Houston County School System, Mrs. Harrison has received enough donations from the system’s sick leave bank to not miss a single day in her paycheck.

“I have had the support of my family, faculty, church and community,” Mrs. Harrison said as she described how she faced Hannah’s illness and the subsequent trips to Children’s Hospital. “So many go there that don’t have that support.”

To help those that don’t have that type of support, Mrs. Harrison says her family hopes establish a foundation in Hannah’s name.

“We have been given a lot,” Mrs. Harrison said. “We want to give back to help others. Most people don’t realize what it’s like until they go through something like this.”

The outpouring of support has helped the Harrisons in many ways. Included in that support are the efforts of Mary McGriff.

“I’ve only known Miss Mary a year,” Mrs. Harrison said. “It’s wonderful that she’s taking her time to do it. She’s been a real blessing.

“We have so much to be thankful for. The amount of support we’ve received has been wonderful.

“I know there is a prayer group at Houston County that meets (to pray for Hannah). I don’t know them. I’ve had days donated from the Houston County Sick Leave Bank. It’s all been so wonderful.”

The chemotherapy continues for little Hannah. In December, she will return to Children’s Hospital for a major step in her recovery.

“On December 15, she will have a stem cell transplant,” Mrs. Harrison said. “She will get her own cells back.”

Donations to assist the Harrisons can be made through Mary McGriff at Ashford High School.