Athletic trainers collect for a cause

Athletic training program hosts a drive for chemo care bags

McKenna Cowley • October 25, 2019

There is a box for donations outside of the athletic training room, which is in the athletics hall between the main campus and the ninth grade campus.

Students have one week left to donate items to the athletic training program for chemo care bags, which will be going to patients at Baylor Scott and White Health Center in Dallas. They need items such as fuzzy socks, unscented lotion, earbuds and coloring books.

The drive was started after Coach Bethany Brunett encouraged junior athletic trainer Kennedy Maxwell to honor her mother’s battle with breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“We have supported Kennedy and wanted to be her Marcus family throughout this battle,” Brunett said. “It was our way of being able to help her family through this process.”

Maxwell’s mom was diagnosed on Oct. 12 of last year and underwent 15 treatments, which ended in March. She was inspired to help cancer patients after seeing her mother go through chemotherapy.

“It was a long year,” Maxwell said. “I got to go to one of her treatments during spring break, and I just saw what it was like in there. It was kind of depressing.”

According to Maxwell, the items requested for the drive can make treatments more comfortable for chemotherapy patients, but they are commonly forgotten. She hopes that having a chemo care bag to bring to every treatment will make it easier for patients.

In addition, Maxwell supported her mom through treatment and wants to provide the same encouragement to other patients who might not have such a strong support system.

Madi Olivier
Posters with a list of items requested by the athletic trainers can be found in various parts of the school.

“If patients can see that so many people are behind them then it’s really inspiring,” Maxwell said.

Brunett’s relationship with Maxwell gives her a personal connection to breast cancer awareness and hopes that the community can find a way to connect themselves to the cause as well.

“I know they may not know the student or her mom but hopefully it opens their eyes and does create extra awareness for them instead of just going through the motions but really understanding what it is people fighting this battle actually have to go through,” Brunett said.

Additionally, Maxwell hopes that the community realizes that a small sacrifice can make a big change.

“Even going to the dollar store and getting a few things to donate can make a difference in someone’s treatment,” Maxwell said.

About the Contributors

McKenna Cowley, Opinion Editor

McKenna Cowley is a senior and although this will be her first year on staff, she has a long-lived passion for journalism. She spends most of her time practicing with the band during the fall but still manages to make time for her other four loves: reading, writing, and her two dogs. She plans to study journalism and writing in college and she takes inspiration from Queen Elizabeth, Fran Drescher and Audrey Hepburn. Finally, she is beyond excited to spend her senior year with an incredible staff where she hopes to leave a lasting impact on the community while learning about journalism and expanding her skill set as a writer. Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/5fPxmMAbvJrOQzWFSkOvYq?si=JstZgOHkQPuVqWTyFzaeDw

Madi Olivier, Editor in Chief

Madi Olivier is a senior and third-year staffer, although most people know her as the short girl who talks too much. The newsroom is her favorite place to be and she spent most of her time last year convincing Hale to let her stay after school for “just five more minutes.” However, if the door to C108 is locked, you can normally find her at gymnastics practice or in the kitchen trying to bake. Her speciality is anything burnt or overflowing from the pan. She’s so excited to be the editor in chief of The Marquee and to see what amazing, impactful stories her staff will publish this year.