The Davis Family From their first–class U.S. Air flight from Charlotte to Washington DC to the luxury suite at the Washington Wizards basketball game to the deluxe hotel accommodations at the Fairfax, the Davis family of Lake Carolina found their big trip this past December erased for few moments the huge tragedy they live with every day – the rare, terminal cancer that has befallen their six–year–old daugher, Tatiyahna.

Diagnosed at 13 months with astrocytoma in her spine, Tatiyahna cannot be cured. Her type of cancer is chemotherapy– resistant, and so rare that, according to her mother, she is the only person in South Carolina known to have the disease. The family, given a death sentence for Tatiyahna time after time, works to keep her alive through natural medicine and experimental treatments, most of which are not covered by insurance.

The family has struggled to stay afloat with the help of friends and family, but it has not been without enormous sacrifice.

“It’s a constant struggle. I’ve had to pawn things in order to pay for her care, and we’ve come close to losing our house,” said mother Oneyke. “But it doesn’t make any difference. I would live in a box if that’s what it takes to keep her alive.”

That’s why a deluxe trip to the nation’s capitol would normally be out of the question. But it all came about because of a woman the Davis family hardly knew, a mother who has experienced firsthand what it was like to suffer the tragedy of a child’s illness.

In 1992, Jenny Barber’s 10–year–old daughter, Emma, took ill suddenly, and died within hours of an undetected heart attack. When she heard of the Davis family through a YMCA program, she felt a pull to help them.

“I truly understand what they are going through,” said Barber. “The stress, the bills, the emotional heartache. It can be overwhelming.”

Through many of her contacts, including her boss, Charles Brown, who is the owner of Right at Home, Barber arranged for a giant surprise for the Davis family, who only knew they were going somewhere, but not in the first–class manner in which the trip evolved.

The weekend included a tour of the White House, the Capitol, box seats in the Lexus suite at the Wizards–Pacers game and a surprise meet–and–greet with one of the tallest players in the history of the NBA, former Wizard George Muresan, who, at 7’7” left a big impression on Tatiyahna and her 10–year–old brother, Kovan.

“We were so grateful,” said Davis of Barber’s efforts. “To have someone care enough to do something like this for us, it’s a huge deal.”

Despite the break, Davis remains fully aware that her kindergarten daughter’s life expectancy is unknown. She has been given 24–hours to live, five years to live, and other diagnoses, but, at six years old, Tatiyahna has proven all the doctors wrong.

“She has outlived every doctor’s death sentence,” Oneyke said. “The tumor on Tatiyahna’s spine is at bay right now, but she still has symptoms that she has to endure including headaches and radiating pain in her arms and legs. We want her to experience everything she can because this tumor is like a time bomb.”

That’s why the trip has made such a difference for the Davis family. The constant stress financially and emotionally continues to take its toll on everyone.

“A trip like this means so much,” said Oneyke. “We got the royal treatment, and it’s really given us a lot of hope back.”

Barber said she’s not done helping the Davis family. She is trying to get them to St. Jude Children’s Hospital for further testing and treatment and said she will help with fundraising to defer the family’s medical bills. Anyone wishing to help out the family can contact Barber at 361-3037.