Meggie’s ‘Survivor Lap’ “Meggie has lymphoma,” my veterinarian said, her voice soft and compassionate. It was January 2008. Three nights before, I’d felt swollen glands under my nine-year-old Golden Retriever’s neck. Dr. Debbie Cowan, CVM ‘93, Meggie’s vet since puppy days, was quick to make a referral to the oncology staff at NC State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH). Meggie’s journey began. Meggie was my son’s dog. Chosen from her litter at four weeks old, she came to live with us a few weeks later and this family of two couldn’t remember what life was like without a Golden Retriever to share it. Nine years later, my son was a sophomore at NC State and Meggie had become my dog, my reason to come home each day. I wasn’t ready to face life without her. The no treatment option meant Meggie had four to six weeks to live. Steroid treatment could give her a few months. Full chemotherapy with halfbody radiation might buy a year, more if we were lucky. “Go for it,” I said. Meggie’s chemo was complicated by a heart murmur and a nasty reaction to one of the drugs. She also was diagnosed with the aggressive form of lymphoma, T-Cell, but her remission came fast and it stuck. By summer, Megs had finished radiation, and although her beautiful coat came out by the handful, she was by all accounts cancer-free. During Thanksgiving weekend 2008 something was horribly wrong. An emergency trip to the VTH left Meggie admitted to Intensive Care Unit with aspiration pneumonia and a diagnosis of megaesophagus. Oncology resident Dr. Angela McClearyWheeler worked tirelessly--questioning, researching, and looking for an answer. No lymphoma was detected, but Meggie did have a neurological condition, myasthenia gravis. We adjusted to new routines and drugs and Meggie bounced back. The new diagnosis brought with it a realization that Meggie was alive 11 months after a T-Cell lymphoma diagnosis. “A miracle,” the oncologists said. With Meggie’s renewed spirit, I began to count the months. Her year anniversary came and went. It was time to think about giving back. Ironically,
Cancer survivor Meggie became an international hero and her story inspired donors from 23 states, Canada, Australia, and the UK to support research.
the month before Meggie was diagnosed, I had read of Morris Animal Foundation’s Canine Cancer Campaign. I ordered Meggie a dog tag to contribute to the fund and learned of the connection between canine and human cancer. A cure for one is a cure for both. Our local American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life was coming up. I wanted Meggie to walk the Survivor Lap. Cautious of their reaction to a canine participate, I contacted the organizers. They were thrilled! Meggie’s Relay page was posted on the Golden Retriever Forum, whose members had been my emotional support during Meggie’s treatment. Within minutes, donations began to add up. Within 24 hours, Meggie had exceeded her $200 goal and still the donations came. People began donating in memory of beloved dogs lost to this devastating disease, and in honor of the dogs that currently share their lives. Soon a new idea evolved: Meggie’s Survivor Lap would embrace the memory of the dogs on her fundraising scroll. Her purple survivor shirt was altered to fit and it quickly began to fill with names like Bailey, Chance, Mak and Riley. One member wrote a news release and shared it with local and national media. The Winston-Salem station, WXII, 27
picked up the story and posted it. Meggie was invited on the morning show the day of the Relay and the evening news covered her Lap, which she led as the Stokes County Relay for Life official mascot. Donations came from 28 states, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The $3,872 Meggie raised was the highest amount raised of any individual in this year’s event. The messages continue, people expressing how much Meggie means to them by her surviving the odds, by her walking the Relay, by being an ambassador of hope and helping educate others about the connection between canine and human cancer. The evening of the Relay, Meggie rode into the stadium, her wagon lovingly decorated by people we had never met. All around we heard, “There’s Meggie!” “Meggie’s here!” and “I saw her on the news!” Meggie is now 11-years-old and maintaining her remission. She is still my reason to come home each day and I am greeted with her joy, bouncing enthusiasm, and what I call her golden smiles, but Meggie no longer belongs to just me. I share her with people around the world who call her a hero. And for one special night in May, I shared her with the people of Stokes County. -- Cindy Taylor