NEVAEH WILLIAMS “Your Current Situation is Not Your Final Destination” Story by Kelly Harley | Photos by Michelle Holloway
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t’s Saturday, and 11-year-old Nevaeh Williams is enjoying a movie with her best friend, Rosie. Like any typical fifth-grader, spending time with her friends is a weekend highlight. What’s not typical is the way Nevaeh thinks. Most kids her age don’t understand how precious each day is because most don’t know what it’s like to learn you have a 15-percent chance of living five years. A Force to Be Reckoned With Nevaeh’s infectious smile, her studious poise and her mature-beyond-her-years attitude captivates you. It’s hard to believe that at eight years old, doctors diagnosed her with desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT), an aggressive and rare type of cancer. Her mom, Alana Williams, remembers when they noticed something wasn’t right. “Nevaeh was doing
a cartwheel, and her shirt came up, and I noticed her stomach was really big. It was as hard as a rock,” says Alana. After a second opinion in Atlanta, her family learned what it was and just how serious it was. In less than two years, Nevaeh endured
“She knows how to pray, and she knows God healed her and will keep her healed” 14 cycles of chemotherapy, 20 cycles of radiation, six surgeries and 11 blood transfusions. “I didn’t cry when I found out. I can beat it,” smiles Nevaeh. You can’t help but think it’s her perseverance that
10 February/March 2020 | www.EFFINGHAMMAGAZINE.com
has played a role in her health. “She knows how to pray, and she knows God healed her and will keep her healed,” says Alana. Nevaeh’s strength is amazing, and her love of sports even more. She once scored 16 baskets in one game. “My favorite part of basketball is being aggressive and stealing balls,” says Nevaeh. A valuable member of the Rincon recreational basketball team, she rules the court. Her resume includes travel softball, student council president at South Effingham Elementary School, and class spelling bee champ. She is also a proud member of honor roll and has never made anything less than an A. Her cancer was the reason she was homeschooled for about a year and a half. Her immune system was weak because of chemotherapy, and so being around other children wasn’t an option. “I was ready to get back to school. I love
