COMMUNITY

Chandler cancer victim, 16, gets a big surprise

BY KEN SAIN

Arizonan Staff Writer

Julia Mitchell, a then 15-year-old south Chandler resident, looks into the camera without and hair on her head. She seems fearless, looking into the camera. However, right before her big announcement her eyes look away.

“I have a bone cancer, which is called Ewing sarcoma,” she says in her first YouTube video documenting her journey in fighting cancer. “I have a tumor, a 6-inch tumor, in my right hip.” Her first video has been watched more than 20,000 times.

And some of those viewers were likely among those who came out on Jan. 20 to help the high school sophomore celebrate her 16th birthday.

Julia’s family planned a drive-by parade in front of their house. They set up a big easy chair for Julia to sit in and made sure she had a blanket to stay warm.

Julia attended Basha High School last year, but switched to Chandler Online Academy after being diagnosed in August. She has since taken a break from her studies to focus on her health.

Hundreds of cars drove past, with many of their drivers shouting happy birthday. The parade included Chandler Fire and Police vehicles, a Lamborghini, classic Mustangs, Corvettes and even the more common Hyundais and Hondas seen every day on the road.

The line was long and just kept coming. One family member guessed there had to be more than 400 vehicles.

“We are so thankful for everybody’s support, and prayers and encouragement to get through this,” mom Wendy Mitchell said. “I don’t think people can do this on their own. It’s too much.”

The idea was suggested in a Facebook group called Julia’s Journey. That’s where many of the people learned of it.

One car stood out from the rest – a light blue Volkswagen Beatle. What made it special is that it was the car the community bought it for Julia as a birthday present.

“I was not expecting that at all,” Julia said. “I thought there’d be, like, 10, 20 cars driving by and saying ‘happy birthday.’

Sandra Row donated $5,000 toward the new car. Others in the community chipped in an additional $1,800, Wendy said. Van’s Chevrolet then contributed the rest so Julia had her own car.

Julia doesn’t have her license yet, so she can’t drive it for a while. She plans to get her license once she can walk again after recovering from hip surgery.

In her videos, she’s honest about the process she is going through. She talks of her anxiety attacks, having to cut her

Cancer survivor Julia Mitchell was surprised with a new Volkswagen Beetle for her 16th birthday during a birthday parade in her honor in front of her Chandler home Jan. 20.

(David Minton/Staff Photographer)

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Chandler students compete in district spelling bee

ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF

Taking the stage before a crowd of family members, teachers and principals from their schools, 41 Chandler elementary and middle school students competed at a district spelling bee last month at Chandler Center for the Arts.

Nethra Chintaboina Ramprasad, an eighth grader at Basha Accelerated Middle School, won the championship after 15 rounds by correctly spelling “perpendicular.”

Nethra won a trophy and bookstore gift card by Assistance League of East Valley, which co-sponsored the event with Chandler Unified School District. She and 10 semi-finalists will go on to compete at the Maricopa Region 6 spelling bee on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center. From there, winners from each region will progress to the state contest on March 19, hoping to represent Arizona at the televised Scripps National Spelling Bee in June. LaVar Burton is this year’s host. Chandler semi-finalists, each of whom also received a trophy and gift card from Assistance League, are Aadi Rao of Arizona College Prep Middle School, Raania Khan of Chandler Traditional Academy Liberty campus, Owen Leo of Bogle Junior High, Maria Parada Ortega of Carlson Elementary, Josh Ronsayro of Basha Elementary, Shree Thailikar of Chandler Traditional Academy Independence campus, Zoya Siddiqui of Hancock Elementary, Chloe Passno of Haley Elementary, Manha Hossain of Knox Gifted Academy and Everett Casper of Weinberg Gifted Academy.

Assistance League of East Valley is an all-volunteer organization which provides nearly 10,000 elementary students and homeless teens with new school clothing, uniforms, shoes and hygiene items each year. Major source of funding is their thrift shop at 2326 N. Alma School Road, Chandler.

Information:assistanceleague.org/ east-valley.

Nethra Chintaboina Ramprasad, a Basha Accelerated Middle School student, won the Region 6 spelling bee last month.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Chandler boxer’s family recalls him outside the ring

BY CHARLOTTE CANADA

Arizonan Contributor

The children of hometown boxing hero Zora Folley spoke fondly of their late father at an event at the Chandler Museum last month as the exhibition . “Bigger Than Boxing: Zora Folley and the 1967 Heavyweight Title” winds down.

With the last day of the months-long exhibit slated Feb. 13, Folley’s children gathered to discuss the man outside the boxing ring.

The exhibition, which opened in March 2020, is framed around the 1967 World Boxing Association heavyweight tournament fight between Folley and Muhammad Ali, but also explores the greater social context around the fight including the civil rights movement and Vietnam War. Mary Bell Folley Griffin, one of the late boxer’s daughters, said her father was “lots of fun.”

My dad was a jokester,” she explained.

His niece, JoAnn Williams, also described him as “kind and generous and very humble.” Folley loved children and had nine of his own. “He’d tell my mom he wanted a football team of kids,” Griffin recalled.

Folley’s humble and soft-spoken nature distinguished him from boxers of his era, according to the exhibition. His fight with Muhammad Ali, who was known for his larger than life persona, was punctuated by their differences in temperament.

Although Folley lost, he won Ali’s respect. “My dad was the first one who would call him ‘Ali,’” Griffin said. Muhammad Ali famously changed his name from Cassius Clay in 1964 after converting to Islam, but many in the sports world and the press refused to refer to him by his new name.

“My dad always said ‘you respect everyone but you demand respect back,’” Griffin said.

Folley’s children and relatives contributed heavily to the exhibition.

According to Nate Meyers, Chandler Museum collection coordinator, they donated photos, loaned items that belonged to Folley, reviewed museum content, and contributed their stories to the museum’s historical collection.

One event remain in the series of closing celebrations that the Chandler Museum held in recent weeks for “Bigger than Boxing.”

“Fight Like Folley,” 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, includes a short tour of the “Bigger than Boxing” exhibition before an intensive one-hour cardio and boxing class presented by Title Boxing Club Ahwatukee.

The event is free and free and open to the public. Registration is recommended but not required.

After “Bigger than Boxing’’ closes on Feb. 13, the Chandler Museum will be debuting its next exhibition “Picturing Home: Dust Bowl Migrants in Chandler” on March 8. It will examine Chandler during the Great Depression through a series of unique black and white photographs.

Find out more by visiting the Chandler Museum website or by calling 480-782-2717.

Zora Folley lost the world heavyweight tournament in 1967 to Muhamman Ali but gained the legendary boxer’s respect, according to Folley’s family. (Arizonan file photo)

Left: Julia’s mother, Wendy Mitchell, explained that the community and Van’s Chevrolet bought her the Volkswagen Beetle for her 16th birthday. (David Minton/Staff Photographer) Right: Julia Mitchell checks out her surprise present on her 16th birthday during a birthday parade outside her Chandler home. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

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hair, the bags under her eyes and the crying she’s done.

Julia starts off her second video warning viewers if they don’t like to hearing about vomit, they should stop watching. She describes undergoing six rounds of chemo as part of her treatment before she had surgery last month.

She said she started doing the videos to raise awareness among people her age, saying that she had never heard of chemo before she was diagnosed.

Julia said she had a hard time dealing with the diagnosis over the summer.

“I was in disbelief for a very long time,” she said. “It’s still kind of hard to cope with.” She said she’s heard from many other young people who are going through the same experience and that motivates her. Julia says in one video that if she can help just one person better understand what they’re about to go through, it would be worth it.

“I feel like not many people know about this – or not enough, at least,” Julia said.

“I’m really proud of her,” mom Wendy said. “I know she’s strong. She started doing the videos to raise awareness, it really blows my mind. I’m so thankful to be her mom.”