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Show Wednesday. April Family, around 4 A. B4 Jason and Christina Hays and their children Madison, 7; Jacob, 2; and Grade 8 months, were a typical young family before December when Christina was diagnosed with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer. The cancer has robbed the Vernal family of the life they had anticipated just a few months ago. These days the Hays family is taking one day at a time, grateful for every minute they can spend together. Christina is dealing with what life has handed her without complaint, said friend and neighbor Brenda Antillon. By Lezuee E. Wotting Uintah Basin News Service Twenty-six-year old Christina Hays was healthy and physically active when she came down with what she thought was the flu just before Christmas. Several family members had the flu bug when the stay-at-home mother of three began experiencing stomach pains and couldn't keep food down. It was all very unusual someone described by friends and family as someone "in perfect health." Hays went to the doctor and was given antibiotics. But nothing noth-ing eased the pain. It eventually became so intense that she had to be rushed to the emergency room where an x-ray of her abdomen showed a growth the size of a grapefruit on one of her ovaries. When it was surgically removed re-moved just six days later, it had grown to the size of a football. "The doctor still wasn't overly concerned," explained Hays' mom, Angela Redmond, "they just thought it was a cyst that, got out of control." All Hays ever wanted to be was a mom, said her own mother. Her friends describe her as a humble person - someone they can count on to be "down to earth," and always grateful for what she has, said Brenda Antillon. Until recently when her pain has raged out of control for days, Hays per NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS Members of Moon Lake Electric Association, Inc. Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of the Members of Moon Lake Electric Association, Inc., will be held at Constitution Park in Roosevelt, Duchesne County, Utah, on Thursday, May 15, 2008, beginning at 5:00 p.m. for the following purposes: 1 ) To elect Directors for the Board of Directors of Moon Lake Electric Association, Inc., to represent Districts 1 and 6, each for a 3-year term. 2) Presentation of Annual Report to the members. 3) For consideration of such other business as may come before said meeting. Signed this 26th day of March, 2008. Patsy L. Lollar Secretary-Treasurer C:&r :6innonnis !pik;2U pE fill! ...t).. ,,t.. . 2, 2008 friends driven mom ' A. sonally wrote thank you cards to everyone who has helped out her family. But when the biopsy results came back the doctor would not tell the Vernal family what they were over the phone. He asked them to come into his office. "That's when we knew something some-thing was wrong," said Redmond. Red-mond. Nothing could have prepared Hays and her family for the news they were about to receive. Carefully choosing his words to soften the blow as he delivered the news, Dr. John Griffith, told the young mother that she had ovarian cancer. "The first thing that runs through your mind was those three little kids, because they need their mom," said Hays' her mother. "It was just devastating to think that something like this could happen to her - a young girl, just 26-years-old ... it seemed impossible." Crashing Down The symptoms of early stage ovarian cancer are vague and more often than not, silent. That explains why the disease is rarely caught in the very early stages. Noticeable symptoms occur oc-cur when the cancer is advanced and has grown large enough to create pressure on other organs in the abdomen - precisely what occurred in Hays' case. .jfdd ,f k - f t" i-l". V t Vernal rally i ' Although 90 percent of ovarian ovar-ian cancers occur by chance, a woman's risk for ovarian cancer is three times greater if she has a close relative who had the disease. Research into Hays' genealogy revealed a great-aunt who had died of ovarian cancer years ago, said her mother. Although the news was almost incomprehensible, Griffith made certain the family understood what he was telling them. He also told them they had every right not to give up hope. "He said, we will get you out to Huntsman (Cancer Institute) and get her chemo and get her on the mend," Redmond said. "At that time they felt they had caught it early, but he let us know there was no time to waste." Hays went home to break the 5f '7 v ' 4, U ,Vv.l This beautiful quilt could be yours for your donation to a fund established for a young Vernal mother who is battling ovarian cancer. Friends and neighbors of Christina Hays are holding a variety of fundraisers - including a drawing for this quilt - to help raise money and and awareness about the challenges faced by the mother of three young children. Christina and her husband Jason found out in December that she has a particularly aggressive aggres-sive form of ovarian cancer. To buy a ticket for the quilt drawing or make a donation to assist the Hays family with their mounting bills, call Wendy at 781-4958. Vernal Volleyball Tournament Women's and Men's 6-on-6, April 18-19. All levels of play invited. Held at Uintah High and Vernal Junior High. Cost $ 1 50. CO-ED Tournaments, April 25-26. This is a fundraiser for Uintah High Volleyball. Contact Doris Salazar at 790-6161, 789-3003 or ' 781-3125 ext. 2844. , Registration forms at Uintah Parks and Rec. and UHS. 4'""1 ,-, Express news to her husband, Jason, and the oldest of their three children, 7-year-old Madison. Two-year-old Jacob and 8-month-old Gracie are too young to understand how sick their mom is right now. "When our life came crashing down, everyone else's life kept on going," said Redmond, adding that at the same time the family never failed to "have what we needed at the right time." There was a second surgery- a complete hysterectomy, removal of diseased intestines and a portion por-tion of Hays' diaphragm. Then there was news that spots had shown up on Hays' lungs and liver. The determination was eventually made that she had stage four cancer - the most advanced form. "We have all been very surprised sur-prised at how fast this has taken over everything-they don't even know what to tell her, " Redmond said. "Every doctor says something some-thing different" when it comes to her prognosis. And everyone reacts differently differ-ently in times of crisis. Hays' mother said the family has decided de-cided they don't want to know about all the facts and studies associated with ovarian cancer - too much knowledge about the treatable but incurable disease could diminish the hope they are holding onto so tightly, she said. "We still keep hoping ... we have had a lot of people tell us that they were in the fourth stage and they gave them a few weeks to live and it has been years," Redmond said. "They came to us right when we were losing hope. It's hard to balance being hopeful and being realistic, too." One minute there is amazing hope, the next hopelessness, Redmond explained. The emotions Hays' family is experiencing "sounds very normal" to others goingthrough the same thing, Redmond said, adding that this knowledge has helped them cope. "We talked to several families at the Huntsman ... there are times when they are so, sick you think you are going to lose them and then their bodies rally." Friends, Neighbors & Prayer Hays has focused on her health while her husband, mother and even mother-in-law, Ida York, 'v i lljsjte who has come from Georgia to help with grandchildren, take care of day-to-day duties of living and keeping the Hays' household running as normal as possible. Her husband's employer Sch-lumberger Sch-lumberger "couldn't be better" when it comes to allowing him the time he needs off with his ailing wife, the family said. His work schedule has even been revised to allow him to take projects closer to home so that he can be by her side within minutes - something he's had to do more than once. Members of the Glines LDS 2nd Ward and friends from the family's close-knit neighborhood unfailingly show up with meals - something they have done now daily since December. Offers from friends to watch the children are appreciated, but Hays never wants them gone from home for very long, said her mother. The only worry about the future she expressed is that her youngest two children won't remember her, Redmond said. It's an understatement to say that what has happened to Hays has served as a reminder to everyone around her about how quickly life's tenuous balance can be disturbed. "It's scary how little control we really have over our own lives," Redmond said. HELPING Friends of Christina Hays have planned a gigantic yard sale for April 11-12, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Tri-Cinemas in Vernal. They are accepting donations for the yard sale. To donate or for details on howyou can help the Hays family, call Brenda Antillon at 790-5848 or Heidi Morton at 781-8665. Donations can be dropped off at Antillon's home at 744 S. 1900 W. or Morton's home at 718 S. 1900 W. There will also be a drawing for quilt to raise money to help the Hays family. To buy tickets, call Brenda, Heidi or Wendy at 781-4958. The quilt can be seen at the yard sale on April 11-12. Duchesne, Uintah counties release clean up guidelines Uintah County residents have the entire month of April for open burning as part of spring yard clean up and in Duchesne County, the cleanup window is April 15 to May 15. Fire officials in both counties have released their guidelines for the season. No burn permits are required in either county during the spring , .clean upv. h.Qveverv the .daring index must be 500 feet or greater and all controlled burns must be reported to Central Dispatch at 789-4222. No household refuse can be burned and burn barrels are illegal. Fire officials remind property owners to watch fires carefully, as they are liable for burningthat leaves the property or results in a callout. Clearing index for the Uintah Basin can be viewed online at hhttp:newweb.wrh.noaa.gov slcprojectsifphtmloldclrindx. php. Most of the Uintah Basin is part of Basin III, but some southern portions are part of Basin II. t The window for agricultural burning began in November and runs through May 31. No burn permit is required, but property owners must have at least 10 acres or more and be outside incorporated city limits to qualify as agricultural. No clearingindex is required for agricultural burn Come see our new City Sticks furniture . AccesvorKn . De slijn 2756 RMWiaiRMd64 Park City. UI 84008 113)1 615-201 DirMtKiiu: North Irmitaqc rood of 180 Kimhull lunctim ktwwfi (eiemji (toncl) cro tron the (jclwy outteli. www.stickwndiloiiespc.com Since the diagnosis it's harder for family members "to feel safe." "I would say our spiritual beliefs are the only thing keeping keep-ing us sane most of the time -1 don't know how people who don't have any kind of belief in a higher power would survive," Redmond said. The family's days are consumed con-sumed with positive thinking and prayer. In fact, the power of prayer has become obvious - practically tangible. "I literally feel people's prayers," Redmond said. "A lot of the time when people ask what they can do, I say, 'Keep praying because it really helps.'" Hays' family and friends are praying for her to have more time to see her small children grow up. "A lady down the street had breast cancer and was told she had six months but she made it for six years. She passed away last year - she was almost 40," Redmond said. "The whole neighborhood watched that happen. She was able to raise her children to grow older - six years for children makes a big difference in the life of a child," she added. "We just kind of keep hoping for that same reprieve." THE HAYS ing, but controlled burns must be reported to Central Dispatch. The closed fire season is June 1 through Oct. 31, meaning a burn permit is required. Only agricultural burning is allowed during that time; no yard clean up burning is allowed. Burn permits can be obtained by calling Uintah Fire District at .781-4964 Duchesne County Fire at 738-1181 or 790-4741. , The burning instructions issued is-sued last week are: l.Refuseshouldbe away from buildings and structures that may catch fire. . 2 . Refuse should be out in the open and not under trees that may catch fire. 3. Burn away from power lines and other utility service lines. 4. Have a water supply available. avail-able. 5. Tend the fire at all times. 6. Central Dispatch must be notified when you are burning. 7. You are liable if the fire escapes control. 8. Fires must be out by dusk. 9. Any piles larger than 4 foot by 5 foot and no greater than 3 feet tall cannot be burned without with-out previous inspection. 10. Burn during light or no wind conditions. of ' fawfy-uwrf tablet 75 & Stcnes fUlNIIUM OUHE! HUH CI! Y, (II 280W.AirptRo4d Hebw.UJ 81032 (435) 64-0483 Directum: Hnjlwiy W tn ll irpnr! RA Wti mil 12 lule on !iaM. 1 1 i V) |