On a Sunday afternoon stretched between celebration and sadness, Santa Claus brought an early Christmas to a Forney park.
Several hundred people filled Forney Community Park to honor the Smith family, and in particular, Laurren Smith. Laurren, 13, has a rare form of cancer, and her doctors have said she might not make it to Dec. 25.
So family and friends who have supported her and her family for more than two years, since the first diagnosis, decided to make sure that she got her Christmas.
It started with a parade led by fancy lowrider cars, a firetruck, and trucks filled with members of North Forney Junior High and Brown Middle School students. At the end, on a float decorated with hot-pink artificial Christmas trees and boxes wrapped in zebra-stripe paper, sat Laurren and her family.
Those colors may not exactly say "Christmas," but they are Laurren's favorite colors – and this was her day.
To an outsider, Laurren looked like a skinny teen mostly having a good time. But she developed a deadly bone cancer in 2007 that has spread to her lungs. After several rounds of chemotherapy, her doctors said they could do no more. Her parents, who have three other children, took her to Mexico for treatments not approved by the FDA. They got back Wednesday.
"Unfortunately her cancer did not respond – yet," said her mother, Debbie.
Friends and family say faith has a lot to do with Laurren's story. The family belongs to Fellowship Church in Forney, and many of those who came to the park Sunday are also members. Many people wore "Pray for Laurren" T-shirts.
Three teens who know her tried to explain how Laurren's story had affected so many people.
"By her strength," began Halie Hipsher, 13.
"And her pride," continued Alexis Boner, 13.
"And how she has stayed in her faith," ended Autumn Watson, 14.
Laurren's parents said cancer hasn't shaken their faith.
"This isn't from God. This is from a fallen world," said her father, Brian. "We told her a long time ago that God didn't give her cancer. We stopped asking 'why?' months ago."
Sunday was "a day to let go of the cancer and all the different things that come with not knowing what tomorrow may be," Debbie Smith said.
Laurren, normally not comfortable in the spotlight, smiled and hugged, smiled and hugged. She was polite but not eager to answer a stranger's questions.
"This is my fun day," she said.
Kids tossed "snowballs" from a giant pile of artificial snow. They played under a giant, decorated Christmas tree or sat on Santa's lap for early access to holiday wishes. Laurren got presents, of course. And Forney's mayor read a proclamation.
People donated money to join in sports competitions or bought burgers and sodas. All the money collected will go to defray the family expenses. (Find details about how to help Laurren and her family at laurrensmithfoundation.org.)
Laurren's supporters were hopeful but realistic Sunday.
"This is bittersweet," said Cheri Akers, who helped organize the opening parade.
"We believe that a miracle is still possible," said her husband, Aric Akers. "But we believe that part of the miracle is about how many people's lives a 13-year-old girl can touch."
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