By Donathan Prater

Published: February 1, 2008

Heartfelt prayers have always been a part of the worship services at Nazareth Missionary Baptist Church.

But this weekend, the congregation of NMBC will be saying an extra prayer and keeping thoughts of one of their own in their hearts.

Breanna Lockhart, 17, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in November 2007.

According to the National Institutes of Health, Ewing’s sarcoma typically manifests in males during puberty when the bones are developing rapidly and does not commonly develop among black and Asian children. Ewing’s sarcoma is the result of the translocation between two chromosomes.

Just hearing a diagnosis of cancer was something that initially floored Tonya Lockhart Booker, Breanna’s mother.

“When I first heard those dreadful words, it left me devastated and numb,” Booker said. “Our entire family was in a state of shock.”

While some other forms of cancer display more overt symptoms, Breanna’s illness didn’t.

“My sister noticed a swollen lump on my daughter’s upper left thigh, but other than that, Breanna never displayed any symptoms,” Booker said.

That lump was an indicator of a tumor in the long bone (femur) of Breanna’s leg, one of the more common areas a condition like Ewing’s sarcoma manifests itself, according to a NIH Web site.

“This type of cancer is very aggressive, so Breanna’s doctors decided on an aggressive treatment regimen in order to keep the cancer from spreading,” said Booker, an Auburn resident.

Right now, Breanna’s treatment plan will include three months of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Every other week, Breanna spends about three to five days at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.
The cost of the frequent trips has affected the family’s already limited resources.

While Breanna, a senior at Auburn High School, has a twin sister (Breanca) and a 10-year-old brother (Antonio), doctors do not believe the genetic characteristic that triggered her cancer development will show up in her siblings.

Since her daughter’s diagnosis, Booker has quit her job in retail sales to care for Breanna full time.

Booker also assists her husband, a cancer survivor as well, in getting to his regularly scheduled doctor
visits.

Through it all, Booker credits a combination of spiritual faith and family unity in helping her
persevere.

“I know that God can heal Breanna,” said Booker