When Ooltewah hosts District 5-AAA opponent Soddy-Daisy in its “Pink Out” high school volleyball match for breast cancer awareness tonight, it will mean a little more for one Lady Owls player.
Senior Sidney Killingsworth’s mother, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2015. Although in the past year and a half Amy has been through some rough stretches, with complications arising, she’s not only feeling well enough now to attend the match, she’s been heavily involved in helping put on the event.
“She wanted to be in charge of the ‘Pink Out’ last year,” said Ooltewah coach Elaine Peigen, who is a breast cancer survivor.
Amy underwent surgery April 9, 2015. In June she watched Sidney, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter and middle blocker, compete in a national tournament in Orlando, Fla. The family had planned to go to the beach in Panama City afterward.
Her immune system weakened by all the chemotherapy treatments, Amy felt a fever coming on. As a planned part of the trip she had already gone to an outpatient laboratory in Orlando for blood work.