Woman battling brain cancer gets special surprise from Good Day's Ron Gant
ATLANTA - Funny cards are pouring in from all over the world for Sue Light. The Georgia mother is battling brain cancer, but her prognosis is not good. Knowing that she has a limited amount of time left, her family put out the call for cards.
News Talk 106.7’s Christy Hutching first met Light near the end of April.
"I don't know how much time, but I want to laugh. I know I'm secure in heaven because of Jesus Christ but until then I just want to laugh," Light said at the time.
In 2015, Light had a baseball-sized mass removed from her brain. Two weeks ago, she learned more cancer had formed on her skull. Her daughter, Jenny Johnson, who has also battled health issues, knows the importance of staying positive.
"If I wallow in it, I get nowhere, so sometimes I have to find my smile and my mom’s favorite thing to do is laugh so it's like what can I do to make mom laugh," said Johnson.
Something Hutchings also found out about Light was she was a huge fan of Good Day Atlanta anchor Ron Gant. Light confided she had followed the former Atlanta Braves player’s baseball career and now watches him every morning.
When the Good Day Atlanta crew heard that, they thought they should have him send her a card. That quickly grew into a bigger, better surprise. Why not surprise Light with a visit by the two-time MLB All-Star?
Tuesday, Light visited the Emory Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta believing she was there for an interview for a story they are putting together. That wasn’t the whole truth.
"Stay seated, we have a surprise for you," she was told as she put her head in her lap.
Her big surprise was the Silver Slugger Ron Gant.
When Gant first heard about Light’s story, he was moved and quickly on board for the surprise. Not only did he bring good cheer, but cards from the FOX 5 Atlanta staff. And a signed baseball card.
After the two visited, Hutchings sat down with Light to talk about what just happened.
"He's so handsome…he smells really good too…I was just…still surreal. It feels like a dream but I think in a dream he would have hugged me once, he hugged me a lot so it had to be real," Light exclaimed.
But her laughter quickly turned to tears.
"I'm just this little bitty person who got dealt a bad set of cards, but we make lemonade don't we. We do the best we can, be cheerful as we can. Like, I said I'm going to heaven, so I got that locked up but until I get there...Look what I got," Light said fighting back tears. "If I could have just one last wish, you've just done it for me...thank you so much!"
As for those cards she asked for weeks ago, they are coming in from all over the world. About thirty to forty new cards arrive each day. They have come from Poland, the Netherlands, England, Canada and all over the United States.
Light broke down in tears talking about how special it makes her feel to know that people handpicked cards for her. She said after the surprise, she's ready to tackle her radiation treatment on Thursday.