SCWC to light Tree of Hope after the Christmas Parade

Pictured here are Cancer survivor Jarrod Sexton and SCWC representative Barbara Chandler

Each year Seminole County Warpath on Cancer (SCWC) has a project called Tree of Hope where a Christmas tree is illuminated in honor of cancer survivors and in memory of cancer patients. SCWC’s Tree of Hope, which again this year is a utility pole in the shape of a cross, will be illuminated on the lawn at the corner of Tennille Avenue and U.S. Highway 84 on Thursday, December 2nd immediately following the Christmas parade. Local cancer survivor Jarrod Sexton will flip the switch for this year’s ceremony.

For a $5 donation a loved one’s name will be recorded in a program that will be given out the night of the lighting ceremony.  The deadline was Sunday, November 28 to have the names in the program. However, SCWC will continue receiving donations for the entire month December. All proceeds will go to the Seminole County Warpath on Cancer. 

Purchase a luminary by contacting Stephanie Mims at 229-220-1604 or Jan Taylor at 229-202-0200. 

Cancer Survivor Jarrod Sexton’s whole life changed on April 29, 2020. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer that had metastasized to his liver. “I was in total shock hearing the news,” Jarrod commented. 

He started his first round of chemotherapy on May 20, 2020, and did really well, but his health started declining and he was rushed to the emergency room where the doctors found an infection in his abdominal wall. “After I recovered from all of that, I was able to start back on six rounds of chemotherapy,” added Jarrod. He was then sent to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida for a six hour surgery procedure and doctors were able to remove all the tumors. In January 2021, Jarrod started back on chemotherapy and did six more rounds. This Summer, after receiving positive scans, Jarrod was declared cancer free.

Jarrod commented, “My family and I would like to thank Seminole County Warpath on Cancer and our friends and family in our community for helping us get through a difficult time.”