El Paso family remembers daughter lost to rare form of cancer
EL PASO, Texas - One Borderland family gathered to remember a life taken too soon.
At only 17 years old, Meghan Lynn McHalffey lost her battle with Ewing Sarcoma. The El Paso teenager was a Junior at Coronado High School when she passed away in March of 2019.
Family and friends joined together to honor her life at a local park. Her close friends and cousin joined hands as they released butter flies in her honor as her birthday was supposed to be this weekend.
While her family continues to mourn her loss, they see her life as an opportunity to advocate for others. Her family wants to make sure no other family has to endure this type of tragedy. "We had no idea and we want to make people aware. If you're child had pain taken them to emergency and get an x-ray. Prevent all of this. No matter what," Meghan's mother Shamiran Bedjohn said.
Meghan's family and friends joined together to remember their friend, and honor her life. At the park they read poems and shared memories about the teen, each one sharing what Meghan meant to them.
According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for localized Ewing sarcoma is 70 percent. However, once that cancer is metastasized patients have a five-year survival rate of just 15 percent to 30 percent.