Suwanee girls work to raise funds for cancer center

Elena, the spitfire with thinning red hair, has leukemia. She just began her fourth month of chemotherapy and expects two more years of treatment. Already, she’s lost 15 pounds. Her rich auburn hair, long enough to donate more than 10 inches to Locks of Love in July 2008, has been reduced to strands.

Her sister has her own challenges. Since age 2, Olivia has undergone brain surgery — twice — to remove tumors. The first surgery was April 2004, the last June 2008. Both times, the tumors — called juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma — were benign. Olivia has MRIs every six months, with the next in September.

Both sisters were diagnosed on the same date, April 6 — Olivia in 2004, Elena just this year.

For the past two Tuesdays, the two have dispensed lemonade at Thrasher Park in downtown Norcross. In doing so, they hope to put the metaphorical squeeze on the disease while raising funds for the Aflac Cancer Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where they’re both treated.

“I want to help me ... and others who have cancer and brain tumors,” says Elena, clad in a pink top emblazoned with the words “Cancer picked the wrong diva.”

Already, the girls have raised $758.03. Elena, who also donated three years of birthday presents to the center, says her goal is to have reached $1,500 after the duo hit the market again in September and October.

“It’s important because Aflac doesn’t have much money, and so we’re going to give them money,” Olivia says.

Dr. Glen Lew, a pediatric oncologist with Aflac, said Elena “has a very good chance of a cure. It wasn’t the best of luck that both kids have had to go through this, but they are both doing very well.”

Unlike Olivia, who’s a bit reserved when it comes to talking about tumors, Elena isn’t shy about her cancer.

“It doesn’t seem like I have cancer because cancer to me is such a big word,” Elena says. “It doesn’t feel like it’s that big.”

Elena loves to run, dance, bounce on trampolines and compete in family-engineered obstacle courses. She says she still does most of those things, with a slight difference.

“I can’t run as fast as everybody, but I still do the obstacle courses in a fast time,” she says.

Not much embarrasses the always-smiling Elena. Despite losing much of her hair, she wears hats only to ward off the sun. She doesn’t fret much about her appearance or going bald.

Then there are the difficult times. The hours of chemo. The loss of weight and strength. The questions of “Why me?”

“We cry, we scream, we get angry,” Elena admits. But ultimately, she adds, “God knew we could handle this leukemia.”

Mom, Christy Tate, chimes in: “You’re so smart, beyond your years.”

For dad, Mark Tate, having two daughters with serious medical conditions “is still kind of surreal. It makes you realize how precious life is.”

Christy Tate takes comfort in knowing her daughters should live full, happy lives.

“These are just big bumps in the road.”