DELTA, Ohio — A Swanton family received some help from their community for their daughter fighting leukemia.
The 5th annual Sharon's Cinderella Ball took place Saturday night in Delta to benefit scholarships for local area high school students. But this year, the board for the event decided to branch out its support to help a local family battling cancer.
Andrea and Jake Johnson were the guests of honor at the event Saturday. Their 11 year-old daughter, Leah, is currently in her fourth cycle of chemo treatment for leukemia. Kirsten Mignin, executive director and daughter of the late Sharon Bruce, whom the event is named after, said they wanted to help out more than just students this year.
"We decided to continue the Sharon K. Bruce education foundation," she said, "which provides scholarships and also add to a family that's dealing with cancer particularly a family with a child."
Bruce was a teacher and passed away from a rare form of cancer. Mignin said she wishes her mom could see how much the event has grown, doubling in just the last year. She added that her mom would've loved the Johnsons and Leah.
"Her mom passed away from cancer," Leah's mom Andrea Johnson said, "and so we had that kinship because of what her mom went through and what my daughter is going through now."
"She would've just of loved her," Mignin said, "and would love Leah's vivacity and determination for things, her grace and dignity remind me a lot of my mom."
Leah is finishing up her final chemo treatments, leading up to a bone marrow transplant next month. Her parents said she's handled everything better than anyone.
"Leah's amazing," Johnson said. "I wish that I was half the person that Leah is. She's got one speed and it's forward."
The money raised from Sharon's ball will help the Johnsons with expenses as Leah enters the final phase of her treatment. And the Johnsons said they were humbled by the community's support.
"It's incredible that so many people are here from so many different parts of our lives," she added, "and they've all come together, knowing that they're here to help support out daughter...it's really something."