NASHVILLE, Tenn.- As racers prepare for the 12th Annual Country Music Marathon, one little girl joined in to remind participants what they are racing for.
There's never a shortage of smiles for seven-year-old Audrey Stanger even after all she's been through. Audrey was diagnosed with a rare tumor in her chest that grew to be the size of a baseball.
"The first time they just removed it surgically, 7 hours, 9 inch scar," said Marshall Stanger, Audrey's father.
But the tumor came back. That's when the family was referred to St. Jude. Audrey has been receiving treatment through a clinical trial.
"It was a baseball size tumor to start with and at this point it's less than the size of my pinky," explained Marshall.
Audrey is back to her cheerful self, a relief to her grateful parents who say they owe a debt a gratitude to the hospital. That's why Marshall Stanger is running his first marathon on Saturday. He alone has raised more than $6,500 for the cause.
"Every little bit helps," he said.
Audrey is also gearing up for the ING Kids Rock Race, a walk in the park compared to the race she's already winning.
Her message to other kids about cancer... "It's not, it might not be scary as you think," she said. "Once you get out of it you feel better.
