Lindsey as a freshman on the cheer team
Lindsey Atkinson is just a regular teenager just like any other. She spends lots of time hanging out with her friends, her family, and on social media. But unfortunately Lindsey has had to spend lots of time too in places she would rather not be, like in hospitals.
Lindsey had knee surgery in April and they removed a tumor from the 15-year-old and biopsied it and it came back positive with Osteosarcoma, which is a very rare bone cancer which affects about only 20,000 people in the USA a year! It is most prevalent in children and young adults.
After receiving the devastating news Lindsey didn’t get upset or give up. She got tough. She has had to undergo several chemo treatments and spend most of her spring and summer in the hospital. She has handled the journey very well except for a few days where she really was homesick, which for a teen struggling through this is understandable.
The whole Chelsea community has backed her selling yellow “Stay Strong Lindsey” bracelets and on Monday, July 11, Jet’s Pizza in Chelsea is donating 10% of all dine-in orders between 5-8 P.M. to Lindsey’s family to help offset some of the extreme cost of the medical treatments she has been receiving and to help with anything else she may need. Jet’s is located north of the clock tower in Chelsea at 506 N.Main St. Also, donations may be mailed in Lindsey’s name to P.O. Box 611 in Chelsea, 48118.
“It’s been really tough,” Lindsey stated. “I’m doing ok, it’s just hard for me to get around. I am very appreciative of all the people that have stood behind me and supported me, it means a lot to me and it helps me out even more than people know.”
While others were lighting fireworks, having fun on the lakes and having picnics Lindsey was up in the hospital with 2 drains in her leg. They pulled them and she got to go home and she has one long scar to show for it. But the soon to be Sophomore never complains about it. She understands and refuses to give in.
“I’ll probably miss most of the school year, at least half this year, but I plan on getting back and getting back on the sideline cheer team and cheering again for our Bulldogs,” Lindsey proudly exclaimed. “I used to figure skate and was going to be a varsity tennis player but who knows what I’ll be able to do with my new leg, I might not be able to do any of those things. But I’m going to do my best to recover through all this and try!”
Lindsey is the daughter of Brian and Patty Atkinson of Chelsea and has one brother, Jared.
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