Natalie Hill is in the fight of her life!

This weeks special guest is local high schooler Natalie Hill.  Natalie has been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer.  Knowing she may not have long to live, she has put together a “Bucket List”.  Here is Natalie’s story:

My name is Natalie Glenn Hill. I was born on December 15th, 1995. Therefore I am 15.  I love sports; basketball, cross country, soccer and track. On July 1st 2010 I found out I had a tumor in my left thigh, above my knee. I went to the doctor due to months of knee pain. I then went to Shriners Hospital for Children, in Portland, where I had a biopsy. It was then determined I have a malignant (cancerous) bone tumor, osteosarcoma. I had chemo  at Doernbechers Childrens Hospital also inPortland. On September 28th 2010 I had a rare surgery called a rotationplasty to remove the tumor. The surgery consisted of taking out the tumor by removing most of my thigh then taking my lower part of my leg, rotating it 180 degrees then attaching it to the little of my thigh that was left.  My left ankle is now the same height as my right knee and can be used as a knee. You probably don’t understand, nobody usually does. I chose to have this surgery. My other option was to have a complete knee replacement. With that surgery, my physical activity would have been limited; no running, jumping or anything to possibly break the artificial knee. With the rotation I can do anything I want to. I finished chemo at Doernbechers in February, at this time 3 lesions were in lungs. I had these removed. I went back toPortlandon 9/27/2011 to find out that there are more lesions in my lungs, they dont want to operate again because they are too deep and would come back again. I have been told that they my life is coming to an end, and that we are just trying to prolong life and make sure it has good quality. My family and I are looking into other options, other less known treatments that may possibly save my life.

Natalie’s Bucket List:

So I have made a list of things I want to do (: I’m hoping that when people see this that maybe they will see something that they can help me accomplish. They are in no particular order. Thank you (:

I’m sure things will be added as I think of them. (: Also with as many of these as possible I would like my best friend Samantha Ring to be able to do them with me. Some of these are far fetched, but hey its all worth a try.

1. Pet a tiger. Being Worked On
2. Done! TP a house. Thank you Samantha Ring, Aaron Draper, Lori Ring, Jessica Creamer, Shaylyn Brownell  and Kaley Brownell for participating in the festivities. Thanks mom and Jody for the Toilet Paper money.
3. Fence (with the sword thingys).
4. Drive a mini coop. Being Worked On
5. Buy something from Gucci. Thank you Aimone family for the Gucci perfume. Thank you everyone at Dr. Gates office for the Gucci bag (:
6. Go to Vegas. Being Worked On
7. Drive a school bus Being Worked On
8. Work at Dutch Bros for a day.  Being Worked On
9. Done!  Have a boy sneak through my bedroom window. Thank you David Eckes for sneaking through my window! (:
10. See the Northern Lights.
11. Shoot hoops in the Rose Garden with the Blazers.  Being Worked On
12. Ride in the back of a cop car.  Being Worked On
13. Be on a TV show. Being Worked On
14. Watch both halves of Breaking Dawn.  First Half Being Worked On
15. Go snorkeling.
16. Go toHawaii.
17. Take my family to Boston, my favorite place.  Being Worked On
18. Sky Diving.
19. Go tubing.
20. Sing with a famous person.
21. Go to LA.
22. Meet Taylor Swift.
23. Go to another country.
24. Done! Stick a skull and cross bones sticker on Michael Hobson’s car.   Thank you Sam, mom and dad for helping and going with. Also thank you Parker Forte for supplying the sticker.
25. Swim with the dolphin, from Dolphin Tale.
26. Done! To have somebody throw me a surprise party.  Thank you Alanna Iverson and everybody else at my virtual surprise party! Thank you MHS soccer team for the amazing surprise party!
27. Watch all the Star Wars movies, I have never seen any of them.  Being Worked On
28. Get a tattoo.  Being Worked On
29. Done! Have ice cream with Linda (Ms. George, ha!) and Sam. Thank you Kelly Aimone for planning the whole thing! It was awesome! Thank you Ms. George for having ice cream with me, too bad Sam couldn’t be there the first time.
30. Done! Eat sushi.  Thank you Kennedy family for the sushi!
31. Done! Go through a corn maze.Thank you Julie Uppstad for taking us. Also thank you Alexis Luna for getting the ticket. Thank you Samantha Ring, DaCota Ring, Alexis Luna and Julie Uppstad for letting me have a good time. Thank Lone Pine Farms for the free ticket.
32. Go into the Big Brother house
33. Go to Platform 9 3/4. Thank you Denise Stevens for the pictures (:
34. Go to Crater Lake. Being Worked On
35. Ride in a subway.
36. Ride in a limo.
37. Done! Ride in a Taxi. Thank you Kelly Aimone for planning it all! Thank you to my fabulous cab driver Jeremy!
38. Ride in a hot air balloon.
39. Go to Chuck E Cheese’s.
40. See a shooting star.
41. Go Christmas caroling in a big group door to door, like in Christmas movies.
42. Hit 10,000 likes on my update page.

 There will also be a fundraiser for Natalie.  Details:

 A fundraiser and auction from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 19, will help cancer survivor and fighter Natalie Hill, 15, realize some of her “bucket list” dreams.

The event is at St. Monica Catholic Church,357 S. Sixth St.inCoosBay.

Pam Connelly, who remembers Natalie from when she was a middle school student, also is working to connect people to make some of the items realities.

“Our hope is that she can come home and say, ‘Haha, I don’t need that bucket list,’” Connelly said, but in case she can’t as many items as possible are going to be crossed off.

To find out more about Natalie’s bucket list and how to help, contact Connelly throughMillicomaSchool, or visit Facebook and search for Natalie Hill Updates.

Donations can be sent through the Coos Bay Rotary Club to Coos Foundation FBO Natalie Hill, P.O. Box 1344, Coos Bay, OR 97420 or drop checks off at 467 Golden Ave., Coos Bay.