Last year, Kennedy Cleghorn participated in Covington County’s Relay for Life as a member of Pleasant Home School’s student council and for her grandfather, who was battling cancer. “She never expected to be fighting her own battle this year,” said Emily Cleghorn.

Since July 2013, the PHS freshman has been diagnosed with cancer twice.

“Kennedy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in July of 2014,” Emily said. “She went through surgery and then chemotherapy.”

By Christmas, she was finished with her treatments for ovarian cancer and showed no signs of cancer.

That all changed the last week of January when Kennedy began having pain in her abdomen again.

“Scans revealed our worst fears,” Emily said. “This time, rather than ovarian cancer, Kennedy was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma.”

She is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments to battle this form of cancer.

“She will continue the chemo through the rest of the year and go through a few weeks of radiation this summer,” Emily said.

Kennedy never expected to be fighting her own battle this year after she walked for her grandfather at last year’s Relay for Life event, Emily said.

“There are so many people in our area who have been affected by cancer,” she said. “Relay for Life is committed to fighting this horrible disease and that definitely has our support.”

Emily said Kennedy is in the hospital this week for chemo treatments, but the family hopes to be discharged in time to attend Friday’s event.