By Cara Beth Lewis
Ashanti Kelly is a 2021 graduate of East Bladen High School and the daughter of Henry Kelly Jr. and Jennifer Kelly. Yesterday, her wish came true as the community held a drive by parade for her.
Ashanti has had to fight many battles in her life. She was born with Cerebral Palsy and Scoliosis, and in June she received the dreaded news that she had stage four osteosarcoma cancer. According to her mother, chemotherapy has not worked as they hoped, and the cancer has traveled to various portions of her body, including her right femur bone and hip, and her lungs.
Ashanti’s mother stopped working in June so she could be Ashanti’s full-time caregiver, as the goal is to keep her as comfortable as possible. The community held a drive-by parade for her yesterday, just like she wished for. Many members of the community, businesses, and organizations stepped in to contribute, including Trina Williams Bennett, Ilka Huntley McElveen, Kita Whittington, Shena’s Place Uniforms & Boutique, DBB Car Club, Streetz Dreamz Car & Truck Club, Clarkton Fire Department, White Oak Fire Department, and Elizabethtown Fire and Rescue Department.
Trina Bennett, one of the event planners, has been a life-long friend of Ashanti’s mother. She said, “When I saw Morgan Hall’s post on Facebook about a parade for Ashanti I jumped right on it. I designed the flyer, made contacts, and we made it happen. Even though it rained and it was cold, I wanted Ashanti’s dream of a drive-by parade to happen.”
The parade began at Lloyd Park and continued to Fox Street in Elizabethtown. After the parade, music by DJ Tony Kilpatrick, step dancers, vendors, T-Shirts, and more were included in the plans.
If you would like to make a donation to Ashanti, contact her mother, Jennifer Kelly, at (910) 705-0205, or you can donate via Cashapp to $ashantimonique11.
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