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Madeline McTier is a member of the ACE Thunderbirds out of the ACE of Atlanta location in Peachtree City, GA. On Monday, March 19, Madeline woke up not feeling well. After going to the hospital, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Surgeons began the removal surgery on Wednesday, March 21, and the procedure was a success.
After running a biopsy on the tumor, the McTier family discovered that the surgery would be only the first step in a long process of healing. Madeline began therapy and the process has continued to be one of the hardest parts for Madeline due to the frustrations of relearning basic motor and speech functions.
The McTier family recently received some uplifting news: Madeline was accepted into a radiation therapy program in Jacksonville, Florida. This program is one of only THREE in the world that uses “controlled” radiation treatments. This “controlled” method decreases the possibility of complications by almost 50% in comparison to traditional treatments! The whole process is very detailed and lengthy, to say the least, but the amount of prayer and love she has received in combination with the amazing treatment programs has brought about a sense of order for the McTier family in this difficult time.
The Thunderbird team members, staff and parents worked relentlessly to spread the word about Madeline to friends and family. Through social media, Madeline became an inspiration to thousands over night. #PrayforMadeline began to trend on Twitter from people all over the world. Updates were posted daily via Twitter and Facebook to keep her new “family” in the know. Pink t-shirts, Madeline’s favorite color, were printed with #PrayforMadeline and the Thunderbird’s new slogan “21B1H” (21 Birds 1 Heart) as an effort to raise funds for the family. To date, over 1,600 shirts have been ordered and almost $10,000 has been directly deposited into the Pray For Madeline Fund! Varsity All Star also joined in with the Pray for Madeline campaign by donating $1,000 to the fund and is encouraging the All Star family to show their support by donating or purchasing a shirt. The amount of love from people she knows, teams she competes against and people she has never met has been nothing short of AMAZING! Countless gifts, cards and pictures have been sent in from around the world and we have shipped t-shirts all over the continental US as well as Great Britain, New Zealand, British Columbia, Canada and even Malaysia!
The support for the family has been amazing although the road ahead is still long. Estimated, out-of-pocket medical costs are expected to be astronomical reaching the $1-$2 Million dollar range. At this time the McTier family is speechless at the amount of money that has been raised for their daughter and appreciates everything that has been done for them. They understand that money is not always easy to come by and ask that even if you cannot contribute support in the monetary sense, please send your thoughts and prayers to Madeline and their family whenever possible. The competitive side of our sport has, in turn, built a strength and bond between the cheer community that is able to bring us together in support of each other through difficult times such as these.
Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and continued support of Madeline McTier and the ACE family!
In order to donate money and/or request a t-shirt Online:
- Shirts are $15 each. This will cover the shirt, shipping and a small donation
- Visit www.acetribe.com
- Click the “Donate to the Pray For Madeline” link on the home page
- Fill Out the Required Information
*Make sure to use the correct shipping address!
- In the “Special Instructions” or “Notes” section include the requested sizes
- A confirmation email will be sent to you from Chris Treherne ([email protected])
In order to donate money at ANY Wells Fargo Location:
- Make checks payable to ACE-Pray For Madeline
- You can let the teller know that it is a donation/fundraising account under the same name
- This method will not be available for ordering shirts
After running a biopsy on the tumor, the McTier family discovered that the surgery would be only the first step in a long process of healing. Madeline began therapy and the process has continued to be one of the hardest parts for Madeline due to the frustrations of relearning basic motor and speech functions.
The McTier family recently received some uplifting news: Madeline was accepted into a radiation therapy program in Jacksonville, Florida. This program is one of only THREE in the world that uses “controlled” radiation treatments. This “controlled” method decreases the possibility of complications by almost 50% in comparison to traditional treatments! The whole process is very detailed and lengthy, to say the least, but the amount of prayer and love she has received in combination with the amazing treatment programs has brought about a sense of order for the McTier family in this difficult time.
The support for the family has been amazing although the road ahead is still long. Estimated, out-of-pocket medical costs are expected to be astronomical reaching the $1-$2 Million dollar range. At this time the McTier family is speechless at the amount of money that has been raised for their daughter and appreciates everything that has been done for them. They understand that money is not always easy to come by and ask that even if you cannot contribute support in the monetary sense, please send your thoughts and prayers to Madeline and their family whenever possible. The competitive side of our sport has, in turn, built a strength and bond between the cheer community that is able to bring us together in support of each other through difficult times such as these.
Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and continued support of Madeline McTier and the ACE family!
In order to donate money and/or request a t-shirt Online:
- Shirts are $15 each. This will cover the shirt, shipping and a small donation
- Visit www.acetribe.com
- Click the “Donate to the Pray For Madeline” link on the home page
- Fill Out the Required Information
*Make sure to use the correct shipping address!
- In the “Special Instructions” or “Notes” section include the requested sizes
- A confirmation email will be sent to you from Chris Treherne ([email protected])
In order to donate money at ANY Wells Fargo Location:
- Make checks payable to ACE-Pray For Madeline
- You can let the teller know that it is a donation/fundraising account under the same name
- This method will not be available for ordering shirts
