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Weaving a Web of Healing for Maddie Lane

Posted on Aug 8, 2016 in Current Events, Families In Need, Helping Families

Ten year-old Maddie Lane Demers loves Spiderman and the color purple. Until a few months ago, her world revolved around cheerleading with her pals from the Renegades, enjoying time with her family and friends, and loving Spiderman and purple. Then a diagnosis of a very rare form of bone cancer changed everything for Maddie Lane and her family. Now it’s traveling back and forth to Cleveland Clinic and a regimen of needles, blood tests, and treatments to battle multicentric osteogenic sarcoma and tumors trying to take over her tiny body. In addition to altering everything Maddie and her family knew as normal, this insidious disease is taking a huge toll financially for the family, and they need some love and support from the community. On Wednesday, August 24th, the Van Duzer Foundation will host an evening of fun and family to support Maddie Lane and her family at Big...

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Dolphins DB Michael Thomas Aims to impress on field and off

Posted on Aug 6, 2016 in Helping Families

DAVIE — The term professional football player describes Michael Thomas but doesn’t define him. It never will. He’s the type of athlete who holds a summer football camp that teaches kids how to score — on the SAT. His social involvement is such that Congress can’t agree on much but summoned him to Capitol Hill this summer to present him with the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Defensive back aims to impress on field and off photo Allen Eyestone Dolphins safety Michael Thomas, on violence by and against police: ‘It’s terrible. Nobody wants to see it.’ (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post) And even though Thomas, a special teams captain and defensive back, is fighting to impress a new coaching staff on the Dolphins under the broiling South Florida sun, it hasn’t blinded him from another battle. “Enough’s enough,” Thomas said of violence by and against police. “We’re tired...

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