SANDUSKY, Ohio — Gwendolyn Baughn is a 4-year-old with a big personality. Her parents say she is strong and resilient despite the challenges she faces, living with cancer. Gwendolyn was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor, a common kidney cancer found in children.
It’s a disease she’s been fighting since an infant.
“We should be focused on cartoons and getting ready for preschool. Instead, she's got cancer treatments and doctor visits every week and they're all day long,” said Gwendolyn's father, Michael Baughn.
But Gwendolyn does not let the constant doctor visits or procedures scare her.
“I’m brave when I go to the doctor, but I’m not brave around bugs,” said Baughn.
“She's got a port in her chest because they put a big needle in there every visit, and that’s not fun. Then she must sit there and get the medicine; she has tape on her which is probably the hardest part, because she must get all the tape off at the end of every appointment. But she does better every time,” said Baughn.
And her bravery is contagious.
"Her mom and I probably get our strength from her because she is so strong, but at the end of the day, if she's having a bad day, it’s on [us to] pick her back up mentally and get her through this,” said Baughn.
Her parents started the page Gwendolyn’s Journey on Facebook, taking people along for the ride and giving them the option to donate towards Gwendolyn’s procedures.
“The community support has been amazing but at the same time I don't feel like children with cancer get enough exposure, there's so many people that don't even have a clue that it is right here in their hometown,” said Baughn.
But one duo wants to change that. Racecar driver Todd Warnick and Bryana McDonnell came across Gwendolyn’s story and wanted to help.
“I had seen posts about her going through some medical treatment, and I reached out to him about maybe doing a benefit with some of my other sponsors," said Warnick. "Childhood Cancer sucks and it doesn’t matter what kind of cancer it is, what kind of sickness you may have, we're going to do what we can to help.”
With the help of local Shellukes Bar & Grill and multiple sponsors, people will be able to support Gwendolyn’s fight. Gwendolyn’s Journey Childhood Cancer Benefit is on March 28 at Shellukes Bar & Grill. There will be silent auctions, raffle giveaways, free oil changes and activities for kids.
“We just want everybody to get together and do what they can to help. If you can't financially support, that’s okay, you can be there emotionally and show that little girl she has a team behind her,” said McDonnell.
And with another upcoming procedure, Gwendolyn’s parents were grateful for the support.
“We are so thankful for them, we wouldn't even be having the event if it wasn't for them. We're very blessed at the same time, even though we're going through a lot. So, it has been amazing to see everybody rally behind her,” said Baughn.
If you would like to help support Gwendolyn’s journey, you can click this link.
