ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - From her open bedroom window Amanda Markley was serenaded by a choir singing Christmas songs, as she looked over a taste of New York City built right in her backyard on Sugar Creek Road. Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 29-year-old. After treatments and surgeries, her cancer went into remission. But a year ago, she got the news that the cancer has returned and another battle to fight it began.
"She has had two dreams. One was to watch her freshman son play high school basketball and the other one was to go to New York to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree" says Mandy Green, Amanda's friend and helped organize the special evening. "They have a trip planned for December 18th, all flights, hotels, everything paid for. But unfortunately, her health has declined and they are not going to make the trip."
Friends and family were not going to let Amanda miss her dream trip to NYC, so they recreated the Rockefeller tree, complete with skating rink along with other decorations to transport her there. Her Dad was overwhelmed with what they did for Amanda.
"I have been crying since this morning when they got here," says Charlie Rayl. "It's amazing how a community can come together and do all this amazing stuff in just one day. It just shows the love that they have for her. From the bottom of my heart, with all the gratitude I can have, I just thank everybody that has been here.
After Amanda's Michigan Wolverines won the Big Ten championship Saturday night, the players helped share a special message that her friends and family made sure that she heard Sunday night "We Love You Amanda!"
"I can't imagine being that young and going through what they are going through," adds Green. "She has battled and fought, and we have battled and fought with her and just to see her smile tonight like she did it has been amazing."
