By Larry Briscoe
Correspondent
Leah Nichols was relaxed and smiled Saturday when she said doctors gave her three more months to live.
“Only God knows,” she said of time.
“I try to live each day to the fullest,” Leah said and laughed, “I’m tough. I’m not going to let this get me down.”
Leah was diagnosed with colon cancer a year and a half ago. “It was already in stage 4 when I was diagnosed,” she said.
It now has moved into her liver and other organs.
Before that, she said she had never had a sick day in her life.
Leah is surrounded by supportive family and friends including her husband of 18 years, Tracy Nichols, along with sons, Scott and Brent. Add to that two grandchildren — Scott’s daughter and son, Angelina and Anthony.
Those family members were joined Sunday by Leah’s brother and sister, Jason Baldwin and Laura Childress, at a fish fry benefit at VFW Post 2559 in West Tawakoni.
Friends were plentiful including Kim Hoedebeck Burns who organized the event. She and Leah have been friends since sixth grade. Both graduated from Quinlan High School in 1983.
Another longtime friend attending was Laura Kennemer who grew up with Leah’s husband in the Nevada community and share a “mudder” interest at Tracy’s dad’s Nevada Mud Pits.
The turnout for the event was a tremendous showing of support for Leah. Just the volunteers filled one side of the meeting hall when grouped for a photo.