Community Hero 2007
Alanna Doyle
Three-year-old “Alley” is an effervescent little girl with a fantastic sense of humor that seems larger than life. She enjoys playing outdoors with her sister and baby brother, and has never met a sandbox she didn’t like. Alanna’s also a wonderful tea-party host, always dressing up for the occasion. According to her mother, Tiffany, she has quite the sophisticated palate, too, and likes to dine on sushi.
Last year Alanna was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a fast-growing cancer of the striated muscle tissue and the sixth most common form of childhood cancers. Since then, she’s undergone a battery of treatments and procedures, enduring everything from chemotherapy and radiation to surgery and a tracheotomy, which has inhibited her verbal communication.
As a fast learner, Alanna is already mastering sign language, even teaching her nurses and hospital volunteers how to communicate with it. “Alley has never lost her ability to make others laugh,” says Tiffany. “She maintains her inner strength and positive attitude, and continues to fight endlessly every step of the way.”
By keeping her head up and her spirits high, Alanna is a living testament to the fact that even the youngest among us can be the bravest heroes.
