2026 Families

For 2026, we’re proud to select the following three families for our Tell Your Story recipients

Debbie Baylor:

On behalf of Debbie Baylors’ family, we would like to nominate her for the ROC award. Debbie Baylor of Homeworth is the definition of strength and resilience. In 2025, she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma where she immediately began chemotherapy treatments. Despite the physical and emotional challenges that came with her diagnosis she continues to live each day with determination. Even while undergoing treatment, she continued working long days at the Elks lodge in Alliance until the time came for her stem cell transplant in 2026.

Debbie has always been a familiar and friendly face in the community — known from her years at MAC Trailer where she retired from in 2023, volunteering countless hours at the Elks outside of work and her years as an EMT. Her work ethic, positive spirit and altruism have touched so many people throughout the years – never saying no when asked to take on another task to help someone else.

In preparation for her stem cell transplant, Debbie underwent extremely high-dose chemotherapy that severely weakened her immune system. Since that treatment, she has been left physically weak and unable to return to work. Even through these difficult circumstances, Debbie continues to face each day with courage and perseverance – determined to get back to the life she loves.

Debbie’s journey has been full of strength, hope and resilience. This is our time to give back to a woman that has spent the majority of her life caring for others, making her truly deserving of the Rockin’ Out Cancer award.

Garrett Coffee:

Everyone knows a family like the Coffee family. They have been a community staple for generations, with each generation continuing tradition of faith, family, and fellowship. I first met Charleen around 25 years ago when we worked together at Consumers National Bank. She was pregnant at the time with her son, Garrett. Charleen and her husband, Gregg, would go on to have Kennedy and Connor.  Together, the five of them would live in the heart of Hanoverton and all of them would attend United Local.

Garrett, now 25, worked in the family business, Hanoverton Hardware, until his diagnosis of Ewings Sarcoma. Due to Ewings Sarcoma being most prevalent in children, Garrett’s treatments are at pediatric hospitals. He has received treatment from Cleveland Clinic, Nationwide Children’s, another hospital in Florida for a trial, and will now be in Mexico for the next several months with a world-renowned specialist in Ewings Sarcoma. Garrett, his family, and his girlfriend Tessa, are in the fight for his life and can use all the help available.

This remarkable family has shown incredible strength throughout this terrifying process. Please consider donating to Garrett so that he can continue this treatment in Mexico.  his opportunity could be life saving for this young man. We love you, Coffee Family!!!

Love, Kim Courtney & Family. Iris Courtney “Iris The Brave”

First of all, thank you for giving me the time to share a story of an incredible young man. They are a tight knit family from the New Garden area. I wanted to nominate them for some assistance with their son. His name is Garrett Coffee. His parents are Greg and Charlene Coffee. He’s a 24-year-old graduate of United High School.

It all started in late summer 2025. The family noticed a small bug bite on the back of his left leg. Not even a concern at the time. Written off as a bug bite. In the fall, Garrett started experiencing body aches around hips and back. This was brought to the attention of the family doctor who ran bloodwork. They tried everything. Took him to a Chiropractor for adjustments and nothing seemed to help. The doctors first told him it was possibly Lyme Disease.

At this time, Garrett leaned on his faith to guide him to the answers. They tried more doctors. A specialist. The possible diagnosis switched to Rheumatoid Arthritis. Symptoms started escalating. Left leg began swelling. Finally, the family doctor ordered an MRI and that is when the tumor was discovered. Garrett endured the holidays with little information and excruciating pain. January 23, 2026, is when we had the final answer…Stage 4 Ewing Sarcoma. According to our understanding at the time, it was a very aggressive form of pediatric cancer. Not only was it found in his pelvis, but also his back, ribs, and shoulders. Neither the family nor Garrett had time to process this.

February 5th, he received the port of chemo. February 12th, he received his first chemo treatment at Cleveland Clinic. This helped ease the inflammation and pain that had been plaguing him for months. Garrett lost his hair. Most young men his age fear losing their hair to age, but no one dreams of losing their hair to cancer. Cleveland Clinic ended up steering him to Columbus where he could get access to trial chemo treatments. He took three more treatments there. The cold Ohio winter was hard on Garrett. He was chilled to the bone. He moved to Florida temporarily. Concerns grew with every treatment. The family looked into every option, starting with natural ones.

While in Florida, he started supplements, getting acupuncture, getting vitamin C inclusions, going to oxygen chamber visits — anything that could possibly help. The chemo seemed to work. The tumor shrunk, but the cancer continued to spread. The good news is that it did not spread to any vital organs. The family praised God for this! Finally, a silver lining in the middle of the storm.

Garrett has the opportunity to take part in a natural treatment plan in Mexico. Its high doses of supplements, structured workout programs, and an organic diet. As of the day I’m writing this, they are traveling there now. The community has named him “Coffee Strong,” and they could not be more correct. This situation has the ability to break people and to break families. These treatments won’t be covered by insurance, and no one knows how the family is going to navigate this financial burden. But Garrett’s strength and faith is holding his family together. I could not think of a more deserving human.

Kristianna and James Hurford:

First, I just want to say thank you for all you do for these families!

James, my brother-in-law, had bladder cancer back in 2018. He had the tumor removed. After surgery he went through targeted treatments for the bladder for a year. They now just watch closely to make sure there isn’t anything abnormal on his scopes, due to it being a 50% chance of coming back.

Kristianna, my older sister, was diagnosed at age 30 with Stage 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in 2024. Our family was devastated as we didn’t know what was going to happen from here. But with our faith in God, He led us in the right direction. They started treatment right away due to it being such an aggressive form of breast cancer. She got her port and the same week they started treatments. She went through 12 weeks of chemo, then after that, 4 rounds of another chemo called, “red devil”. It is nicknamed that due to its side effects. She was down for the count after those treatments leaving her unable to work some days. She ended up admitted multiple times due to vomiting from it, ended up with a pulmonary embolism, and had many other side effects.

She then had a double mastectomy after chemo, 12 rounds of Immunotherapy treatments and 35 rounds of radiation. In January of this year, she underwent a 9-hour reconstruction surgery for her breast cancer and a week later we weren’t sure if she was going to make it. She was life flighted and spent 5 days in the ICU. She was then off work 8 weeks again.

During this time James also took time off work so he could be with his wife. Thank God she is alive and recovering. They would both do anything for anyone. They both work full time and count on both of their incomes to live, so with them being off work multiple times and for all of Kristianna’s hospitalizations doctor’s appointments, chemo, etc. I know it has put a damper on things. I know they could really use the help to get caught up on medical bills and other things. Thank you for listening to their story.