On Sunday, August 2, the Junior Cattle Baron’s Ball commenced in the Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Club in the American Airlines Center just before the very special guests took their seats for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Joining their CBB parents, youngsters like Sloane Ogle, Izzy Ogle, Stella Wynne and Ford Wynne helped hand out the gift bags and welcomed the honorees, who were cancer patients being treated at Children’s Medical Center and Medical City Children’s Hospital, and their families.
One onlooker, who had just become a first-time father three days before looked at the herd of youngsters and their families as they poured in past the metal detector. His daughter was not only healthy, she had a full head of hair. He paused and said, “You can never look at your own child the same way when you see what these parents have been through.”
What they had been through was supporting their munchkins in the battle against cancer. While other kids dreaded flu shots and cried honest tears over an occasional blood test, these Junior CBBs guests of honor had suffered through all types of hellfire in battling the evil disease.
There were those with hairless heads topped off with colorful bandannas and headbands, who were obvious frontliners having gone through chemotherapy and other treatments. There were others like tousle-haired Flick Blevins, who didn’t show the outward signs of the treatments.
But all of their moms and dads like Bryan and Kcee Blevins reflected signs of greater appreciation for their children’s courage and well being. These adults had also gone through so much having to balance normal parenting issues with the invasion of cancer within the family unit. And then there were the sisters and brothers like Jubilee Blevins and Banjo Blevins , who had had to grow up quickly to understand their sibling’s situation and their parents’ challenges.
But on this day, cancer may have been the common denominator but it was not allowed past the front door metal detectors. There were no needles, no pills, no discussion of treatments. Instead there were smiles, a bit of thumb sucking, giggles and relief that kids could be kids thanks to the annual event presenting sponsor The Moody Foundation and other sponsors. It was a day to laugh at silly clowns, stare in awe at aerialists and dream of being just kids thanks to the Cattle Baron’s Ball.