DALZELL, S.C. — The Sumter community is rallying around a local family after a teenager has been diagnosed with cancer. At a restaurant in Dalzell, that support is on full display.
Green ribbons line the outside of Paul's Diner, all for Team Tanner.
"They said it was cancer," Amy Vaughn said.
It's the news Vaughn never expected to hear when she took her 17-year-old son Tanner to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston after he had lost a lot of weight and had a swollen lymph node.
"Maybe it was allergies?" Vaughn said. "No idea it would have been cancer. No, no...I mean, it's just one of those things you don't work with your worst enemies on."
Now, the community is rallying around the family.
"When a friend asks for help, you help them," Justin Newman, the owner of Paul's Diner, said. "That's what we're here for. I mean, it's not just not just food, you know? It's nourishment of the body and soul."
Newman said he had gotten to know Amy and Tanner through seeing them at the restaurant. When Newman found out about the diagnosis — stage 3 Hodgkin Lymphoma — he decided to help. Now, he's selling t-shirts and green ribbons and donating the money to the family.
"All the proceeds are to help alleviate some of the problems that the family is facing with the travel expenses, food, lodging, that type of deal. Whatever we can do to help," Newman said.
"People are just amazing," Vaughn said, smiling. "I never knew that people cared."
"I could not be more happy with the community and the way that everybody's come together. We may not have much, but we got each other. You know, and we're going to look out for our own, and we're going to look out for people, and it's been, you know, it's crazy how customers have become family. You know, I'll do anything for any of these people," Newman said. "We've had people that even outside of ordering a ribbon or whatnot, they've given 50 bucks or 100 bucks, here's for this, you know, don't - don't tell anybody, that kind of deal. So it's been really nice, and it makes me…it makes my heart warm to be part of such a great community that's so charitable and takes care of itself."
Through this effort, the community is also showing support for the diner. Tawanda Scriven said she has lived in Dalzell for 10 years and has been frequenting the restaurant since Newman took over as owner.
"Justin's doing a great job. I've been eating here for about a year since he took over the business, and he's a community guy. Walks in, he makes you feel welcome, and he always doing great things in the neighborhood," Scriven said. "He's always doing amazing things to help someone out."
In addition to showing support through buying ribbons at Paul's Diner, the community also offers support online through a Facebook group. Vaughn said Tanner's school, Thomas Sumter Academy, also donated money to the family to cover medical expenses. The sum was collected through a drive the school hosted and matched by a donor, Vaughn said.
"It's a lot for a teenager. It's a lot for an adult, but for a teenager, it's huge," Vaughn said about Tanner's diagnosis. "But family and friends and support has been amazing. Amazing doesn't even, like, describe the word because who…I didn't even know that people would care about our little family. But God puts certain people in our lives.
Vaughn said that she's traveling to Charleston every week so Tanner can get chemotherapy, which he'll receive for the next six months.