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LHS News

The school news site of Liberty High School

LHS News

The school news site of Liberty High School

LHS News

Senior Spotlight- Dillon Moody

Senior+Spotlight-+Dillon+Moody

by Nathan Ellermeier |

As Mrs. Prince, one of the high school’s counselors, talked about Dillon Moody and the time she has spent with him over the past three years, one word continually came up: “complaining.” Said word was always preceeded by another significant word: “Never.”

“I never once have heard Dillon say, ‘Oh, I feel horrible’ like someone like you or I might say when we have a cold,” Prince said.

Dillon has struggled with cancer his whole life, ever since he was five years old to be exact.
The fight that he has put up includes bi-weekly trips to St. Jude’s hospital (located in Memphis, Tennessee) as well as spending nearly two months of last summer there for experimental treatment on a tumor in his brain. And these have only been the last several years; Dillon has had numerous surgeries and treatments for as long as he’s been in grade school.

But Dillon’s attitude rarely defers to negativity.

“I look at it like this,” Dillon said. “Cancer doesn’t control me, I control cancer. And because of this, I try to live every day like it could be my last, and I just try to have a lot of fun.”
Fun is part of Dillon’s day.

“I like to play guitar,” Dillon said. “When I’m getting my treatment in the hospital, they let me bring my guitar and I play it while I’m there.”

As well as his guitar, Dillon also interacts with and consoles children staying at St. Jude’s hospital.

“Dillon is extremely involved in people’s lives at St. Jude’s,” Prince said. One nurse told Dillon about a young boy staying at the hospital saying, ‘The only time I ever see him smile is when you’re around.’”
But as Dillon is in Memphis every two weeks to receive chemotherapy, he misses school quite frequently.
“At one point, I used to have to do two weeks of school work in only one week,” Dillon said.

But Dillon has pushed onward through high school.

“My goal in life is to graduate high school,” Dillon said. “And then I’d like to go to college and study music.”
Dillon has learned to persevere through his career here at Liberty High School, and the end of his senior year is fast approaching.

“It is a hard battle that he’s fought,” said Principal Adams, “but he embraces life and doesn’t allow the barriers that are put in place because of an illness to affect him. He is my hero and he’s just the most incredible man.”
Dillon’s life goal comes exponentially closer with each passing day, and he is ready for his hard work in high school to finally see its resolution.

“I’m ready to walk across the stage. Because after that, I know it’s time to grow up, get a job and go to college.”

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