HELPING HAND—Shriner Mike Sawyer stands with Sherry and Christopher Cox at a recent New River Shrine Club meeting. Also pictured is Mr. Sawyer's wife, Pam. The Shriners are helping the Cox family pay for medical cost in treating Christopher's cerebral palsy.

Shriners help Piney Creek family

At the tender age of eight, Christopher Cox II of Piney Creek is scheduled to have a four-to-six hour surgery on April 29 at the Shriners Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina. Cox's mother Sherry, grandmother Judy Cox and Shriners Club member Mike Sawyer and his wife Pam of West Jefferson were on hand at a recent meeting of the New River Shrine Club. The Sawyers encouraged Mrs. Cox to introduce Christopher and tell his story to the local Shriners.

Early Arrival

In 1999, Sherry and Pastor Chris Cox were awaiting the arrival of their first child. Speaking to the Shriners, Mrs. Cox stated she awoke one morning and began having contractions. Only being about five-and-a-half months along, she initially shrugged the contractions off, assuming she was experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions, sporadic weak contractions that actually start at about six weeks. She lie awake for two hours before she awakened her husband, thinking that the pain would go away.

After a visit to the hospital, the couple were taken to Forsyth Medical Center and within 20 minutes of arriving there, Mrs. Cox gave birth to a one-pound, eight-and-a-half ounce baby that the couple named Christopher.

 

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