Trisha Yearwood Fulfills Cancer Patient’s Dream
Local volunteers had many details to iron out last week when it was announced that hometown girls and best-selling authors Trisha Yearwood and Beth Yearwood-Bernard would be making Monticello an impromptu stop on their book signing schedule with just six days to prepare.
One sentimental and very important detail was not to be overlooked—helping JoAnn Matthias scratch one goal off her bucket list. Mrs. Matthias is a Delaware native who heard about the surprise appearance in Jasper County via social media last Sunday.
By Monday morning she had contacted Sandy Dennis, Jasper County Historical Foundation secretary, by e-mail and voice mail in hopes of acquiring one of a select amount of coveted tickets to meet one-half of her most favored country duo, Trisha Yearwood.
In October 2014, JoAnn was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (a severe type of blood cancer). As a nurse, she had some idea of what she was up against. After much research and working with oncologists and hematologists in Delaware and at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, she began chemotherapy treatments in November.
In the midst of experiencing the usual chemo side affects, JoAnn and her medical staff decided that a bone marrow transplant could be an option for her. After all, JoAnn’s brother had been diagnosed with the very same disease two years prior and received a transplant from their sister, Becky, who would later also serve as JoAnn’s bone marrow donor.
Her brother’s prognosis improved after the transplant and is now three years in remission. So JoAnn had hope that she wouldn’t be leaving her husband Kenny, Broadway-starring son Michael, and next generation nurse daughter Julie, and bubbly four-year old grandson Owen in the near future.
JoAnn had the bone marrow transplant procedure earlier this year and in the initial days and weeks following the treatment showed promise. But that promise faded after six weeks when her body began rejecting the marrow. Doctors continued researching options but short of another transplant, which did not come highly recommended in her condition, she was advised to “get her affairs in order.”
JoAnn knew what that meant. So she starting planning to “live” the rest of her life instead waiting on the inevitable. She found solace in listening to her favorite country musicians—-you guessed it Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks (Mr. Yearwood).
JoAnn recalls getting hooked on Trisha’s singing in the 90s while listening to the rising country star with her mother, who has since passed. JoAnn says she doesn’t miss a cooking show and has all the cookbooks which have been put to good use.
“My favorite Trisha song would have to be To Make You Feel My Love from the ‘Hope Floats” movie. I’ve always wanted to meet her and seeing that post on Facebook last week I knew I had to try.”
The e-mail and voice message paid off, Mrs. Dennis returned those inquiries, listened to her story and tried to make that wish come to true. Mrs. Dennis then called the Pam Mayer at the Chamber of Commerce office in request of one ticket for a special guest with special circumstances and was successful. The call back to JoAnn in Delaware was met with elation as she was given the go ahead to make plans to be in Monticello, Ga. by Sunday afternoon.
In charting her plans to get to Georgia, JoAnn and daughter Julie were expected to make the 11 hour drive together but a last hour on-duty call from her daughter’s employer prevented that. So in the absence of a road companion, JoAnn prayed for a safe trip and began the drive last Saturday morning. She made it to McDonough 15 hours later, safe and sound. After a few hours sleep, she was up and headed to Monticello the next morning with excitement and nerves.
As I sat talking with JoAnn in the moments preceding Trisha and Beth’s arrival, it became strikingly clear that despite her non-31064 zip code no one in that building wanted or needed to see the Yearwood sisters as much as JoAnn. There were times when explaining her story that she fought back tears particularly when she spoke of leaving her grandson behind in the world. There were other times when she glowed like when speaking of hearing Trisha and Garth sing together—”they have chemistry when they sing you can just hear it,” she said.
When the guests of honor arrived in the parking lot and JoAnn saw three familiar faces headed for the building she asked, “Is that Ashley?” She had recognized Beth’s daughter from the cookbooks and show. Within seconds, Trisha, Beth, and Ashley were serving up hugs and warm greetings. It was the culmination of something beautiful for the lymphoma patient. As they sat talking Trisha apologized for husband Garth not joining them and explained that he was back home on the tractor.
