By Lorrie Ross
Staff Writer
"No Child Should Fight Alone" was the theme of youth football night at the Hayesville High School football games on Friday, Sept. 12.
From the time Cooper Godfrey and Rhet Lovingood ran onto the football field with the Hayesville High School football team, it was obvious they were not alone in their fights against childhood cancer.
All local youth involved in football were invited to participate for youth night, but Godfrey and Lovingood were special guests since they are both fighting childhood cancer and September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. While on the field, the two boys were escorted hand-in-hand by four of Hayesville's players because the team wanted to help honor Godfrey and Lovingood.
Cooper turned seven this month and was diagnosed with a brain tumor in April 2025.
"He is doing well," his mother, Melissa Godfrey said. "We are working through some side effects of chemo but overall he's doing well. His vision has been significantly impaired, which is our biggest hurdle right now."
Five-year-old Rhet was diagnosed with B cell acute leukemia on April 6, 2024. "He is our hero," his mom, Caitlynn Lovingood said. "We live our days, day by day; things could change in minutes.
As of today, he is doing awesome. Not every day is rainbows and sunshine."
The boys' families invite others to follow their journeys as the boys battle their cancers. Each one has a Facebook page dedicated to news about his treatment and their milestones along the way.
Godfrey's Facebook page is Tumor Takedown: Cooper Style. Lovingood's cancer fight may be followed at Rhet Crushing Cancer.