Magic Moments: The Cassell Family

Peggy Cassell is a single mom who’s raised five kids on a super-tight budget, but has always found ways to make holiday magic for her kids. Their fondest memories of childhood are of the holidays, and driving around looking at Christmas lights was a tradition for Peggy’s crew.

Most of her family is grown except for 14-year-old Ben, a sweet, sentimental, sensitive kid who tells his mom everything and counts on her for support. But the rest of the “kids” still love to hang out with mom, including son Ryan and twins Blake and Brandon (plus Brandon’s fam, including little Leo and Amabelle). Mikayla is also nearby, with her own brood of four (Eli, Alayna, Alexis, and baby Khaleesi), so Peggy doesn’t have to go far for the reassurance of family or the hug of a child.

Navigating life’s challenges

The love of family is a good thing, as life has presented some challenges along the way. But Peggy has always found a way to navigate, willing things to work out. Like any good mom, Peggy’s kids have always been her biggest priority, so issues with them were always her main focus, and she fought for them fiercely. When Mikayla was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma at four months old, Peggy advocated for her health and acted as her nurse, determined to prove the terminal diagnosis wrong. And 28 years later, Mikayla is going strong. She and her mom have worked together cleaning Bryan Health locations for a contract service for years, even after Peggy’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis 11 years ago. She felt it was the perfect setup, as she could work alongside Mikayla.

Doing what needs to be done

Peggy took a fall back in October that turned out to be a blessing, as the resulting tests uncovered stage-four lung cancer that has spread to her brain. Since Peggy’s diagnosis, Mikayla has been working her mom’s shifts so she can make ends meet. With no paid time off (they’re contract labor), she does it for them both in order to keep her mom going. “I just know if she can’t pay her bills, she won’t keep fighting, and I can’t imagine my life without her,” Mikayla explained. Like her mom taught her, you just do what needs to be done. Every night while Mikayla is cleaning, she talks to her mom through her AirPods so they’re still together — that’s what she’s used to.

Peggy has received radiation to control the brain cancer, which was successful. The lung cancer, however, has grown since chemo began. “I just keep hoping the doctors are as wrong about my mom’s cancer as they were with mine when I was a baby,” Mikayla explained. The entire family, all five kids and six grandkids, is holding out for a Christmas miracle.

Time together is everything

There is so much love in this family, it’s palpable. Time together is everything to them, so UBT wanted to give them just that, unencumbered by the weight of financial obligations or the uncertainty of diagnoses. We think they deserve a holiday that is beyond special (with maybe a tiny bit of help thrown in!).

For the fam, we arranged for a two-hour limo ride holiday light tour donated by Leisure Limo to carry on the decades-old tradition in style, and a holiday meal delivered by Dave Vrbas from Country Sliced Ham (thanks for the discount, Country Sliced Ham) to do the holidays up right. To keep the good times rolling, there’s an escape room experience donated by Lincoln Escape Room, movie tickets donated by Marcus Theaters, Pillar Restaurant Group gift cards donated by Pillar Restaurant Group, and a Texas Roadhouse gift card. They also received a pair of tickets to an upcoming Eric Church concert, thanks to Alpha Media.

Ben’s gift pile contained a gaming headset, and thanks to our partnership with Scheels, spiffy new clothes and a Scheels gift card.

Because some pampering is clearly in order here, Tranquility Salon & Spa has donated a spa day to Peggy and Mikayla for some mother/daughter pampering. U-Stop/Whitehead Oil has donated gift cards to offset some of the expense of traveling to chemo. While at treatment, Peggy will have a new iPad to use so she won’t have to strain to see her phone. She’ll also have some new chemo tops. For home, a rolling kitchen cart will keep things organized, a Ring doorbell will mean she can stay seated in her recliner donated by Ernie’s, comfy and cozy in her new robe and slippers, using her chair massager. She also received soft bedding donated by Sleep Number, D’Covi Skincare donated by Lindsay Hall, and house cleanings courtesy of Aiding Angels. And of course, AirPods so she can chat for hours with Mikayla and the rest of her clan so they’re right there together.

We’re wishing the Cassell family the season’s very best. Peggy, we’re really rooting for you. Happy holidays, Cassell family!

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