Teen represents St. Jude on 'Today Show'

While being treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer at St. Jude Children's Hospital, Elizabeth Walters got a chance to understand the meaning of hope.

"It was hard to find hope. I always tried to have a good outlook on everything, but it was hard," said the Florence High School junior who has been battling cancer since 2008. "The best thing for me was my friends and seeing other people at St. Jude and the hope they had."

Last Thanksgiving, Walters and her family watched a special on television about the St. Jude Children's Hospital Thanks and Giving Campaign.

"I always looked up to those patients who had hope," she said.

This year, Walters will be one of those patients. She has been chosen to appear on "The Today Show" on Monday morning for the kickoff to St. Jude's annual campaign. The show will air locally from 6-10 a.m. on Comcast Channel 9.

Walters will be on the show with Marlo Thomas, the national outreach director of St. Jude and the daughter of St. Jude founder, Danny Thomas.

"I'm nervous, but I'm excited," Walters said. "I can't believe they actually selected me. I've never met Marlo Thomas, so that will be exciting."

Walters said she wants to be an ambassador for St. Jude.

"I really hope I can get across the good message of St. Jude. The program is about hope and there is hope," she said. "I want to show others there is hope."

Walters was diagnosed with cancer in November 2008 and went to St. Jude where she underwent five rounds of chemotherapy before it was determined the cancer was in remission. In July, however, it returned.

"She went back to St. Jude, and in August, she had surgery and received treatments and it is again in remission," said her mother, Jeannie Rogers. "Now, she goes every six months for a scan.

"We really feel like it's going to be OK this time. We feel like she's going to do well."

Since that last treatment, Walters has continued to improve and has returned to normal activity.

"We went to visit her at St. Jude, and as soon as I got there, I just knew that was the place she needed to be," said Abbey Dodds, who along with Hannah Beer, have been friends with Walters since kindergarten. "I can't describe it. I just knew she was going to be OK.

"She was in the best care she could get and it works," Beer said.

Walters said being selected to represent St. Jude is a big honor, something she is taking seriously.

Rogers said one reason her daughter was selected was because of her determination to continue to compete in equestrian events.

"She's been riding since she was 3," Rogers said. "And even when she was sick, she continued to go to the barn and visit her horse. Sometimes she couldn't get out of the car, but we took her there and it was really a motivation to her to get better so she could ride and compete again."

In June, Walters competed in an event in Lexington, Ky., where she finished fourth out of 21 riders in her division.

After going through treatment for a second time, she again went back to competing, riding in an event in Franklin, Tenn., in October, where she finished fifth out of 20 riders.

Rogers said Walters and her family found out about the selection for the "Today Show" a couple of days before the competition in October.

"St. Jude officials called us and said 'Today Show' might like to do a segment on Elizabeth," Rogers said.

"We said OK, and two days later, they showed up in Franklin, Tenn., at the competition and ended up following us home to Florence."

Rogers said "Today Show" film crews followed Walters' every move for three days.

"To be honest, it was hard to stay focused. Sometimes I just wanted to get away from them," Walters said. "But it was fun and cool to have that happen."

Rogers said portions of the filming at the equestrian competition and the visit at home are scheduled to air.

Walters and her family left for New York this afternoon. In addition to the "Today Show" appearance, they will be participating in other activities before coming home Friday.

"She will be closing the stock exchange Tuesday by ringing the bell, and then we're going to be attending the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and having Thanksgiving lunch with other cancer patients on Thursday," Rogers said.

Dodds and Beer are planning their day in front of the television Monday morning to see their best friend.

"We don't have school, but we're going to get up early and watch her on television, that's for sure," Dodds said.

"We've been trying to get her to mention our names," Beer said. "We're as excited about this as she is."

Walters said although it's exciting to be going to New York and enjoying the activities planned for her, she is not losing sight of her objective.

"I want to get across the good message of hope that St. Jude has for people like me who had cancer," she said. "I want to show others there is hope."

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.