Illuminating the night: Uniontown girl who beat cancer to light Christmas tree at PPG Place
Mark Hofmann/For the Observer-Reporter
Ellie Cordes, 7, a first grade student at Hatfield Elementary School in Uniontown, shows off her picture of a Christmas tree, much like the one she, as a cancer survivor, will light on Nov. 18 at PPG Place during the annual American Cancer Society Tribute of Light Celebration.
Courtesy of American Cancer Society
Ellie Cordes, a 7-year-old Uniontown girl, will flip the switch to light the big tree at PPG Place on Nov. 18. Cordes is a bone cancer survivor, and a student at Hatfield Elementary.
Courtesy of American Cancer Society
Seven-year-old Ellie Cordes of Uniontown fought cancer and won. On Nov. 18, the first-grader at Hatfield Elementary will light the big tree and PPG Place in Pittsburgh.
Ellie Cordes’ mother, Ashley Turner, said her 7-year-old daughter has the ability to light up a room whenever she enters it. Next week, the first grader and cancer survivor from Uniontown will light up the tree at PPG Place in Pittsburgh.
In September 2021, Turner said, her daughter starting complaining about pain in her leg. Turner assumed it was the result of a pulled muscle during Ellie’s dance class. But when the pain didn’t go away, Turner took Ellie to an urgent care. There, they took X-rays, and saw a softball-sized mass close to Ellie’s right kneecap.
“They advised us to go to Children’s hospital,” Turner said. “They believed it was cancer.”
Ellie was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, in her right femur.
Turner said her daughter, who was then in preschool, had to stop going to school so she could begin chemotherapy. She endured many stays in Children’s Hospital, and eventually underwent rotationoplasty surgery, a procedure used to treat bone tumors in children that occur near the knee. A portion of the leg above and below the knee is surgically removed, and the lower leg is rotated 180 degrees and attached to the femur.
Ellie is able to walk using a prosthetic leg.
“It’s a very complex surgery,” Turner said, adding that she even had a surgeon from Boston come to Pittsburgh to take part in the procedure.
About 20 rounds of chemotherapy followed, and at the end of June 2022, Ellie learned she was cancer free.
“Her scans were looking great, and she’s now doing perfect,” Turner said.
Now in first grade at Hatfield Elementary School in the Laurel Highlands School District, Ellie not only continues to dance for Houck Dance Studio by Ariel in Uniontown, she’s also a cheerleader.
“She doesn’t let anything stop her,” Turner said.
Ellie said she finds she’s dancing just as well now as she was before her surgery, and she loves being a first-year cheerleader.
This past June, Ellie was the Fayette County Ambassador for Relay For Life, which is a major fundraising event for the American Cancer Society.
However, the American Cancer Society had one more duty for Ellie.
“It is a tradition for the American Cancer Society to light the PPG tree, and have a child cancer survivor do the actual lighting,” said Dan Tobin, the director of regional integrated marketing for the northeast region of the American Cancer Society. “Every year our team chooses a local childhood cancer survivor for this honor.”
That happens during the annual Tribute of Light Celebration, where Ellie will kick off the holidays by lighting the UPMC Holiday Tree by the rink at PPG Place in Pittsburgh.
Turner said her daughter was delighted by the invitation.
“I asked her and she said, ‘Heck yeah, mom! That sounds so cool,'” Turner said. “It’s a huge thing.”
“I was surprised,” Ellie said, adding she never thought she would have such a fun opportunity. She also said she’s especially looking forward to ice skating following the tree lighting.
The festivities will begin at 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 with entertainment by Natalie’s School of Champion Baton Twirlers and the Robert Morris University Island Sport Center Ice Skaters.
The Tribute of Light Celebration also includes a procession of volunteers carrying tributes in honor or memory of cancer patients and survivors, their caregivers and families, and those who lost their battle to the disease. Members of the procession will encircle the ice rink at 5:45 p.m.
At 6 p.m., Ellie and her family including her mother, her stepfather Taylor, and her siblings, Bryce and Nolan, will take the stage to officially kick off the merriest season with the tree lighting. That will be followed by a performance by the East End Kids, and then an open skate begins at 7 p.m.
Sponsored by UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, the event is free and open to the public, although there is a charge to participate in the open skate. Those wishing to learn more, or who wish to purchase a tribute in advance of the evening, can do so by visiting tributeoflight.givesmart.com. A limited number of tributes will be available for purchase the evening of the event, prior to the start of the ceremony.
“The Tribute of Light part of the evening is always a moving moment in the event,” Tobin said. “The actual tree lighting is truly magical. It’s wonderful to see the child each year flip that switch. It’s truly a beautiful evening.”