• Lilly has been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma.

The Star Valley High School Women’s Volleyball Team is hosting their annual Pink Night event on Wednesday, October 2 at 7 p.m. during their match against Preston, Idaho. Proceeds from the bake sale, silent auction and donations benefit will go to eight-year-old cancer patient Jayce Lilly, who is fighting cancer.

Jayce, the son of Chaz and Gina Lilly of Grover, was diagnosed in February after experiencing significant pain in his leg. After extensive testing and imaging, doctor’s at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, gave the family the news and put Jayce on an extensive treatment plan involving chemotherapy and surgery.

The family had thought that Jayce’s pain might be caused by “a severe infection from a possible fracture,” but had no answers. A biopsy offered them a conclusive diagnosis, and doctors informed Chaz and Gina that Jayce was in the early stages of Osteosarcoma.

Gina shared her shock at the news in an email provided to SVI Media by senior Atlee Button, SVHS volleyball player, who is organizing the benefit as part of her senior project.  After an extremely emotional conversation about treatment options, none of which a parent wants for their child, physicians prepared Jayce for chemotherapy, which would begin the following week, by placing a port directly into his heart.  He is currently enduring six to nine months of chemotherapy.

In June, Jayce experienced a full reconstruction leg surgery called Rotationplasty, in which surgeons removed a portion of his lower femur and his entire knee, then “took his lower leg bone, pulled it up to the upper femur that remains, and flipped it backwards. He will use a prosthetic on his lower left leg the rest of his life to be able to walk.”  Following chemotherapy treatments, Jayce will require significant physical therapy to learn how to use his leg and prosthetic.

“Within a couple of days, my son went from being a super active eight-year-old boy to finding out he has cancer instead of a fracture or infection,” Gina said. “Our world has been turned upside down, and I have been by his side every step of the way, no longer able to work.” Jayce has six more chemotherapy treatments scheduled over the next three months, but he “continues to smile no matter what life throws at him.”

Atlee is leading the volleyball team in this effort to lend support to Jayce and his family. “I love little kids and how they are always so positive about everything that comes their way. Every year this event is always so special. The community comes together to support a great cause. We are very grateful for all the people who have donated and are planning on attending the volleyball game to help support him and his family through this hard time.”

Jayce and his family will attend Pink Night, where the volleyball team will introduce him to the community and tell his story. Individuals and businesses are invited to donate to the bake sale and silent auction by contacting Atlee at 406-925-2632. Folks can offer donations through the Venmo account @pinknight2024JL.

Gina sees her son as “a little guy with an old, kind soul” and a “heart the size of Texas and the inner strength and drive of a lion. There isn’t anything in this life that will stop him. Not cancer, not a shortened leg. He has big dreams to become a doctor one day, and I truly believe he will achieve everything he sets his mind to do and more. We are struggling financially to figure out how to cover everything that my beautiful, sweet, smart, loving, funny, and God-fearing son needs to go through to get his life back. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.”