Carly Anne Driscoll

DRISCOLLCarly Anne Driscoll, 19, succumbed to a rare cancer, rhabdomysarcoma, on September 9, 2010 at her home in Jacksonville, FL without ever giving up her spirit, her faith or determined fight. She was a graduate of Douglas Anderson School of Arts ’09 where she studied creative writing and recently had been awarded The Most Awesome Employee Ever at Hot Topic where she worked. She is survived by her parents Jim and Kathy Driscoll, her sister Jessi and brother-in-law Richard Johnson, her brother Jimmy, her grandparents Evelyn and Clay Cribbs, of Jacksonville, Mark and Mary Goldman, of Jacksonville, and Laura Driscoll, of North Port, FL as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and many many wonderful friends. She was a gifted poet who won awards for her work in high school, was a dance member of the Jaguars Junior Roar, had played on a volleyball team and was also involved in gymnastics. But the arts were her first love. "She was ambitious. She had dreams, goals and ambitions and most of them were completely selfless. She dreamed of helping people. She dreamed of having a venue, a place to have concerts, let local artists display their works and a place to have poetry readings. She wanted to have a place where people could be themselves and be loved," said her close friend and New City Lions band member Josh Card. "She accomplished more in her 19 years of life than a lot of people do in a lifetime." She was Straight Edge and had taken a pledge to live a clean and pure life without alcohol or drugs in October, 2006, a promise she took great pride in. Popular and well-known on the local music scene, she was an enthusiastic supporter and promoter of local music venues like The Imperial and from the time he was 14, she would bring her brother Jimmy, who was three years her junior, with her to shows. "They were partners, really, all their lives," says her mother Kathy. "They were inseparable. When Carly and Jimmy showed up at the Imperial, they just lit up the whole place, always." In February, 2009, she was diagnosed at age 17, a few months before her 18th birthday and high school graduation. There are only 250 cases of rhabdomyosarcoma diagnosed a year in the US, mostly in children. "Her faith grew so much throughout this entire ordeal. It went from, ‘God, why would you do this to me?’ to ‘it’s in God’s hands," said her older sister Jessi Johnson, who spent hours laying next to her sister during her treatment. "She truly trusted Him, whatever His plan is, whatever His will is, but she would still fight. She would always say, "Don’t be sad." Recently, through reading Carly's works, Jessi found that she looked up to her and helped mold her into who she was and how she wanted to be. Even as her disease progressed, she was able to fulfill some of her dreams. A devoted fan of the Harry Potter series of books, which she read and reread, she and her family were invited for a private tour of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter before it opened at Universal Orlando. Construction workers and park staff were so impressed by her spirit, wit and humor, they organized a wristband campaign to remember and support her in her recovery. Dreams Come True, a local organization that fulfills the wishes of seriously ill children in Jacksonville, arranged for a trip to New York City with her family for New Year’s Eve so that she could view the ball drop in Times Square. In October, her favorite band Copeland, based in Lakeland, FL whose music she listened to on her iPod continually during her cancer treatment, performed a concert for her and about 100 members of her family and friends and a story about the event appeared on the front page of the Times-Union. "She loved her nieces, little cousins. She loved little children - all the neighborhood kids. Carly would color with them, fix their hair, they loved her," said her mom Kathy, who devoted herself to her care, round-the-clock, right up until the end. "She was a snuggly, loveable person who had a big heart and a lot of love. One of her friends said that we were all praying for a miracle and what we didn’t realize, she was a miracle." Her father Jim said, "She was the strongest person in the world, tougher than me. And now she is in no more pain." In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society, 1430 Prudential Drive, Jacksonville, FL or at www.cancer.org and Dreams Come True, 6803 Southpoint Park, Jacksonville, FL or at www.dreamscometrue.org. There will be a viewing on Monday, September 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Corey-Kerlin Funeral Home, 940 Cesery Boulevard, Jacksonville. Services will be held at Arlington Assembly of God, 88 North Arlington Road, at noon Tuesday, September 14 and a graveside ceremony will follow at Arlington Park Cemetery.