BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- A local 7-year-old girl is inspiring her community after bravely overcoming a long battle with leukemia.

Avery Paynter was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, when she was just 3 years old. Her early symptoms included fatigue, fever and bruising, but her family never imagined the diagnosis that would follow.

Avery’s grandmother, Patti Paynter, remembers the day she learned the life-changing news.

“I got the call from my son telling me that she had leukemia,” Patti Paynter said. “It was something no family ever wants to hear.”

For two years, Avery underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments at Norton Children’s Hospital. Doctors say those procedures can be painful, but young patients are kept as comfortable as possible.

“They typicall

See Full Page