A Fire Within: The Yvette Cade Story will air at 8:30 p.m. Sunday on TV One (that’s 217 on Time Warner and 328 on Direct TV). Yvette, an Akron native, was burned over 60 percent of her body, narrowly escaping with her life, when her soon-to-be-ex-husband Roger Hargrave showed up at her job at a T-Mobile store in Clinton, Md., on Oct. 10, 2005, poured gasoline on her and set her on fire.Yvette had moved away from her physically abusive husband, sought a restraining order and presented photos of her injured body to Judge Richard A. Palumbo, district judge, Prince George’s County; Roger successfully petitioned the court to lift the order so the couple could attend marriage counseling.Two weeks later, Roger Hargrave attacked Yvette with stunned co-workers and customers looking on.Hargrave drew a life sentence for the crime. Palumbo, who came under major criticism for his actions in this case, is no longer on the bench.And Yvette, hospitalized for more than three months and permanently disfigured, is trying to rebuild her life by counseling other victims of domestic violence.Yvette’s parents are Hugh and Joyce Cade (she recently retired as a nurse at St. Thomas Hospital with more than 34 years’ service) of Akron. According to her mother, Yvette is still undergoing surgeries and hospitalizations.“Yvette and the family see as our mission reminding abuse victims that there is hope and there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Joyce Cade said. “They just have to reach for it.”Fund for Baby MiaBaby Mia Taylor Wilson is back in the news.Mia, daughter of Wendy and Bobby Wilson of Akron, was born Feb. 19 with a severe heart defect.“She was life-flighted to the University of Michigan when she was five days old,” family spokeswoman Barbara Conklin wrote. “She has had two open-heart surgeries and remains hospitalized at this time. Mia had fought through more complications than most people will in their entire life. This family needs the support and prayers of their community.”Mia underwent yet another surgery last week. “They took a portion of her stomach and pulled it up around her esophagus and stitched it in place in order to make the opening to the stomach tighter,” her mother said. “This will hopefully drastically reduce or even eliminate her refluxing.“The second part of the surgery is placing a tube directly into her stomach instead of having a tube hanging out of her nose.“It does not get any easier sending Mia into surgery knowing all the risks and complications, especially given her history … I don’t do well with curveballs, but I am learning! Most importantly, I am reminded that Jesus does just fine with curveballs.”To help with Mia’s medical expenses, a Wilson Family Benevolent Fund has been set up at FirstMerit Bank (any branch).Doll project finds homeJan Householder, the creator and driving force behind the Giving Doll project, emailed with some exciting news.The special ministry puts soft-sculpture dolls into the hands of children who are suffering due to the loss of a parent or other close relative, are battling a life-threatening illness, or have a parent in the military stationed in a war zone. Householder, of Wadsworth, said the project has just completed its 9,100th doll. “We’re looking forward to reaching our 10,000-doll milestone,” Householder said. “We continue to give dolls worldwide. “I have been praying for quite a while for a place to have volunteers come in and work at varied times. An answer to prayers happened last month when we were able to rent the former Holmesbrook Lumber building in Wadsworth. Volunteers have been working really hard to get it ready for our use and we have received numerous donations of supplies and equipment.” An open house is planned for 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 8 at 229 College St., Wadsworth, so the public can see the bustling facility, talk to volunteers, watch dolls being made and find out how they can get involved.“I think our ministry is best told by a thank-you card I got yesterday,” Householder said. “I had visited a flower shop to order flowers for the funeral of an aunt. While there I learned about a husband and wife who work there. The husband is in a battle against cancer and they have a little girl. Of course, I felt the need to get that little girl a doll. I went to my mom’s house, who lives closer to the shop than I do, got a doll and took it back to be given to the family.“The thank-you card reads, ‘Your thoughtfulness brought God’s blessings to my day. I am amazed as we go through one of the toughest times of our lives how kind, giving and loving people have been to us. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I needed that doll you gave to our daughter last week. She absolutely adores her. “ ‘I was having a very difficult week and it amazes me how God sends signs and angels to show that my husband and our family will be OK. It came at a perfect time. People like you and the people who donate time, effort and materials to make these dolls are wonderful!’ ”For more information on the Giving Doll project, please email Householder at jan@thegivingdoll.com.Derby race for adultsThis one is for the kid in all of us.“I represent National Super Kids Classic Inc. This organization is a national Soap Box Derby race for mentally, physically and medically involved kids,” writes Debbie Stalnaker, vice president.“We provide hotels, banquet, trophies, transportation and gifts to all our racers and their families. As you can imagine it takes quite a bit of money to pull this off every year.”To ensure the event’s success, an Adult Fun Race is planned for Sunday at Derby Downs for anyone 18 and over. Check-in is at noon with the first run at 1 p.m. Cost is $30 to race with adult-size cars provided. Please make checks payable to National Super Kids Classic. Top three drivers receive a trophy.Racers must preregister by calling Bruce Hunsicker at 330-745-5022, Debbie Stalnaker at 330-730-5202 or Melony Heyn at 330-926-9701.Pregnancy Care fairPregnancy Care of Summit County will celebrate its 40th anniversary by sponsoring a Help Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 21 at 195 E. Tallmadge Ave., Akron. The fair will feature a variety of Summit County agencies offering services to those in need, food, fun and several giveaways. For more information, please call 330-253-4071.Towels for veteransKudos to 16-year-old Julia Boyden of Hudson who is collecting new and gently used hand towels for Freedom House, a shelter in Kent for homeless veterans. “She had taken a tour of the facility and noticed that their hand towels were rather ratty-looking,” her grandmother Sandie Hurd said. “So, this past Saturday she held a car wash at her school [Hudson High]. And, of course, it rained. Grandpa had our vehicles washed anyway, got well rinsed with rain water. And we donated a sackful of gently used hand towels for the vets to use. Grandpa is an Army vet. So Julia has chosen a project dear to his heart. Grandpa is also in the Gideon organization, which provides Bibles to the facility.”“During Julia’s tour of Freedom House it was pointed out that there are never enough hand towels for the men,” Connie Boyden said of her daughter’s experience. “They are trying to be eco-friendly and don’t use paper towels, so Julia wanted to help out in this way.”Anyone interested in donating hand towels in Julia Boyden’s name may do so at Freedom House, c/o Matt Slater, FH manager, 1213 Anita Drive, Kent.The veterans at Freedom House also have many other needs: pots and pans, dishes and more.First Book distributionA point of clarity here.First Book — Greater Akron, which has greatly enriched the community with its gift of books, has actually distributed over 10,000 books per year since its inception in 2006.May they continue to help foster learning and may we continue to help them do so.For more information, please contact First Book — Greater Akron chair Chuck Bell at chuckbell3096@hot
mail.com.Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or emailed at jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.