Girl rebounds from surgery to accept homecoming crown
Lakeside High School Homecoming Queen
Emily Adair hugs her father and homecoming-court escort, Dr. Steven Adair, during festivities Friday night in Evans.
Photo by Jim BlaylockIt would have been hard to fit a crown on a photograph, but that's almost what happened Friday night when Emily Adair was named Lakeside High School's homecoming queen.
The senior had been out of school for two days after being hospitalized with appendicitis.
During homecoming activities such as the parade and the pep rally, her boyfriend, Galen Jones, served as her proxy, marching in her place with an 8-by-10-inch picture of Emily in hand. Galen received loud applause at the pep rally Friday morning when he walked out with Emily's photo as the 13 members of the homecoming court were presented.
"It was a little awkward being the only one up there by myself, but it wasn't a big deal," Galen said.
During the homecoming parade Friday, other members of the homecoming court flashed bright, toothy smiles as they rode by in convertibles. Galen traversed the parade route with a smiling picture of Emily. Emily's father, Dr. Steven Adair, drove the vehicle, broadcasting the event over his cell phone to Emily in her hospital bed, while a friend taped the event for her to watch later. Later that day, the student body voted to give Emily the crown.
Emily's ordeal began Wednesday night when she developed a stomach ache that became worse until her parents took her to Medical College of Georgia Hospital around 2 a.m. By 1 p.m. Thursday, Emily was in surgery having her appendix removed. As stressful as that was, Emily said she also was fretting about what her illness would do to her chances of winning.
"My parents were upset, thinking that I would be disqualified," Emily said Monday. "Mr. Carney assured them that even if I couldn't attend, I would still be eligible."
After the votes were counted Friday, Lakeside Principal Jeff Carney called Emily's mother, Marsha Adair, to see if Emily could be at the game Friday night because "it's important," Adair said - a tip-off that Emily had won.
Emily was released from the hospital at 3:30 p.m. Friday. Though her parents had brought her to the game in a wheelchair, Emily walked onto the football field on her father's arm during the halftime of the Lakeside-Glenn Hills game.
"I wanted to wear my dress and I wanted to be there," Emily said. "... I was so excited since it was my first actual event I'd participated in, so I didn't feel much pain."
She was "completely surprised" when her name was announced, and needed a little nudge from her father before she realized what was happening.
"I started to cry, but it hurt so much, I tried to hold it in."
Not wanting to miss any more school, Emily was back in class Monday, enduring the day in sweat clothes, with the gown and the crown safely packed away.
Emily is a varsity cheerleader, a four-year member of the Spanish Club, has been named in Who's Who and is a National Merit Scholar and a member of the Thespian Club, Art Club, Drama Club, Life Club, Fishing Club, the Lakeside Support Coalition, the Fishers of Men and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.