Military Matters: Soldiers rally together to help girl with cancer

FORT BENNING, GA (WTVM) - An Army unit recently pulled together to help a staff sergeant dealing with a very sick child. What makes it special is that she seems to have beaten a type of cancer that's often fatal.

Soldiers from Bravo Battery 1-10 Field Artillery at Fort Benning are spending valuable time with gunnery training in preparation for certification.

In the midst of all the weapons fire, the group takes a moment to prepare one special round being launched in support of a family, and bringing awareness to a cause near and dear to their hearts.

"The purpose was to continue creating childhood cancer awareness," said Staff Sergeant Juan Urbina from Bravo Battery 1-10 FA, 3ABCT. "My whole platoon has been supportive through donating pop tabs to the Ronald McDonald House, just donating to special charity organizations dealing with childhood cancer awareness and medical facilities."

Back in May, Staff Sgt. Urbina and his wife took their daughter Trinity to the emergency room. She was given a CAT scan, and doctors determined she had a mass. Trinity was airlifted to the Children's Hospital of Atlanta, where an MRI showed she had a brain tumor.

"It was actually growing out of her skull and once they found out about it they diagnosed her with brain cancer and decided to do a tumor resection, which is in short, layman's terms, emergency brain surgery," Urbina said.

Urbina's platoon, as well as the rest of his battalion, went into immediate support mode and began raising money for medical expenses, transportation back and forth to Atlanta, and even child care services for their younger son.

"He's a part of our family as artillery, and his family is his family, which also makes them our family," explained First Sergeant Robert Singleton. "So, in the crisis of his daughter being diagnosed with cancer, we felt we needed to be a support and backbone for him and his family."

About a week after her surgery, Trinity was back to her normal self and returned home to await results from her doctor. Today, she is cancer-free, and Urbina has something to say to his extended family.

"From the bottom of my heart guys, thank you for everything you've done," Urbina said. "The support, the love. You made me family and I consider you family and I'd go to war, go to hell and back for you."

The Urbinas say they came into contact with other children dealing with similar circumstances along the way. Those kids and their parents have become family themselves, and have made trips across the country to see one another.

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