ATLANTA — A woman with a rare form of cancer checked an item off her bucket list this weekend at the Georgia Aquarium.
Donna Hughey, from South Carolina, was diagnosed with a rare primary peritoneal cancer five years ago.
“Along the way I've been in and out of remission. I've done a lot of different chemos, a lot of chemos I was allergic to,” said Hughey. “About a month ago they gave me six onths to live so I'm trying to get everything done.”
One item on that list included a visit to the Georgia Aquarium to see the penguins, but Hughey got a lot more than that. The Georgia Aquarium set up a special VIP penguin encounter for Hughey that brought her to tears.
“My heart is overwhelmed,” she said. “People have been so sweet and giving and there’s no words.I don’t know the words to say except thank you and that’s not really enough.”
Hughey got to experience the one-on-one encounter she always imagined with Lela the penguin. It was Lela’s playfulness that brought tears to Hughey’s eyes.
Her family and friends say it will be a memory to carry for all of them.
“We just want to make sure she goes out with a bang and she is,” said Hughey’s daughter.
Hughey will be heading to New York City and spending some time at the beach. She said she also got to meet race car driver Jeff Gordon.
WSBTV
