A 17-year-old cheerleader at East Coweta High School who was the subject of numerous fundraisers in her community has lost her 18-month battle with brain cancer.
Madeline McTier, who was also a competition cheerleader with Atlanta’s ACE Cheer Company, died Tuesday.
Her funeral is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at Crossroads Church in Newnan. Visitation is set for 3:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday at McKoon Funeral Home in Newnan.
A brain tumor was diagnosed after McTier suffered headaches in March 2012, according to the Newnan Times-Herald.
News of the junior’s death hit hard at East Coweta High.
“It made me sick hearing that,” head football coach Clint Wade told the Times-Herald. “I had a tough time coming out here today for practice.”
“Such a good girl. It’s hard,” assistant football and track coach Trace Overton described McTier as “such a good girl.”
“It’s hard,” Overton said. “God takes the good ones for some reason.”
Senior linebacker Jay McKnight told the Times-Herald that the team will be playing for McTier in its game Friday at home against Sandy Creek.
“That game is going to be dedicated to her,” McKnight said. “It’s just a sad story.”
The high school’s students will wear gray, the color of brain cancer awareness, and hold a moment of silence at the game.
Football players will also wear stickers on their helmets.
“She’s made a lasting impression on me personally,” East Coweta principal Evan Horton told Channel 2 Action News. “For those who don’t know her, they’ll know her through her legacy.”
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