Standing With Savannah: A Community Rallies Around a Marine Veteran and Mother of Five

Mark White | The Mark White Show

Athens, Alabama - When nurse practitioner Tye Hutt sat down to talk with me, she shared the story of someone who has spent her adult life serving the people of Limestone County. Her name is Savannah Butler, and many in the community already know her from her years working in local healthcare.

Savannah served at Athens-Limestone Hospital as a medical tech and unit secretary before joining Athens Primary Care as a medical assistant. Patients know her for her kindness. Coworkers know her for her steady presence and her ability to handle difficult days with calm professionalism. She is also a Marine veteran, having served from 2012 to 2015. Today, she is 31 years old, married, and raising five boys.

In 2020, Savannah was diagnosed at age 26 with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare cancer most often found in children and young adults. She completed chemotherapy and radiation and remained diligent with routine scans every three months. For more than four years, her scans showed no sign of recurrence.

A few months ago, Savannah began having shortness of breath. An emergency room visit revealed a nodule in her right lung. Subsequent testing confirmed what no family wants to hear: the cancer had returned. This time, it is stage 4 and more aggressive.

Because Ewing Sarcoma is extremely uncommon in adults, especially those in their thirties, Savannah’s case requires a specialized approach. She met with her medical team at Vanderbilt this week, and she will travel to MD Anderson in Houston for a five day stay that includes a PET scan, additional diagnostics, and evaluation for a potential clinical trial. These early steps are essential in determining a treatment path forward.

Despite the weight of her diagnosis, Savannah continues working at Athens Primary Care. Tye shared that she has not asked for help, has not slowed down, and has remained committed to the patients she sees each day. She has spoken openly with her children and grounded herself in her faith. Even during her visit to Vanderbilt this week, she returned home and went straight into taking care of everyday needs for her family.

Tye described Savannah as humble, capable, and incredibly strong. Those who work alongside her say the same.

With travel to Nashville and Houston already underway, and additional medical trips ahead, Savannah faces significant expenses for lodging, transportation, and the early stages of treatment. Wanting to lighten that burden, her coworkers came together and decided to act.

Nurse practitioner Dawn Morris launched a GoFundMe to help support Savannah and her family during this time. Donations can also be dropped off at Athens Primary Care Associates, located between the wellness center and the hospital, for those who prefer to give in person.

This support will help cover immediate needs while Savannah focuses on her care and next steps.

Savannah has given years of service to patients across Limestone County. She has served her country. She has raised a family. She has quietly and consistently shown up for others.

Now, the hope is that the community she has supported will stand with her.

If you would like to help Savannah and her family, you can visit: gofundme.com/support-savannahs-fight-against-stage-4-sarcoma

or

VENMO: @Dawn-Morris-70

Your support, your prayers, and your encouragement mean more than you know. As Savannah travels to MD Anderson and continues with specialists at Vanderbilt, every act of kindness helps ease the weight on her family.

We will continue to follow Savannah’s journey, and we lift her and her loved ones up during this challenging season.