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'We owe it to Ophie' | North Carolina football coach's daughter sees improvement with cancer battle

Coach Timmon's 2-year-old daughter's brain tumor is gone and she's getting stronger.

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Full of life and personality.

Two-year-old Ophie Timmons gives her big sister Georgie a run for her money.

"She's very active," Georgia said.  

It's a beautiful sight to see after multiple brain surgeries. 

Shane and Ashley Timmons found out their daughter Ophie had a brain tumor after noticing some balance issues last September.

"Thinking back to that day was a really hard day," Ashley Timmons said. "The tumor was very large and she had a lot of fluid on her brain." 

Shane left his football coaching job at Randleman High School and Ashley put a pause on her nursing career to travel to Memphis so their daughter could undergo a second surgery with a top neurosurgeon.

"After the surgery, she was really sedated. A lot of right-side weakness," Shane Timmons said. "There were times where it's like I'm not sure we're going to get our kid back. It's one day at a time." 

Doctors successfully removed Ophie's tumor, and she's now back home, getting better and showing her family just how strong she is.

Everyone please share this and pray hard for this little angel and her family. Friends of ours and the entire Randleman Tiger Nation….

Posted by Kendall McCarter on Monday, September 4, 2023

The Timmons have the perfect setup at home

"This is her trach collar mask," Ashley Timmons said. 

So Ophie can spend more time where she's comfortable.

The progress they're seeing has Shane feeling confident enough to get back on the football field.

"That first day back they were sore the next day. I came in on fire and working. And everyone's like I'm glad to have you back," Shane Timmons said. "I'm like what were y'all doing when I was gone? We owe it to Ophie to get back on the horse." 

Ashely will ease her way back into nursing, both pressing forward like they know Ophie would want them to.

They said the support they've gotten throughout this journey has kept them going. 

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