When her condition allowed, she returned to school and began taking part in extra-curricular activities, such as 4-H and the WJHS Washington Warriors.
When the announcement came earlier this month inviting her to be a torchbearer for the Olympic Flame, Paul and his wife Susan said they were pleasantly surprised, but not shocked.
"She's a strong little girl," Paul said. "During the past four years, we have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have told us how much Ashley has inspired them to overcome the struggles in their lives."
Pulling out the letter from the Salt Lake Organizing Commmittee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Paul shared the notice informing Ashley she had been selected to be a torchbearer to carry the Olympic Flame on its journey to Utah.
"It's quite an honor," Paul said, as he read portions of the letter sent to Ashley from Mitt Romney, president and CEO of the committee.
"For the past two months, community judging panels across America have been reading tens of thousands of stories, submitted by people from all walks of life who want to honor someone who has been a source of personal inspiration in their lives.
"The panels' task has been to choose a few special people who are the light of inspiration in our nation to serve as torchbearers for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Torch Relay.
"On behalf of the (committee and sponsors) it is my privilege to inform you that you have been selected by our judges. ... I would personally like to invite you to help carry the Olympic Flame as it travels across America," Romney wrote.
On Dec. 12, Ashley and her father will help carry the flame as it travels through the
"They haven't given us any specifics yet as to the exact time or the location that she will be carrying the Olympic Flame, but we have already accepted the invitation," Paul said, as he sat down next to Ashley on the sofa.
"We're pretty excited, aren't we?" he asked, reaching down and stroking her thinning blond hair.
"I will be," she said, opening her eyes and giving him a teasing look, hoping to evoke a response. "Right now I'm just real tired."
Joining her on the sofa, Ashley's mother leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead.
"We'll get through all this," Susan said. "We did it before. We can do it again."
For the O'Rears, a close-knit family of four (Ashley has a
younger brother, Justin), the good news received earlier this month was
followed by news the family thought they would never hear.
"Ashley's cancer is back," Paul
said, his voice changed rapidly from a jovial tone to one of quiet reflection.
"I was devastated. We were all devastated,"
he said.
"I never in my wildest dreams thought
I would ever hear the doctor say those words to us again. In my heart
and in my mind, I thought we had beaten this. She had gone nearly four
years," Paul said, his voice trailing off.
For the first summer since being diagnosed,
Ashley was beginning to overcome the side effects of the initial surgery,
radiation and chemotherapy, which had left her weak, frail and prone to
constant nausea.
"She had gone all summer