to come closer.
     "What is it?" Susan asked, as Ashley asked to sit up, struggling to enunciate the words above a whisper.
     "Are you hungry?" Susan asked, as she helped her daughter move into an upright position.
     Her face swollen from the tumor growing in her brain, Ashley nodded as her mom brought over a bowl of macaroni and cheese.
     After a few bites, Ashley motioned with her arm she was done just as the doorbell rang.
     "That must be them," Susan said, wiping Ashley's face with a napkin before answering the door.
     Ashley's face brightened as Nikki Stone walked into the room.
     "I've been wanting to meet you," Stone said, sitting down on the sofa next to Ashley. "You're a true fighter. I just want you to know that you're my hero."
     Struggling to keep her eyes open, Ashley smiled as Stone talked.
     "I've got something for you," she said, handing Ashley an official U.S. Olympic pin, an autographed copy of her book and a video of her 1998 competition at the Olympic winter games in Nagano, Japan.
     "I like to ski," Ashley said, working hard to get the words to form clearly.
     "I can ski really well because I have the little skis," she said, asking her mom to bring in her skis to show her guest.
     "I also brought something else to show you," Stone said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small box.
     "This is pretty special and I don't let very many people see it. But you're a pretty special person," Stone said, opening the box and pulling out her Olympic gold medal.
     "Go ahead, you can touch it," Stone said, as Ashley reached up and felt the engraving along the edge of the medal.
     "Here, let me help you," she said, holding Ashley's hand up and placing the medal in it. "It's pretty heavy, isn't it?
     "I just want you to know that you've won your own medal for being as strong as you are and as brave as you are," Stone said. "Being an Olympic medalist is very difficult, but so is what you're doing."
     Carrying Ashley's torch, Scott and Shelby Dabney handed it to Susan, who placed it into Ashley's arms.
     "I want you to know that this is the first Olympic torch that has been delivered for the winter games," Dabney said.
     The couple created the foundation in honor of their son Clayton, who died six years ago from cancer.
     The Dabneys spend much of their time raising funds to assist other children with cancer, and arranging visits like the one with Ashley and Stone.
     "This is a pretty special honor because you're a very special person," Stone added. "Not everyone gets to carry the Olympic flame. A lot of people were nominated, but only a few were selected. There are a lot of people who look up to you because of how strong you are. You give them hope."
     For the next few minutes, Ashley listened intently as Stone told her what it was like being in the Olympics, the smile never once leaving Ashley's face.
     With the help of Susan, the two exchanged autographed photos of each other.
     "This means a lot to me," Stone said, carefully taking Ashley's photo and placing it in her bag.
     Again at Ashley's request, Susan brought in the skis to show everyone.
     Passing them around for Stone to look at, Ashley's dad Paul shared how much his daughter loves being on the slopes.
     "In fact, she got sick the first time when we were on a ski trip in 1997 with our church youth group in Colorado," Paul explained. "Although she was sick, it didn't stop her from wanting to go back up the slopes.
     "We knew she didn't feel good, but she insisted on going down for another run.
     "When we got home and took her to the doctor, that was when we found out she had the first tumor," he said.
     Following several surgeries
to remove the tumor, along with chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Ashley's cancer went into remission, and Ashley continued on with her life -- including participating in the family's annual ski trips.
     In September, she began having trouble with her balance and vision, prompting another trip to Children's Hospital in Dallas where an MRI reveled the tumor had returned. It has since spread to other parts of her body.
     A recent bout with congestion has left her weak, making it difficult for her to talk.
     Motioning to her mom, Ashley asked to look at the videotape, and Paul gladly cued up the VCR.
     "There's my jump," Stone said, as she and Ashley watched the television screen.
     "You were up pretty high," Ashley said, amazed at the aerobatic maneuvers.
     Although her body was weak, Ashley remained alert and focused as she began talking, forcing everyone to lean closer to hear her words.
     Susan was the first to understand as she she started laughing.
     "She wants Justin (Ashley's younger brother) to be careful with her torch," Susan said, as everyone started to laugh.
     "I've got to carry that," Ashley smiled.
     And while appreciative of the Dabneys for bringing the torch, Mr. Dabney wasn't spared from Ashley's good-natured ribbing for being a UT grad.
     A dedicated Texas A&M fan, she couldn't understand why such a nice man would ever want to go to UT.
     Dabney enjoyed the ribbing.
     "She's a fighter and an inspiration to others," he said.
     "Yes, she is," Paul agreed. "Yes, she is."
     As Ashley and Stone continued to visit, Ashley never once tired of talking about skiing.
     When asked about winning the Olympic gold medal, Stone said it was one of the most amazing moments of her life.
     "The second most amazing moment is right now," she said. "It means a lot to me to be here and meet a girl who is a real hero."
     
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