Lilia Sullivan receives ACE award

ALBANY — The Exchange Club of Albany recently awarded Deerfield-Windsor School student Lilia Sullivan its Accepting the Challenge of Excellence Award that honors students who have had to overcome great physical, emotional, or social obstacles and are now eligible for high school graduation.

Both Lilia and her sister, Saville, were diagnosed with two different kinds of brain cancer within a month of each other. Through numerous hours of brain surgery, protracted days of radiation and continuous months of chemotherapy, they continued their studies and kept up with their class.

In 2017, Lilia and Saville were honored by Polo in the Pines, a foundation that funds cancer research and promotes awareness and family support through their charity partners. In just a day, they raised $345,000 dollars for other children fighting terminal illnesses.

In the future, Lilia said she plans to spend her time serving others in her community to help find a cure for childhood cancer. She was accompanied to the awards by her parents, Tommy and Collen Sullivan.

Exchange Club officials said Lilia is an example of what the community has to look forward to. The Exchange Club will submit her application for district consideration, and if she succeeds at that level, Lilia will be considered for national ACE Award honors. If she is selected, she will receive a $10,000 scholarship.