AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Cancer patients in our area are being gifted Christmas ornaments with a message of hope from one local man.
Randy Barrs has made it his mission to create ornaments in memory of his wife, Lynda, who always put others first.
He's finding solutions in how he can bring hope to someone during their darkest time.
Bells ringing is the sound that marks a major milestone for a patient who has completed their cancer treatment.
"It's just important to me to encourage the patients as much as you can. You're going to ring this bell, finish your treatments, it's going to be successful and then take this bell home with you. It means a lot to me," said Randy.
Lynda passed away in April of last year after doctors discovered a brain tumor.
Randy says she was the kind of person who always put others first.
"She came from Harrisburg and so she came from a very poor situation and honestly became a very successful community person. She was a grant writer and got a lot of money for different programs in this area," he said.
He's now giving back to himself -- something he started doing last year.
"I started thinking about ornaments that all had bells and the first thing that came to mind was I considered Lynda an angel to me, so I started making angels and putting bells on them," said Randy.
This year, he came up with another idea with Lynda, of course, still in mind.
"This year instead of doing angels, I wanted to do something different. But I wanted to do it because I got so much positive input from people and nurses, so I got to thinking and Lynda loved cardinals and she watched them in our backyard all the time," said Randy.
300 cardinals all with bells.
Randy says he started working on them in September and uses this as a way to encourage others to stay positive.
It's something he says he was throughout Lynda's treatment.
"Even up until the last few days, I thought in some way shape or form we're going to beat it. I like to encourage others too. I always tell them I think beating this thing is part of how you look at it and think about and if you stay on the positive side, you'll be so much better off," he said.
Randy says he's already thinking about what the ornaments will look like next year.
Until then, he says for anyone in a similar situation, stay hopeful.
"At some point, there will be a cure for it, and up until then it's our job to encourage whoever has it to do the best they can to beat it and go on with their life," said Randy.