SOUTH AMBOY — There will be a benefit dinner for Samantha Carey hosted by South Amboy Elks Lodge #784, 601 Washington Ave, South Amboy on Saturday, June 1. Seatings at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Advance Reservation Required. For Tickets contact Teri at 848-565-6134 or email saelks784@yahoo.com Raffles and 50/50.

Samantha is a smart, energetic, silly and beautiful 13 year old South Amboy Middle/High School 8th Grader in the National Junior Honor Society with an extremely infectious giggle and smile. Sammy played on the high school soccer and basketball steams and was also cast in the Wizard of Oz Play. On April 6 she was diagnosed with brain tumor at St. Peter’s Hospital. On April 10 she underwent a craniotomy to remove the brain tumor. She regained 75% movement of her left side. She was sent home from pediatric intensive care. Samantha experienced swelling at the operation site and accumulated a fluid buildup. Doctors drained her 3 times to no avail. She was readmitted to the hospital on April 23 for swelling on the brain.

A piece of her skull was removed and a stent was put in. She continued to receive IV antibiotics. Less than 24 hours later the swelling returned. Doctors decided to put in a subdural shunt under her missing skull on April 30 and continued with IV antibiotics. She will have long road to recovery with physical therapy and when she is ready in about 3 to 4 months she will have synthetic skull bone put back into the space they had to remove.