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From Loss to Legacy  When Linda Plunkett’s only child, Amanda, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 14, she told her mom, “This will build character.” That was the kind of young woman Amanda was. Her dream was to become a child psychiatrist and use music therapy to comfort children with chronic illnesses.Throughout her illness, Amanda maintained that same courage and cheerfulness. “She had an extraordinary ability to understand the world around her,” said Linda. After her death, Amanda’s best friend, Blakely Blackford, wrote that her smile had always been “like a candle glowing on a cold, dark night. It attracted everyone.” To honor Amanda’s life, Linda used money that she and her parents, Julie and Billy Muckenfuss, had set aside for Amanda’s college education to establish Amanda’s Fund at CCF. Grants from this fund are made to organizations and causes that were important to Amanda. “Through her Fund,” Linda said, “Amanda will always be part of the community.” Nonprofit organizations funded by Amanda’s Fund include the Children’s Hospital of MUSC, Charleston Concert Association, Ashley Hall School, Porter Gaud School, Happy Days and Special Times, American Cancer Society, Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding and others. |
 Ruby Cornwell Pendergrass Judith Baird Juanita Brown Linda Plunkett Kay Chitty Pearlstine and Mendelsohn Three Sisters Anne Marie Kathryn White Women Making a Difference |