FAIRVIEW, Ala. – Some folks who aren’t from around here or any other small town where the churches outnumber the red lights might turn up their noses and scoff at the simple values and life lessons instilled in us from the time we are knee high to a grasshopper. Thank God Fairview still holds true to the traditions passed down through the generations of taking care of each other, whether it be family or community. Around here, they are one in the same.
On Friday morning, Jan. 6, Hopper’s Family Market, its meat department and employees donated $10,000 to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation to be used in its pediatric care unit in honor of their beloved Conner Twilley.
To look at Twilley you’d think you were looking at a typical 14-year-old kid who is trying his best to get out of going to school for the rest of the day. He knows which family member to go to first-his grandmother Jimmie Hopper. As Hopper looks affectionately at her grandson with tears in her eyes, the prayers she has said on his behalf over the past 14 years are palpable. This boy means so much to so many people and Hopper just happens to be the president of his fan club. Close behind are his grandfather Mike Hopper and his mom Tiffani Twilley. Then, there’s the rest of the family and the whole town who think Conner Twilley is pretty darn special. So special that they all came together to raise $10,000.
“He was in Children’s Hospital for over seven months,” said Mike Hopper. “He came home with a feeding tube and a heart monitor and such. Then, he started going to Huntsville and that’s where we started getting all of his results. Then he had open heart surgery at 9 years old and we had a good outcome.”
Jimmie Hopper told of the first few years of Conner Twilley’s life, visiting his doctors two to three times a week with multiple specialists involved in his care.
“He’s a fighter,” she shared. “When they did his sonogram, his little hands were in a fist. I said then that he was going to be a fighter. Little did I know! He was born fighting and just look at him now!”
That fight is why the family, who owns Hopper’s Family Market and Pharmacy in Fairview, wanted to give back to the hospital who gave them the answers they were seeking about their Conner’s medical condition and eventual surgery. They sold ribeye sandwiches at various events to raise the money.
“Traditions Bank has been helpful through this,” Mike Hopper said. “They’ve bought sandwiches and then bought sandwiches for people who wouldn’t have them otherwise. People give more than the asking price for the sandwiches. It says a lot about this community.”
“The community is the reason we can do this. The people in the community have had their own experiences and they know Conner’s story,” said Jimmie Hopper. “I think that’s what life is about. You’ve got to give back. Without the community, this wouldn’t be possible.”
As for those ribeye sandwiches, it should be noted that Hopper’s sells Certified Angus Beef and grinds its meats daily – 100% beef with no preservatives and no additives.
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