Lights of Love at Phoebe Worth
Sylvester, GA | November 4, 2022 – The Phoebe Foundation will kick off the holiday season with its annual Lights of Love tree lighting ceremony, a beloved fundraiser for cancer patients and families in southwest Georgia. Lindsay Culpepper, a cancer survivor from Sylvester, has been named the honorary tree lighter for Phoebe Worth at the November 29 ceremony to be held on the hospital campus.
Phoebe Worth Tree Lighting Ceremony Date -
Main Hospital Entrance: Thursday, November 29, 2022 @ 7 p.m.
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A symbolic light of love can be purchased for a suggested $25 each. For questions and more information, please contact Phoebe Foundation at
229-312-4483. Lights of Love is more than a holiday event, it is a year-round project, and your gifts are welcome at any time.
2022 Tree Lighter, Lindsay Culpepper
Many know Lindsay Culpepper as an amazing baker, but she wasn’t always good at making beautiful and delicious cakes. She only discovered her love for baking and started her cake-making business during the most difficult time of her life. “I had never baked anything until two years ago, and I was able to use that to get back on my feet,” said Culpepper.
Culpepper was knocked off her feet with a terrifying diagnosis of cervical cancer that led her to seek the care of a gynecological oncologist in Tallahassee. That cancer specialist initially thought Culpepper may only need surgery to remove the cancerous part of her cervix, but then she required a radical trachelectomy to remove her entire cervix and surrounding tissue. After that, cancer was found in her lymph nodes, so she needed chemotherapy and radiation. That’s when she went to the Phoebe Cancer Center. “When I med Dr. (Adam) Jones and Dr. (Chirag) Jani, things started going a good bit smoother,” she said.
Culpepper needed 25 radiation treatments, weekly chemotherapy for five weeks and three rounds of brachytherapy – an advanced, internal radiation therapy designed to target a very specific area. The treatments took a physical and emotional toll on her. “With Dr. Jones, I don’t know how many times I went in there crying, and he would always be so calm and patient and sit and talk with me for as long as I needed. He’s very caring and compassionate,” Culpepper added.
During her treatments, Culpepper was unable to work full-time, and she lost her job, only adding to the stress and hardship. Her care team at Phoebe stepped in to help then, too. “My radiation therapists made casseroles for us for Thanksgiving and even sponsored my kids for Christmas, and my chemo nurses got together and gave me big gift card.” Her family also received financial support from Cancer Ties, an Albany-based charity that helps local cancer patients with medical costs and household expenses.
Now, Culpepper is doing great and is cancer free. She’s grateful for the team at Phoebe who cared her, the friends and family who supported her and the faith that sustained her. And she’s happy that, in the midst of so many challenges, she found her passion. “Cakes make people happy. That’s fun. It’s definitely a blessing.”
The other honorary tree lighters are Wright Woodall, of Albany, at Phoebe Cancer Center and Angela Smith, of Americus, at Phoebe Sumter. They will join family, friends, and the public during special ceremonies on each respective campus.