TURNER – Rebecca Hardy has an ample amount of courage as she prepares for surgery next month to fight her second battle with cancer.

The 14-year-old is receiving blood transfusions at Maine Medical Center in preparation for surgery to hopefully rid her body of osteosarcoma – bone cancer – in her hip.

Rebecca had her first bout of cancer at age 9, Ewing’s sarcoma in her hip joint. Ewing’s is a type of cancer that afflicts about 500 people a year, primarily the young. At that time she was included in a special study and underwent intense chemotherapy and high-dose radiation for the inoperable cancer.

According to her mother, Nannette Hardy-Timmins, doctors said the intense radiation treatment caused the osteosarcoma, which was diagnosed in July. Rebecca will undergo surgery in November at Boston Children’s Hospital and the prognosis for recovery is very good, her mother said.

Hardy-Timmins and Rebecca’s father, Jimmy Timmins, say friends, neighbors, co-workers and people they have never met have rallied to support the family during this difficult time.

“It has just been tremendous. Just to hear words of encouragement and hope is enough to make you well up,” Timmins said. “People have been so kind and thoughtful and supportive and we appreciate it so much.”

Hardy-Timmins, who has been a substitute teacher in Turner’s elementary, primary and middle schools and a community volunteer, has spent much time with Rebecca recently at the Barbara Bush wing of the Maine Children’s Cancer Center at Maine Medical Center.

“People have been wonderfully generous,” Hardy-Timmins said. “We’ve received cards of encouragement, prayers and hope. Many of the cards are from people we don’t even know, and even many of those contain gift cards.”

The family moved to Turner several months before Rebecca’s first diagnosis of cancer. Says her mother, “We’re so happy we did. We just love it here, it’s beautiful and people have been so welcoming and nice.”

Rebecca’s sister, Leah, 18, is a student at Central Maine Community College and hopes to become a nurse “to work with children with cancer,” she said.

That’s Rebecca’s goal, as well.

Saturday morning about a dozen of Timmins’ co-workers from Enefco in Auburn were at the family home across Lower Street from Leavitt Area High School. They were pounding nails, sawing boards, painting and doing whatever was needed to put the finishing touches on a room the family is adding to the home to make Rebecca more comfortable when she returns from her surgery.

Others are helping, too.

Friends and neighbors will hold a benefit spaghetti supper from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Boofy Quimby Memorial Center. The menu will include salad, rolls and homemade desserts.