It’s the story of hope and triumph against the odds, and the great love for a mother by her daughter.Tomorrow 15-year-old Chontelle Lee will produce her very first stage production, “Half A Merry Christmas — Christmas Miracles,” at Bethel AME Church.The production is truly a labour of love, as the proceeds of the production will be used to help her mother Francine pay off mounting bills due to her struggles with lymphedema, an incurable medical condition.“There are a few reasons I wanted to do this,” explained Chontelle. “I wanted to help my mother pay off her bills, but also to encourage people to celebrate Jesus’ birth on a day other than just December 25, and to also send a message to my peers that they don’t have to wait until they are older to fulfil their dreams, and that they’re not too young to make a positive impact on the community.”“Chontelle loves Christmas, and she feels that Christmas should be more than once a year,” said Chontelle’s mother Francine. “She loves to write in her spare time, so she wrote this play. It’s a play incorporating the arts — acting, spoken word, dance, mime and vocals.”Her cousin, Johnae Furbert, and her aunt, Olive Furbert, have assisted Chontelle in putting the production together. Cast members include Rev D’wain Wales (acting), Rachel Little (spoken word), Ebony Butterfield (vocals), Latoya Brangman (mime) and Chontelle herself (dance). There will also be special appearances by Big Snipes and Sunday Best and Bermuda Idol Winner, Latosha Codrington.A student at Cedar Bridge Academy, Chontelle will be beginning S3 this September.“She loves singing, rapping, playing instruments, and sailing, but her one true love is dancing,” Mrs Lee shared. “She has been dancing since she was five. Also, for two consecutive years, Chonty has placed 10th in the Center for Talented Youth’s Annual Math Olympiad. She aspires to be an actuary when she grows up.”Mrs Lee was diagnosed with lymphedema five years ago. In a healthy body lymph nodes filter out harmful substances from the body, like bacteria and debris, but with lymphedema the lymph nodes are not able to function properly. As a result these harmful substances can enter the bloodstream leading to severe swelling and the risk of severe infections.“Up until three years ago I was able to take advantage of treatments, but then I was made redundant, so of course the insurance stopped. But I still had to go to the hospital for treatments and to Emergency and Wound Care when I had flare ups,” Mrs Lee stated.“I had savings, but I had to choose between treatment and feeding my children and putting a roof over their heads. Needless to say I chose the latter, and so the bills are piling up, though I must thank the hospital for their patience and understanding.”“From the beginning Chontelle has been a great help to me. Even though she was young, she took on a lot of my responsibilities. At one point, when I was released from the hospital, I still had to spend a lot of time immobile. She helped tremendously by taking care of my youngest daughter.“My family helped a lot with cooking, but there were times that she even cooked for me. Her speciality is lamb chops — she cooks them better than me. And when I was in the hospital, bedridden for a month over the Christmas holiday, she was there with me every day of her break making sure I wasn’t lonely.“I have missed a lot of important events in her young life. I know she was upset, but she never let me know that. She has always tried to keep her fears about my health away from me, so as not to stress me out. I could not have asked for a better daughter.”The family have been holding on to their faith to carry them through, but Chontelle’s greatest desire is to help her mom any way she can.“If I help her to reduce her bills it will take the stress off her shoulders and there will be less of a chance for her to have flare-ups,” Chontelle explained. “She does her best for my sister and me to make sure we are loved and cared for, so this is the least I can do for her.”Tickets cost $10 for children and seniors and $20 for adults, and are available at the door. Patron tickets cost $40 and can be purchased by contacting the Bethel AME church office at 293-0605 or Francine Lee at 537-1971.