Every Little Thing...

I've always felt that "everything happens for a reason"we may not understand it then or ever but I do believe that there is reason. Maybe that is what I have to believe...maybe that is part of my faith.  I'm not one to talk about my faith out loud.  Those close to me know I believe deeply in God and that is where I put my trust and it is how I raise my children to believe.  

I also believe we are all part of a much larger plan...one that we can't see and we may never see until we reach the other side.  But while we are here on earth,  I feel it is our duty to do GOOD...to be kind, helpful, generous - to give and receive love.  

The saying goes that people come in and out of our lives. Some stay for a short time and others for a lifetime.  I've met some of the most compassionate, caring and dearest friends in the past five years since I've been heavily involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and fundraising for cancer research.  

In particular one of those women, Kelly Thomas...happened to live down the street from me.  We connected via an online neighborhood mom's group she started and at the time she donated an item to a Silent Auction I was participating in for a fundraising event. But we never met face-to-face.  Little did I know that less than two years later our paths would cross again when her 2 year old daughter, Lainey, was diagnosed with leukemia on August 23, 2013.  Lainey is currently in remission and doing well, but will receive treatment through November 2015.  After I reached out to Kelly to offer support, she signed up to run her first half marathon and fundraise for LLS.  Will, my husband, was her marathon coach.  I remember meeting with her at Market Street and her telling me Lainey's story and how she knew there was a reason or a purpose that this happened to their family.  We just seemed to become fast friends.  As if Lainey's cancer wasn't enough for their family....two weeks before our race, Kelly received some devastating news.  She was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in April 2014.  I remember that Friday afternoon when she called me because I was at school and I saw her number come up and I thought "Kelly wouldn't call unless something was wrong with Lainey" so I picked up.  She proceeded to tell me and I simply couldn't keep it together...and all I remember telling her was that Will and I would do WHATEVER we could to help her and Dave get through this.  And I meant it!  I hung up and called Will.  

Kelly ran that half marathon and ROCKED it!

On Tuesday, August 5 Kelly completed her 5th chemo treatment and also announced the beginning of a nonprofit organization that she founded and I'm proud to be a part of called Love is Louder than Cancer. 

And just one day later, Wednesday, sweet Lainey had to receive a spinal tap and chemo.  Kelly asked if I could join them since Dave was out of town helping his company, PepsiCo sign up hundreds of people to get swabbed with Delete Blood Cancer to be a potential match for someone.  Nothing can put life into perspective like sitting in a pediatric oncology floor watching your friend who isn't even 24 hours post chemo herself hold her daughter while she is getting her port accessed crying because it wasn't numb enough yet.  Big tears flowed from all three of us.  But there were also moments of laughter because children are resilient (and silly).  And moments of peace as I watched Kelly pray over Lainey as they put her to sleep for the spinal tap.  And then there was the BEST MOMENT...as I dropped them off and was talking to Kelly at the door about the nonprofit stuff...Lainey came running over and said, "Thank you for helping me today."  My heart exploded...because that is what life is about!

Lainey and Kelly are both fighters and their family has a strong belief in God and His purpose for their lives. When Kelly began chemo treatments she asked her friends to do a random act of kindness on the day she was receiving treatment...to help "Spread the Love" and show the world that #loveislouderthancancer.  And thus the name of the foundation was born!

Love is Louder than Cancer will spread love by providing financial and emotional support to families fighting cancer. Starting a non-profit though is expensive and to make an impact we need on-going funding. We are in the process of applying for our 501c3 status and Love is Louder Than Cancer Foundation is now an official LLC non-profit registered in the state of TX. Please consider making a donation to help us honor our fight through helping others with their fight. No amount is too small!

Stay tuned...we have BIG PLANS.  For now you can follow us on our Love is Louder than Cancer Facebook page.   Spread the love and spread the word!



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Be Strong. Fight On! In Memory of Zach Guillot.

On Friday, February 7, 2014 at the age of 9, Zach was granted his angel wings to "fly and love" with another honored hero Aidan "80" who battled the same type of blood cancer.  Even though I did not personally know Zach and his family I have been following their journey for quite some time.  Zach's family is originally from the Dallas area but he has spent the last year in Seattle at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center touching the lives of every person he met!

Zach battled AML for FOUR years and endured THREE bone marrow transplants!  AML is Acute myelogenous leukemia and one of the most aggressive forms of leukemia especially in children.  AML usually is given a 50/50 survival rate.  

His mother Julie said the doctors described him as a "medical marvel" and he "contributed much to the knowledge of how AML can be managed and treated."  He was also regarded by his medical team as one of the "toughest kids they had ever met."

Julie has asked that those who followed Zach's journey share the following "far and wide" and I'm honored to help spread Zach's journey to our friends and family because if this can help one family not lose their child to AML that is enough!  Childhood cancer isn't easy and it isn't friendly...it is BRUTAL and from the mothers I personally know and ones like Julie who I've followed...the stories of what their precious children endured and what they had to witness is beyond comprehension.  My heart breaks for them.

If you'd like to make a difference...here are the items that Zach's mom listed:

1) Donate blood or platelets in Zach's honor.  Zach required bags and bags of blood and platelets to fight an internal bleeding transplant complication.  Visit the Red Cross website or Carter BloodCare for locations near you.

2) Enter the Bone Marrow Registry.  I've posted about this multiple times and the previous post lists a Bone Marrow drive on Friday, February 14 at Children's Medical Center in Dallas.  For other information please visit Be the Match or Delete Blood Cancer.  Both feed into the same database, so if you are registered with one you are technically on both.  If you are interested in hosting a drive at your place of business or church just let me know and I can put you in contact with individuals who can assist you!

3) Donate your baby's cord blood. If you are pregnant you can save a life by simply donating your baby's cord blood (from the umbilical cord). Cord blood donation through Be the Match is SAFE & FREE! Zach's last transplant was a double umbilical cord blood transplant....two unrelated anonymous mothers gave Zach a 3rd chance at life and Julie stated "on the day of his death, his new baby blood cells were proliferating wildly and he had new blood, free of leukemia!"

4) Help the Guillot family directly fund AML immunotherapy at the Fred Hutchinson Research Center. Immunotherapy involves engineering specific white blood cells to RECOGNIZE cancer cells as foreign and DESTORY them, without the toxic side effects of chemotherapy. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, the birthplace of the bone marrow transplant and world experts in the immune system, has developed killer T-cells that can recognize and kill AML…these cells are working right now in a small group of patients who remain in remission. 

Last I want to share a video that was made by someone who doesn't know Zach nor do I know this person but it was shared on Zach's facebook page which I strongly encourage you to visit.  This is a beautiful and inspiring video.  Listen past the young man talking at first...the song has always been one of my favorites and has remained on my race day playlist for the past 3 years...when I need that extra push this song does it...and now every time I hear it I will think of Zach. 

In closing, many still ask how or why we continue our involvement with LLS?!  

This is WHY...because no child should endure 4 years fighting cancer!  And HOW we do it...is by being a part of Team in Training and raising funds for life-saving research.  LLS is funding the immunotherapy that was mentioned before...that is why I've posted the Fire for Fire video so many times to help bring attention to where your donations are going!

So I also ask that in addition to one of the above please consider making a donation to my current Nike DC half marathon event and help us continue to fight for a cure!

NO SURRENDER!
(the way Zach's mom signed every facebook post)



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One Love for 80

"On planet Earth, we only have one real purpose: To learn how to love. And then one day when our spirit is ready, our future selves are in heaven, and all we do is fly and love. God told me that."
-- Aidan Vance Peterson
(these words were spoken by Aidan to his mother & she shared them with us at his service)

Today I attended the memorial service for Aidan Vance Peterson also known as 80.  A valiant cancer warrior who was granted his angel wings last week on August 11.  Aidan was 6 years old...just 10 days shy of his 7th birthday.  I did not personally know Aidan but he is a local Team in Training honored hero and we have a mutual friend, Andy, who became close with the family.  I've followed Aidan's journey for the past 9 months.  He has a FB page which is called One Love for 80.

A very brief history...Aidan's journey with cancer started at 18 months old when he was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphocytic leukemia). He endured 3 years of treatment and was declared in remission; however, in January of this year he developed AML (acute myeloid leukemia). AML is a much more aggressive leukemia and requires a bone marrow transplant.  Aidan with the help of his family became a huge supporter of bone marrow donation while they were trying to find a match for him.  I've posted several times before about the importance of becoming a donor and if you haven't please consider becoming a donor. You can visit Be the Match or Delete Blood Cancer.  Both organizations feed into the same donor database but Delete Blood Cancer was a big supporter of Aidan during his search.

After numerous drives...Aidan's donor was found and he received his transplant on June 13.  The transplant was a success and the engraftment was 100%; however, he developed a bad lung infection.  I must note that because of Aidan, 6 other matches were made, and two of them have gone to collection (actual transplants). That is Aidan helping save other lives while he was fighting for his own...amazing!

I took away so much today from the memorial service.  Aidan's mother spoke about Aidan and shared some heartwarming stories.  One that touched me was that Aidan never considered himself sick - "he was well" - it was his cells that were sick...and in the end it wasn't Aidan that was sick - it was very sick lungs.

I don't know how to put into words why following Aidan's journey has touched my life so much.  I've been a part of Team in Training since 2000 and more heavily involved since 2009 and especially this past year.  I serve as Chair of the Mission Task Force for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society so I work directly with trying to connect our honored heroes to our mission and raising awareness anyway we can.  I say that because I hear stories of triumph and defeat by all forms of blood cancer regularly...but Aidan's journey personally touched me. Maybe because he is the exact age of my daughter and I have son just a year younger as well.

Aidan and his mom on Mother's Day 2013

But mostly I think it was because his mother choose to share her only son with us...she shared the good and the bad.  She shared what it was like to be the mother of a child fighting for his life and she did it with faith and grace like no one I've known.  She has put so much into perspective for me in the past couple months and has made me want to be the best mom I can be.  On Mother's Day she posted and at the end she addressed moms of angel children, moms of sick kids and moms of healthy kids...I'm blessed to fall into the last category and I take to heart what advice she gave, "try not to sweat the small stuff. And don't kick yourself too hard when you do. We're all human. We're all moms. Today is a day to celebrate with gratitude the blessings that are our children."   I want to do my best to live that advice EVERY DAY.  Thank you Candice from the bottom of my heart for sharing Aidan and teaching me more about love and faith.


To all my friends that prayed for Aidan and his family and shared his story or released a virtual orange balloon today...it meant so much to his family especially to see complete strangers painting their FB wall with an orange balloon or even going out to purchase one and release themselves.  I also wanted to share the link to CBS News - they were at the service.  And also a story by WFAA.

Balloon Release at 80's memorial service

If for any reason you'd like to make some small donation in Aidan's memory, I'd like to share Andy's Team in Training fundraising page.  He has ran several events in Aidan's memory and will be running the Rock & Roll New Orleans Marathon in his memory this coming February.

Andy & Aidan in February 2013

Last, I pray that God comforts Aidan's family in the days, weeks and months to come.  I pray that his mom receives the signs every so often that she told Aidan to send her from heaven. And I pray that we FIND A CURE so no child or family endures the heartache that cancer brings.



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One Love for 80...Help Needed

80 and his mom's hand

Aidan (or 80) as some call him is a TNT honored hero and he needs our help!  I have not personally met 80 and his family but Andy, my friend, knows them and I get my updates from him as well as the One Love for 80 facebook page.

80 and Andy this past weekend

80 has had a long battle with leukemia most recently that diagnosis has turned into AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia).  80 needs a bone marrow transplant but his family members are NOT a match and currently there is not a match in the registry so we need MORE people to sign up as donors!

On Sunday, February 17 in Prosper there will be a BONE MARROW DRIVE...please come out and get swabbed. By getting swabbed this puts you in the database with two organizations - Delete Blood Cancer and Be the Match.  We encourage you to get familiar with both.  Delete Blood Cancer is the one sponsoring 80's drive this weekend.  You must be between 18 and 55 and in good general health. If you are found to be a match, you will be notified separately and given more information on additional testing.

ONE LOVE FOR 80 - Bone Marrow Donor Drive

Sunday, February 17, 2013

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Lighthouse Christian Fellowship Church

4255 E. Prosper Trail 

Prosper, TX

I have a PDF that I can email if you have a church group or organization that you are willing to email this information too or you can just send the link to this blog.  We need as many people to get swabbed...not only for 80 but for others whose life depends on finding a donor!

Please do not let a lack of information or misinformation STOP you from getting swabbed or becoming a donor.  Click the above image to learn the FACTS.

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