Day 84 of...98 Days...The Return

The return is such a cruel reality for so many who face Leukemia or any type of blood cancer. You can be in remission and then without warning it is back with vengeance.  It's a painstaking announcement that the doctor has to share with the parents of the child whose Leukemia has returned.  Then it becomes total heartbreak of absorbing as a parent how that could happen and then how do you tell your child so they keep fighting for their life.  Let me share a story to give you some idea and at the same time hopefully open your eyes as to why the need for continued research for new therapies.

When Tressa was told yet once again the Leukemia had returned her parents immediately impressed upon her they needed to get an earlier start fighting the leukemia to avoid the similar problems encountered with the last treatment. It was stressed to Tressa that they were using an experimental drug that should be a lot “gentler”, with less “harsh” side effects. No mouth sores, no peeling of the skin, no loss of hair, are just a few of the eliminated side effects. Regardless, the treatment will kill the white blood cells (good and bad), and Tressa’s ability to fight infections. Once all are killed, the hope would be for the return of only healthy white blood cells.

The idea of treatment should be a welcome relief but the fear the child faces of here we go again and the pain and discomfort needs to be put to an end.  It's bad enough to be told the Leukemia has returned after they fought so brave and so hard for a second or third time and then to see them battle through the painful treatments is so unfair.  This is just yet another reason to join the fight so we could fund research for new therapies but ultimately a cure so we end the return of Leukemia or any blood cancer.

Day 83 of...98 Days...Elementary My Dear Watson

A Sherlock Holmes mystery the twists and turns of the story takes you down many different paths.  Your mind convinces you of the answer to the mystery but reality tells you it's ultimately different.  To Sherlock its elementary my dear Watson to him the answer is clear because he can tie together all of the clues, seeing patterns and piece together the tiniest of details to uncover what is real and what is an illusion.

Science and the human body is very much that way so much is still a mystery.  If it weren't we would have a cure for blood cancer. But it takes years of in-depth research uncovering clues, seeing patterns and piecing together the tiniest of details.    It's cross checking and clinical trials for therapies and when you think it takes you down one path it takes you another.  Scientists need to get rid of any illusion and see what's real because they are dealing with life and death.  The progress has been incredible the therapies are real because of these brilliant scientists we are talking about survivors.  But then there are the Tressa's and today others who didn't and aren't responding to what is the reality of known therapies and new ones need to surface.  But they can't do that without the funding.

It's elementary my dear Watson for great progress to be made with funding research to find a cure donations are needed and no contribution is too small.  And when we are many the dollars can add up quickly and an important life or death real mystery solved...a cure for blood cancer...

Day 82 of...98 days...The Voicemail

A call came into my voicemail at work while I was at a meeting.  It wasn't a business call it was from someone offering additional words of encouragement and thanking me for what I have done and am still doing. This fund-raiser as you can see is counting down quickly.  It really choked me up because I feel in the time we had we barely scratched the surface of what we were hoping to do.

The voicemail is from a father with a daughter as he put who is Leukemic but for now remains in remission and doing well.  He was emphasizing the importance of what I am doing because of the efforts of fund-raising his daughter has a chance for a full cancer free life.

Timing is everything and I find it interesting this voicemail came today because my energy level is being sucked out of me by lack of response to my letters and e-mails. I even had a company ask that they be taken off my list they will not be donating and another telling me the subject is not timely enough.  So even though the air sucked out of me today a little was restored with this voicemail asking me to please keep going and thank you.

So actually my thanks are to the man behind the voicemail I needed that push and you gave it to me.  So yes I will be back tomorrow and the day after that asking for support and for everyone to spread the word. Because I just can't let these families down they need these dollars to fund research and find a cure because without it plain and simple of the 900,000 diagnosed with blood cancer we will just keep losing one every 10 minutes and I need to know we did everything we could to prevent that...won't you help?  Please Donate Now

Day 81 of...98 Days...Happily Ever After

Today I would like to talk about the Happily Ever After that has been occurring because of the advanced research taking place due to donations that have been received.  The Happily Ever After here is being translated to mean a survivor of blood cancer who is in remission. One such survivor today reached out to me with a donation.  She is a very good friend of Steve and has been in remission for years. I was struck by the fact that she has sacrificed so much but yet as you can imagine still wants to contribute further to therapies and research so ultimately a cure can be found.

I have pictured here a couple of other survivors.  I'm thrilled to share they are both in remission all because of the continued funding we provide to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society so that they can locate the top researchers who develop advanced therapies and working toward the cure.  They are William who is 10 and Lauryn who is 7.  They have both been very involved in this campaign in fact they are the Boy and Girl of The Year.  Their parents understandably are heavily involved spearheading fund-raising efforts all of the time because they know if we can fund research and find a cure their precious children can continue to live happily ever after cancer free.

You and I we can make that happen it's not only with a prayer but it's with dollars for research and no donation is too small it all adds up. Let's write the happy ending to this story together.

Day 80 of...98 Days...Do Over

Have you ever said to yourself if I could have just one do over what would that be?  I don't know of a person famous or not that wouldn't like to go back in time and get at least one do over.  Well for me there would be many things I have to admit I would do like to do over as I reflect on my 80 days when it comes specifically to this campaign.

Things that I would not change:

Being involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society they so need voices that reach out to the masses to raise awareness and tell the stories of the 900,000 faced with Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myeloma

Receiving the gift of Tressa as our honoree has given me an even deeper sense of what a child and family lives through when diagnosed with Leukemia.  Reading her journal I feel very connected to her even though I never had the pleasure of meeting her.  It's her hard fought battle keeps me coming back everyday asking you and others to help support this fight so we do not lose another precious life

Developing Light The App iPhone app every time we get a heartfelt dedication I feel like we did something really important by providing a place where people can light their virtual candles and say a prayer, dedication or inspiration. It's a virtual place where they can bear their sole on how they feel at that moment about watching a loved one battle cancer or ones that have lost their life.

My One Do Over for this Campaign:
Figuring out how to more effectively reach people and create that tipping point of spreading the word that small donations can quickly add up when many come together.  If we could raise the sheer number of those contributions we can make a difference and fund research and find a cure.  Any thoughts?

Day 79 of...98 Days...Miss You

Everyone can relate to the words "Miss You".  I know for me it's when I haven't seen my daughter as she lives in Chicago.  It's not seeing my family who is spread all over the country that I only get to see a hand full of times a year.  It's when I travel and don't see my husband until the next day.  What do those words mean to you? 

You can miss someone and yes at times you miss them so much it hurts but you know it won't be long into the future when you will get to see them again so you hang on to the thought and the pain goes away because you know they are fine and loving life.  

But here the words Miss You from those who lit candles in Light The App when their hearts are aching because they will never see their loved one again because there was no cure for blood cancer.

"Missing my best Friend we love and miss you"

"Wishing you were here we could have supported one another through treatments"

"You have no idea how much I miss you"

"I miss you hope you are having fun in heaven"

"I cry I miss her a lot" 

Take the most precious life you can imagine for many that's a child a husband, a parent, a best friend and all of a sudden you can no longer see, touch, hold them but in a still photos or a video.  That brief pain or chill you feel is a forever one for those who lost their loved ones to blood cancer.

Help me put a stop to this no donation is to small every dollar can make a difference so we can fund research and find a cure so in the next 10 minutes someone else won't have to say those chilling words Miss You when it means forever.  http://www.in.llsevent.org/pam

Day 78 of...98 Days...Easter Eggs with a different Twist

Whenever I think of this day and the Easter Egg hunt it takes me back to when we had Easter morning with our little girl now 24.  When she was three we would do Easter Egg hunts that would last for hours oh we had so much fun.  As she would find them we would be sneaky take one out of the basket and keep hiding them.  What fond memories.  But that was only good for a year or two.  Then when she started to read we added the twist of the scavenger hunt with clues to her Easter basket stuffed with goodies and I must say that we were successful keeping up that tradition until she went off to college.

Being in technology there are also Easter Eggs but they come with a twist. It's when you find something hidden in a program that can bring rewards to the user.  We have enjoyed adding Easter Eggs for our users and especially with our educational web-based Drive Of Your Life program that Middle School and High School Students use.

The thought of the Easter Egg overall is so clever.  I was reminded this morning on the Sunday Morning Show as they described it when you are leaving and Easter Egg it becomes a lasting imprint.  What does this have to do with this fund-raising campaign well donations are like Easter Eggs with a different twist.  They are unique imprints that last forever.  They can bring exhilarating joy to families and children otherwise facing a blood cancer. You see it's with those contributions or as we will refer to them as Easter Eggs today that funds research for a cure one that can save the life of a child. Now that's what you call an everlasting imprint.

How about considering adding your Easter Egg today and as it is picked up and used toward research you know you are making a significant difference.  With research comes a cure and parents will for years to come be planning their Easter Egg hunts for their child instead of what could be today a frightening dose of reality watching their child battle Leukemia or any other blood cancer.  http://www.in.llsevent.org/pam