You Can Help

I’ve never been able to work in sales.  I just can’t.  I don’t like selling people things they probably don’t need.  Asking people for money is just not fun. 

What would be worse than asking people for money though?  Not asking.

Sunday will mark three years since our lives were turned upside down.  Speaking to Chelsea’s pediatrician on my cell phone that fall morning, and hearing those four words, “we need to talk,” was the beginning of a whole new world for us. 

I’m not going to retell our story.  Most of you already know how it goes.  Six grueling rounds of chemotherapy, 157 days in the hospital over 8 long months, fevers, infections, thousands of miles back and forth from Kansas City.  Days when she shouldn’t have been happily playing, but she was, and days when medically she was stable, but she wouldn’t even wake up.   

You know how the story ends.  I’m attaching a series of pictures that document her journey.  The first, taken at diagnosis, the second, during her treatment, the third was one year after treatment was over, and the final picture was taken this summer, as we celebrated TWO YEARS of life without cancer. 

 

Looking back at these pictures brings back all the memories we try to forget, but they’ll never go away.  The upcoming anniversary is why I know it’s NOT okay, not to ask.  Chelsea’s life was saved by a regimen of chemotherapy that is still being studied.  The goal of the study is to decrease the toxicity, and long-term side effects of chemotherapy in children with Down syndrome and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. 

Chelsea walked away with only a few scars from her central lines, some hearing loss, and probably a few bad memories - I would consider the study a success in her case.  The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society helps fund an assortment of studies, just like Chelsea’s.  We will forever be thankful to medical staff that saved her life, and also to the donors, like you, who contributed to the LLS and in turn helped to fund life saving research – like the study that we participated in. 

So although times are tough for all of us and bills are piling up, jobs are scarce – I’m still going to ask.  Will you consider a donation to the LLS?  Every little bit counts.

The walk is 36 hours away.  My goal is to find 10 friends to donate $10.  Can it be done? 
(Of course donations can still be made after the walk.  We have a month to turn in donations and because I'm getting a late start I plan on turning in a big chunk of our team's money in October!)

Make checks out to LLS (the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society).  You can give them to me, mail them, or send your donation via paypal.  

Thank you!