New HFC Team Member

Hello everyone!
Just wanted to introduce myself as the newest team member at HFC. I am very excited to be part of this wonderful organization and look forward to raising more money for pediatric cancer families in Texas.

A little bit about me...

• Native Texan - born in Dallas, but moved around a bit as a child. Moved back to Dallas after graduating Mississippi State University (and a brief stint in Memphis)
• Worked in corporate America for 7 years before jumping ship for non-profit.
• Started at The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, then served as the Executive Director for Wipe Out Kids' Cancer for 6 years.
• Married with four kids and living in McKinney, TX
• Coach my 3-year-old's soccer team
• and before kids (BK), I used to do triathlons and marathons. Now I do snotty-noses and break up fights. :)

Thanks for being involved with Heroes for Children. I look forward to meeting everyone!

Michelle Peacock, Director of Development

The Staff Takes Part in Holiday Heroes

With the holidays rapidly approaching, the Heroes for Children staff are getting in the holiday spirit! After having an extremely busy Fall we were all looking forward to the Winter for a much needed slow down (although I am still waiting for that slow down…maybe next week).

One of the main focuses around the office the past few months has been Holiday Heroes and the 40 families through Texas that we have adopted. This program is my favorite and I am very blessed that I was able to be a part of so much of it. The shopping was a blast and watching those teams fill up 2 to 3 shopping carts full of toys, clothes, bikes, video games and even bedding filled me with excitement. Excitement that these families are going to have a wonderful Christmas because of this program. Filled with even more excitement for those families that weren’t going to have a Christmas if it wasn’t for Holiday Heroes and the wonderful volunteers.

The HFC staff originally planned to have a Christmas party to include spouses but we were unable to agree on a date that worked for everyone but we came up with an even better idea! We decided that we could choose one of our Holiday Heroes families and that family was ours to shop for, wrap for and provide for. We chose a family that touched us. They are gracious, humble and truly selfless. We choose Caden’s family. Caden is 3 years old and has been battling Neuroblastoma for a year and half. He recently relapsed and is continuing to fight. When we received this family’s Holiday Heroes wish list back in our office we looked over their wish list to find that Caden’s mom, Lexie, hadn’t listed the things that the boys had wanted but instead wrote us a letter back…

Hey Guys,
We wanted to thank you for all you have done for us over the past year. We are honored and humbled to be selected as one of your Holiday Heroes families-what a surprise. As we tried to think about needs for our family, especially the boys, we realized we have been so blessed and truly don’t lack for much in the areas of food, clothes, toys etc. It is hard to give suggestions for gifts because we don’t truly need anything. We are torn on what to do, so we will let you make the decision. Listed below are “family/brother gifts” suggestions (rather than individual child), however, if there is another family that could use your help please remove our name. Thank you again.
Hugs,
Lexie

Their list is:
Gift certificate towards bunk beds
Wii and games
Tickets to sporting events
Gift cards to restaurants or family places

We instantly agreed that Caden’s family was “our” family. We all headed out to Wal-Mart for our shopping day and we did fill up two carts worth of stuff for this family. We had a great time choosing just the right things for the boys and we each personally contributed to the shopping carts. The shopping was followed by our staff Christmas lunch at Kona Grill, and yes there was sushi involved. We even did a little more shopping after lunch!



It took us about an hour to wrap all the gifts and get them ready to deliver to Caden’s family at the Dallas Holiday Heroes Christmas party this past Saturday. It was so nice to be able to meet Lexie, John and the boys. If you were to see Caden on Saturday you wouldn’t have even know he was a little boy with cancer, he was just a little boy playing and chasing his big brothers with a smile on his face the whole time. It made it all the hard work of the Fall pay off to see the smile on Caden’s face!

Boxes, Boxes and More Boxes!

These lovely boxes are filled with objects that will brighten the day for a child with cancer.

We are sending out 7 laptops this week! Last week one of the laptops brought a smile to a young man who in reference to a comment about the smile said, “And I haven’t smiled in a looong time!”. That makes 88 laptops we have delivered this year alone!!

The two boxes on the right are milestone packages. See contents below. One’s a princess birthday party. She will have to spend her 4th birthday in the hospital receiving chemo, so we sent her a Princess slumber party package to celebrate when she gets home. The other box, a snowman party package for a 4 year old celebrating a belated birthday and a half way through treatment party!!

These 9 boxes will bring so much joy to these families in the next few days! Thanks for supporting Heroes for Children and helping us spread smiles to all these children!!

December Volunteer of the Month

Every charity has them. The volunteer rock super stars that make our jobs just a little easier. Those "go to" people that you can rely on because not only do they come through for you, but do so with passion and excitement. The kind of volunteer you wish you could figure out how to duplicate and have lots of! We are fortunate to have one such volunteer working on our special Heroes Milestones program.

Kim Bannister is a member of HFC Friends, the Heroes for Children Women's Auxiliary, and currently serving as the chair of Heroes Milestones. Milestones helps a cancer patient celebrate a milestone event in their life that he or she might otherwise miss out on due to their cancer treatment. From birthday celebrations to Celebrations of Life parties at the end of a child's life, we've helped children and their families enjoy happy moments together. Each party is unique to the child and coordinated by Christi Disch, our Programs Services Coordinator, along with Kim. This month, four year old Natalie is going to get her wish--to go to a ball and dance with her prince (ie--her Daddy). She missed her fourth birthday and is finishing chemotherapy this month. Kim has taken the challenge of creating a ball and run with it! Natalie will be the Belle of the Ball at this special event, and we have Kim Bannister to thank for it.

I'm excited to share our friend and volunteer Kim Bannister with you. If you are new to the Dallas area or starting out a family, be sure to get a copy of Kim's book, littleDallas, for tips for raising a child in Dallas. It's a must have!

Name, Occupation:
Kim Radtke Bannister; author/free-lance writer

How did you get involved with HFC?
I was invited to the first Heroes and Handbags event and have been hooked ever since. Our son was a patient at Children’s when he was 4 weeks old. The quality of service and care was amazing, but the sadness and worry we encountered with many parents was heartbreaking. Through Heroes, we can help alleviate the financial burdens for the families in need, while supporting them emotionally as well through such a program as Heroes Milestones- Making an ill child’s birthday wish come true is something my young children get excited about- it is can be a family affair!

Do you have any kids and/or pets?
Sawyer, our daughter, is 7 ½. Our son, Ford is 5. We have two German Shepherds, Amigo & Armani as well as two fish, Bud and Fancy.

From looking at you, no one would guess that…..
I am cautious in nature, was convinced I could fly when I was young, dream to camp in Africa, I am afraid of flying, my favorite actor is John Travolta & I want to learn how to surf. If I could start a new career, I would be an architect- there’s still time!

Favorite place to eat:
I love great sushi! So, Shin Sei of course! And Ed’s Deli for family breakfast and Sunday “brunch.”

What’s on your bedside table?
Town & Country Magazine, Architectural Digest, Devil in the White City, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society & Gourmet Magazine.

What’s in your iPod/CD changer?
A variety of music from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s to present day. Nothing gets me to run faster than Donna Summer, Blues Traveler, Bon Jovi & Guns ‘n Roses. . . a blast from the past and it reminds me of my youth!

Who’s your hero?
I admire those who are compassionate and benevolent to others without wanting anything in return. And my younger brother and his wife who lost their twin babies, Jack & Madison, at birth.

A Time to Give Thanks

Delaney (Her Story- per her mom)

On October 9th, 2008 Delaney was diagnosed with a Diffuse Intinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). This is an inoperable brain stem tumor, that has a prognosis of 6-12 months (apprx) and survival of 2 years is less than 8%. She is currently in her 5th week of radiation and is about to enter MD Anderson for the second time to finish her IV chemo. We will be spending Thanksgiving in the hospital.

In May of 2008, I took her to the pediatrician because she was slurring her speech and had a droop in the right side of her face; she was also klutzier than normal. He said she had a lopsided smile, and said she needed speech therapy. In September, I took her back because her speech was incoherent and she was now having headaches and trouble swallowing. He referred me to a pediatric neurologist and ordered an MRI. We were all stunned to find the mass on the MRI.
After attempting to work as many hours as possible and still take her to her daily appointments, I was let go from my job. The help from Heroes for Children was an answered prayer.
We appreciate the work that you do.

* We are THANKFUL that we could assist Delaney’s parents at this difficult time when they are trying to provide for Delaney as best as they can. We are THANKFUL Delaney is resilient and happy through all of her treatments!*

Catherine (Her Story – per her social worker)
Catherine does not have access to a computer in her home and this will assist her with her homework and staying in touch with friends. She is homebound school. She is scheduled for more chemotherapy, then a surgical procedure to remove the cancer, and then more chemotherapy. She and her parents are thrilled for this opportunity.

*We are THANKFUL for the smile this laptop put on Catherine’s face. We are THANKFUL that now she will be able to stay in touch with friends and keep up with her school work!*

What are you THANKFUL for?

November Volunteer of the Month

Finding a mission you love to combine with a sport you love? A perfect combination for our Volunteer of the Month, Bud Lowry. Bud first got involved from a family friend, Kip Madsen. Kip's daughter Emma lost her battle to cancer in July 2006. Her beautiful face graced our golf course later that year for the 2006 Heroes for Children Golf Classic, and two teams of men wearing "Team Emma" golf shirts golf in her memory. Since that event, Bud has become more involved, serving as a member of the golf committee in both 2007 and 2008. Each year, you can be sure to find him on the course with his Team Emma golf shirt, supporting the inspiration that brought him to our organization.

Bud Lowry (second to the left) with his team in October 2008 at the Heroes for Children Golf Classic. Emma's dad, Kip, is on the far left, next to Bud.

Name, Occupation:

Bud Lowry – Occupation CPA- Self Employed


How did you get involved with HFC?

Through my good friends Kathy and Kip Madsen and their loss of their daughter Emma in July 2006.


Do you have any kids and/or pets?

Four Cats

Favorite place to eat:

Three Forks


What’s on your book shelf?
The Only Kayak – Kim Heacox
It’s Not About the Bike - Lance Armstrong
One Magical Sunday – Phil Mickelson

What’s in your iPod/CD changer?
John Denver, Neil Diamond, Journey, The Big Chill soundtrack, Elton John, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen

Who’s your hero?
Every American Soldier who has signed a blank check to serve this great country of ours up to and including the ultimate cost.

Volunteers Preparing to be Holiday Heroes

Everyday, I read applications for financial assistance for families battling childhood cancer. I see applications for laptops, our Milestones program, and our direct financial assistance program. With each one I read, I silently thank Allie for bringing the child and family into my life, and I remind myself how very lucky we were during Allie's treatment. We didn't struggle to keep our lights on. We had strong family support surrounding us with love. We asked for things, such as our dog to be taken care of or our laundry to be done, and it was taken care of. Many families going through the battles of childhood cancer cannot say the same.

This month is our big Holiday Heroes project. Holiday Heroes adopts families for the holiday season to help bring them hope, love, and hopefully some happiness during a difficult time in their life. With the help of more than 140 volunteers, we are adopting 40 families from all across the state for the holiday. We have volunteers through our women's auxiliary, HFC Friends, in Dallas helping us with 26 families in North Texas. There is a sorority group in San Antonio, and volunteers through our Heroes and Handbags group in Houston helping (though we do need a few more volunteers in Houston to help and shop this Friday morning with me and Danielle, if you're interested, email me).

The applications were all due on Friday. All last week, they steadily came in. Wow. These families we're adopting are going more things than I could possible imagine. Like the family of a single mother with her five children barely able to meet the bare necessities (HFC paid to keep her lights on last month). A Christmas? Not going to happen for that family without us. How about the family whose child has been in the ICU for exactly two months as of today? The mom hasn't left her son's side and dad is only working sporadically while the other siblings are shuffled around. Of course, there is the family who adopted four children and then their biological child got diagnosed with cancer. Thanks to Hurricane Ike, the family's home has more than $35,000 worth of damage.

Above: Melech (front left), his aunt and her three other children see their gifts for Holiday Heroes

I'm truly humbled seeing what the families ask for. A family who has a 3 and a half year old with cancer, a 2 year old, and a baby merely asked for Hot wheels and tractors for the boys and diapers for the baby. Diapers. That's it. Of course, with a $1,000 per family to spend, we're going to make sure they have a great holiday. We'll get them diapers, diapers, and more diapers, and I suspect even more for the baby that might just be for fun too.

Above: Volunteer Stephanie Duncan (left) and me, Jenny Scott, (right) wrapping gifts for a family

We shop for four days in the next two weeks in four different cities. It will take four staff members to help shop being that we have to be in different locations with our volunteers to pay for all the items (no, we don't need donations for the program. We are luckily blessed to be able to fully fund this program--volunteers simply help me shop, wrap, and deliver--not give monetarily). In December, we will give out the gifts. In Dallas and Ft. Worth, we're lucky enough to be able to throw parties for the families through the generosity of the Pi Phi's of SMU and a health honor society at TCU. One day, we will hopefully have a stronger presence in Houston to be able to do the same type of thing there as well. For now, we're glad to be able to do what we can there.

Above: Holiday Heroes family recicipent with volunteers at the Pi Phi House party last year

I know that in the next two weeks as I stand in line to shop for these families, I am once again going to be silently thanking my sweet Allie for bringing these families into my life and allowing me the opportunity to help them, even if it is just by finding a Wii to put under a Christmas tree this year.

NOTE: HFC Friends is still accepting membership for the 2008--2009 membership year. All activities are volunteer based and do not require anyone to fundraise. Membership is only $40 but makes a BIG difference in the lives of the families we help---just ask the forty families getting assistance through Holiday Heroes.