Delivering the Holidays

With the help of about 200 volunteers we delivered the holidays to 41 families! HFC Friends members shopped for and wrapped hundreds of gifts for children battling cancer and their siblings. Thanks to all our Holiday Heroes volunteers. 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. Thanks to our Holiday Heroes chairs, Jacquelyn Ghorayeb, in Dallas and Chrissy Lewis and Vanessa Bailey in Houston for all their hard work coordinating so much.

Early in December we hosted the families to holiday parties where the volunteers were able to meet “their” families. Thanks to all our parties hosts; Tish Vininsky and the women of Pi Beta Phi Sorority at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Alpha Epsilon Delta Premedical Honor Society at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and Macquire Cook Inc. in Houston. Each party was so much fun, filled with treats, crafts, Santa, holiday cheer and of course lot of presents! Seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and hearing the thank yous makes all the hard work all worth it.

One social worker wrote to me about the families she submitted for the program.
“My two families that came to the holiday party had nothing but wonderful things to say. One dad said that he was so overcome by the generosity that he had to step outside and collect himself. Another mom called me today to tell me how kind everyone was, and she will be making a thank you card that she would like me to pass along when she brings it to me. So, once again - thank you so much! All three of these families are wonderful wonderful people and you help make their holiday!”

Note of Thanks

This afternoon, the staff at Heroes for Children received the following email note of thanks from Caren Heilman, pediatric oncology social worker at Dell Children's Hospital in Austin. It is notes like this one that make us feel truly blessed to work each day to support families battling childhood cancer.

Thank you, Caren, for sharing!!


I just wanted to send a thank you note to everyone at Heroes For Children. Thanks for all you do for our families through financial assistance and the laptop program. At this time of year, it has made a significant difference to be able to tell families that we can get a bill paid for them when things seem to be impossible from their perspective.

It has been especially remarkable to give out the rest of the laptops that were allocated to our patients. The looks on our patients’ faces has been priceless. Several parents even became tearful. I wanted to share that most of them are so appreciative, but one patient was in disbelief. He examined the laptop very closely and began planning how he would go about taking care of it to ensure that his siblings (all six that remain in the home) would not damage it. He read the release several times and then got out his phone and began typing in information (I am guessing the name and location of your organization—I didn’t ask because his mother was so moved that she was crying and talking to me at the same time). I would not be a bit surprised if he ends up contacting you himself.

So thanks to all of you from all of us. Thanks for making it possible for us to bear witness to these little moments. These are some of those inspiring moments that remind me how very much I love my job. Our staff has gone through a difficult time lately, but when I tell them these stories, or they get to take part in these moments, it sticks with us for a long time and makes the difficulty just a little more bearable.

Happy holidays and peace to you all,
Caren

December Volunteer of the Month

I can't think of a better person to highlight this month than Ashley McClain. When she became involved with our organization this summer, it was just days before her big surgery. Co-Founder Larissa Linton shared her conversation with Ashley and how inspired she was that Ashley wanted to get involved through our Heroes for Children 5K Run/Walk. Days after her surgery, the first step in her battle with breast cancer, Ashley was rallying friends, family, coworkers and everyone else she knew to get involved with the 5K. Her team Fighting Spirit blew us away at the event! Ashley won Best Team Captain for her work and her team won Highest Fundraising Team.

Since then, Ashley has volunteered her time, helping with data entry or working on a mailing. This is in between juggling her work, family, and oh yeah, her own treatment. Ashley continues to amaze and inspire all of us at Heroes for Children. Her story is incredible. I'll leave it to her words for you to learn more about our Volunteer of the Month, Ashley.

Name, Occupation:
Ashley McClain. I am an attorney by trade but have worked for Chubb Insurance for the last 8 years handling employment law and casualty claims. It is a great job and much better than practicing law!

How did you get involved with HFC?
In the beginning of July, my family spent the night at the Great Wolfe Lodge. While there, I ran across a little boy around my kids’ age (6-7 years old) who had cancer. He had lost his hair and it appeared that his dad had supported his son by shaving his head. They were having the time of their lives but at one point I heard the little boy, who was obviously upset and in pain, say that he did not feel well and needed to go back to his room. I was full of so many emotions watching this family-I felt blessed that they had the opportunity to laugh, play and enjoy their time at the water park but also was deeply saddened by the unexplained pain and experiences the child, his sister and his parents were obviously going through. While watching the family, I found myself laughing with them while at the same time tears rolling down my face. I spent hours thinking of this family and could not get them off of my mind and heart.

Even though days passed after our trip, I would still go to sleep and wake up thinking about why this family had been stricken by cancer. I called the Great Wolfe Lodge several times to find out how I could help similar families enjoy their precious time they had together and after a long game of phone tag, they directed me to Make-a-Wish Foundation. However, a short 20 days after our trip to the Great Wolfe Lodge and before I could contact Make-a-Wish, I was diagnosed with cancer.

The news was not fun to hear but all I could think about was that I can beat cancer and I knew something good will come out of it for my family, friends and myself. I have a truly blessed life with a great husband (even though he can be a little much at times); two wonderful kids; an awesome family that is always there for me; fun, crazy and caring friends; a great job and a truly remarkable church, St. Andrew United Methodist Church.

I knew I would get better and my only wish was that my journey could help people that were not as blessed-- such as the little boy who touched my heart. While praying for how my journey could help others, I came across the wonderful organization-Heroes for Children. I loved Heroes for Children because they provide financial and social assistance to Texas families with children battling cancer. To top things off, when I was doing my research, I saw they were holding their 5k on September 12th—which is my awesome niece Tiffani’s birthday. Tiffani and I had been talking about running a 5k in the Fall of 2009 for over a year. As I started chemo on September 3rd, I was not able to run the 5k with Tiffani but she and about 70 other of my friends and family joined her and my team, Fighting Spirit, for the race. The ladies at Heroes for Children and their mission really touched me during this time and I have really enjoyed volunteering there since the race.

Do you have any kids and/or pets?
I have two wonderful girls. Avery is in 2nd grade and is my princess. Kendall is in 1st grade and is my jokester. Kendall and I have bad allergies so we don’t have any pets but enjoy the neighbors’ animals.

From looking at you, no one would guess that…..
I love to watch sports (any and all kind) and play games (poker, pool, board games, fantasy sports, etc). I am very competitive!

Favorite place to eat:
Finos-which is a little Italian restaurant across the street from my house in Plano. If you have not been there, I would highly recommend it. If you go, there is a very good chance you will see me there because we eat there at least once a week. The guys there are all from Italy and make some great food.

What’s on your book shelf?
All of the Twilight books—such a great love story! I also have my journal that I write in when I feel inspired, worried or just bored.

What’s in your iPod/CD changer?
I love the Taylors—Taylor Swift and Taylor Hicks (yes—the American Idol winner from several years ago!) I know after hearing I read Twilight and listen to Taylor Swift, you might think I am a 13 year old girl. Well I am not—I am 39!

Who’s your hero?
Ellen DeGeneres—I love anyone who can make people laugh, is comfortable being themselves and does such great things for people less fortunate.

November Volunteer of the Month

Dear Blog Readers,

I apologize for the tardiness of our normal monthly segment of the Volunteer of the Month. We've had a VERY busy November! Our Volunteer of the Month, Jacquelyn Ghorayeb, was extremely busy this month with Heroes for Children, prepping for our Holiday Heroes program. Jacquelyn has been in charge of coordinating more than 100 volunteers in Dallas and Collin County of our HFC Friends Women's Auxiliary to shop, wrap, and prepare to donate gifts to the chosen Holiday Heroes families. She shopped for days at Walmart with teams of volunteers, and this weekend, Jacquelyn will be attending the holiday party in Dallas hosted by the Pi Phis of SMU to meet the families selected to participate in 2009.

We're so grateful to have a volunteer like Jacquelyn. She is so organized and handles multiple volunteers with such ease. She shares an enthusiasm and passion for Heroes for Children, especially our Holiday Heroes program. This is her second year to serve as the Holiday Heroes Chair, and we are so lucky to have her!! We know many families who will be grateful for the work Jacquelyn is doing too.







Name, Occupation: Jacquelyn Ghorayeb, sometime lawyer, always mother.


How did you get involved with HFC?
One afternoon, Christie Cahoon (HFC board member and last year's HFC Friends President) told me about HFC and the wonderful work it does. I immediately knew that it was an organization that I wanted to join. It has been an honor to be a part of HFC.



Do you have any kids and/or pets?
I have two little girls. Sydney is six years old and Laure is three.


From looking at you, no one would guess that…..
That I love the show So You Think You Can Dance.


Favorite place to eat:
A good diner, with a big breakfast.


What’s on your book shelf?
Right now, a lot of mysteries, but I also love books with great characters and relationships.


What’s in your iPod/CD changer?
I like musicians that write their own songs, usually Austin or Nashville artists.


Who’s your hero?
My mother. She has overcome so much in her life and constantly is giving of herself.

It's the Holidays!!!

With Thanksgiving next week, we are so very thankful for all of the supporters, volunteers and donors who have helped Heroes for Children GROW over the past 5 years. In five years, Heroes for Children has provided over $2.5 million in program services for families with children battling cancer in Texas. It takes a village to make it happen... from volunteers who help us raise the funds to volunteers who help us provide the programs... we appreciate everyone involved with our organization. If you are looking for a way to get involved with Heroes for Children, please contact Michelle Peacock at mpeacock@heroesforchildren.org. And look for a new blog post soon about all the different ways to be involved.

Heroes for Children is fortunate to benefit from 3 fundraising events happening over the next couple of weeks in the DFW area. We hope to see you at one of them!

1) For those of you ready to do your holiday shopping, we invite you to visit the Chi-Omega Christmas Market Nov 19-21. Heroes for Children is a beneficiary of this year's event, and we are so excited to showcase our organization. Stop by the HFC tree, browse 160 merchants and get your holiday shopping done early! For tickets, contact Jenny Scott at jscott@heroesforchildren.org.

2) Anyone in Southlake? Fish City Grill's First Tuesday event at their Southlake location will benefit Heroes for Children on Tuesday, December 1st! HFC will receive 15% of the day's sales. Please stop by! We will have some tshirt giveaways and we would love your support!

3) WillowBend Mall has a great off-price store called SH*OP (SHopping Off Price) which has name-brand clothing up to 70% off. They are hosting an in-store "couples night" on Thursday, December 3. For only a $5 donation at the door (to benefit Heroes for Children's 5th Birthday), you will enjoy delicious food, wine, musical entertainment, and a night out! You will also have a chance to meet HFC co-founders Larissa Linton and Jenny Scott. Stop by anytime after 5pm!

If you are looking for a charity to support with an end of year gift, Heroes for Children would love your to be your beneficiary. HFC spends approximately $15,000 per week in financial and social assistance. We rely on supporters like you to fulfill every request we receive. All donations to Heroes for Children are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

To donate online, please visit our website: www.heroesforchildren.org/donate. Or mail in your donation to our Dallas office - checks made payable to Heroes for Children, 1701 N Collins, Suite 240, Richardson, TX 75080.

Are you on our mailing list? You can learn about everything Heroes for Children is doing throughout the year by joining. To join our mailing list, please email your contact info to wstone@heroesforchildren.org.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Heroes Halloween!

Elaine Turner's team has done it again! After a week of the "Treat for Treat" promotion, a flood of generous customers came together and donated boxes and boxes of Halloween goodies for a very special cause! Heather McLeskey and Taylor Dodge from Elaine Turner's office and myself dressed up in our most colorful costumes and with the generously donated treats in hand, were able to bring a Heroes Halloween to the patients in the Texas Children's Cancer Center. As you can see in the pictures, we had just as much fun as the kiddos!

www.elaineturner.com

Natalie's Journey--a story of a sparkly princess battling leukemia

Written by Tammy Burraston....

I am the mother of a four-year-old cancer survivor. My daughter, Natalie, was diagnosed with Leukemia almost three years ago. After six weeks spent in the hospital without a diagnosis, she was finally diagnosed on October 12th 2006, the day before her second birthday. She has surgery and began chemotherapy the next day—her second birthday.

Pediatric cancer turns your life upside down. Somehow you accept the uncertainly of your new world; because you have no other choice and you move forward. Natalie received chemotherapy for twenty-six months. She had a central line in her chest during that entire time, which could not get wet and required weekly dressing changes.


Natalie has spent around 135 days inpatient in the hospital. She has had general anesthesia 24 times, had six surgeries (including having her gallbladder removed when she was three years old), she has had five bone marrow biopsies, and has had 17 spinal taps where chemo was put into her spinal fluid. Natalie has had major infections in her blood, one required her central line to be removed and replaced again.

Natalie had feeding and GI problems before cancer and those problems were exacerbated by treatment. She had a tube put in her nose (while awake) seven times before finally having a more permanent feeding tube placed. Natalie is still on a feeding tube. For more than two years, Natalie suffered from abdominal pain. During the early part of treatment, Natalie lost her ability to walk and even to sit. She went through physical therapy to regain her strength. She has been on more antibiotics and drugs and had more time spent in clinic than I care to remember. But nine months after finishing chemo, Natalie is doing amazingly well. She is now full of energy and plays and has fun with her brother. Her love of life has always been there. She is a joy to everyone she meets and has a sparkling personality.

One of the remarkable things about Heroes for Children is that the founders really understand what families who have a child with cancer feel like, they have both been there. They know first-hand what the experiences of cancer life are like, and they are uniquely positioned to help those of us who find ourselves facing the reality of having a child with cancer. The help they give is meaningful and creative. They give financial assistance, which is terribly important to those facing cancer. But they give more than that. Through some of their other programs, they give things that make an even more lasting impact than money to pay utility bills or medical bills ever can. They are in tune with what a cancer family actually needs- to have their life back…even if it just for a short time.

Because they know the experiences of cancer life, they know cancer families don’t just leave their child with any old babysitter and go out for a night on the town. Cancer families can’t do this because our kids need special care. That is what made the Valentines Dinner so special for us. If it hadn’t been for HFC, we would’ve had our valentine date at home. Our valentine dinner would have been shared with our sweet children at the table. Which is great, but doesn’t exactly equal a romantic valentine dinner.

The Valentine’s Dinner hosted by Heroes for Children was perfect because our children were in the room next-door under the care of professionals and surrounded by the loving HFC volunteers. We knew they were happy and safe, but we were able to have a dinner together. Just my husband and myself. Those moments are rare. To top it off, they had a photographer come and take family pictures before we dropped our children off. Our children had a fun and memorable evening and we got pictures…all three are things that cancer families cherish.

(Natalie at the 2009 Valentine's Dinner)


After Natalie got sick, life seemed segmented. When memories came to mind, I always thought of them in terms of before and after she got sick. The Princess Ball when Natalie ended chemo, provided another milestone event…grand and memorable instead of memorable and hard. Now I could add another chapter, the after chemo chapter, to celebrate. I think it would’ve been memorable and created that idyllic ‘after’ no matter what, but the grandness of the celebration was like a springboard to propel forward.

Natalie has been ALL about princesses for some time. Last year before her birthday she told me she had never been to a princess ball before. I had known that I wanted to do something very special to celebrate her finishing chemo. I wanted it to be something she would always remember, something that would make her feel as special as she is to me. I wasn’t sure I could execute the vision I had on my own. I had read about HFC’s Milestone Celebrations some time before and decided to contact them to see if they would be willing to help. I could not think of a better milestone for a child with cancer than finishing up treatment.

They quickly agreed to help and through their hard work and the generosity of many others, HFC provided Natalie with an amazing milestone celebration. Natalie has “pretend princess friends.” She tells us they are pretend, but she enjoys playing make believe about them. She was even pretending to go to a ball in the weeks leading up to her own ball. It made the upcoming surprise all the sweeter.

The Princess Ball was even more amazing than I could have possibly imagined. Everything was catered to children. It was a real fairy tale princess ball, complete with all the details…a surprise dress, a grand entrance, a dance with her prince charming, and time with her “princess friends.” Natalie loved the night and felt so special. It was truly a celebration of her and the amazing milestone she had reached. Several weeks after the ball, Natalie asked if she could go back on chemo so she could have ANOTHER princess ball. I’m not sure there is a better testament of what the ball meant to Natalie than that.

It was quite an experience for our entire family. The only thing I would’ve changed about that night is to make it longer, I wished it wouldn’t end. We were all on cloud nine. My husband, David, slept in his tux that night…he wanted the magic to continue that much. We woke up the next morning and it felt like a fairy tale. The still crisp tux let us know it hadn’t been a dream.

At the beginning of treatment, we were told Natalie would likely be treated for 2 ½ years. That was overwhelming. At that time, I could hardly imagine making it to the end of treatment. That night was a celebration of the journey Natalie had been through and our journey with her. It was a celebration of her triumphs and what she had overcome. After more than two years, she was cancer free. Reaching that milestone was a culmination of so many emotions for me…so many emotions and memories were triggered.


The music of that night brought back so many emotions in a way that only music can. Our little family clung to each other on the dance floor, eyes closed, arms wrapped around our Natalie, tears streaming down David and my face; as they played our little princesses’ song. The interesting thing about the night was that it evoked memories, but instead of evoking memories of the hard times, it evoked memories of moments where our hearts felt the most gratitude, where we felt like we were on top of the world. The interesting thing about the cancer roller coaster, is that because the low moments are SO low, the high moments are so high they take your breath away. Never before in life, have little moments and things made me feel so deeply and intensely.

My husband surprised me with a special song that night that he and I danced to. After Natalie finished her most intense part of treatment we took a little family trip, just the three of us…to celebrate making it through. We were beaten down. She had two major blood infections six weeks apart and had been experiencing the worst of her abdominal pain. Watching her in pain for so long without being able to relieve it was breaking our spirits down. We needed to escape the medical world. We took her to Sea World. As we crested the top of the mountain and began our decent into San Diego, David put this same song on. It was night and the air was full of moisture. We had the windows down and David had this song repeat over and over again for the 40 minute drive back down the mountain. He sang the song to Natalie and I in spanish over and over again…his voice cracking as tears ran down his cheeks. The symbolism and feeling of the moment were amazing., as were the next three days. It was another milestone in Natalie’s journey. It was a milestone of the heart and I did not think it could be duplicated.

I have often said that I wished my heart was a camera because not only do I want to capture pictures of moments I want to remember, but I wish there was a way I could duplicate the feelings those special moments created in my heart. The night of Natalie’s princess ball did that for me. The memories of that night in San Diego and other precious ones were woven together, forever integrated with the night of her princess ball. The princess ball helped my heart recall all of the other moments and feelings along this journey that were so special to me.

Adjusting to life after the end of treatment hasn’t been the easiest thing. New worries and stresses come along, along with a change in role. I found that during treatment, I just had to keep going to get through it, I didn’t have time to stop and mourn the losses Natalie faced or really even think about things. Since chemo ended there has been time to let those feelings surface. The night of her princess ball has been a help to me on several occasions. I think that is what means the most to me. It continues providing me with hope.

New memories were made that night. New photos of the heart were taken. It was a glittery night, full of hope, happiness, and magic. The new memories made were healing, replacing many old ones. Natalie’s dress was full of glitter and everywhere she went, glitter trailed around her. That night was like pixie dust for my soul. The memories of that night continue to provide me with hope. When days come along that I feel worried, I can close my eyes and think of that night and it renews my hope. I imagine that night along with other memories and lessons I have learned, will continue providing my soul with pixie dust throughout my entire life.