Introduction

My name is Ann. I am a proud Army wife and mother of two really amazing children. My daughter has just turned 12 years old, and is a double threat. She has beauty and brain, but with that, she comes with a compassionate heart and a temper that will curl your hair. My son has just turned 10 years old, and has been battling Brain Cancer, on and off, for half of his life. He is quite amazing. He was first diagnosed when he was just 5 years old. Went through treatment and was stable for a little over a year. When his cancer returned in July 2010, we were told that he is terminal. That we would be saying our goodbyes that October, at the latest. We were told that those with this “situation” had only lived up to 18 months after diagnosis. It is now August 2012, over 2 years past diagnosis, and he is still here. Still fighting. My family is filled with Heroes. I am truly blessed, and I could not be more proud!

I am a lot of things: mom, wife, nurse, taxi driver, maid, chef, laundress. You know the drill. But outside of that, I am an animal lover and student (with my certificate in Life Coaching) of holistic nutrition and urban farming. I am very opinionated, and that has gotten me into trouble a time or two. If I am wrong about something, I will own up to it, and try to fix where I have been wrong. I believe that honesty, even though many don't want to hear the truth, is always the best policy. I try to keep an open mind, but sometimes I just can't. It's on my very long list of imperfections.

A hairy communist bolts.

With the very mixed bag that I am, you never know what I will blog about, from one day to the next. Please feel free to leave comments, and I will try to address them as I go. If you would like to see a blog about a specific topic...child friendly topic...leave it in the comments, and I will do my best to write about your topic. I look forward to getting to know you all.

PS: You will also find an “out of place” sentence in this blog. Pay no attention to it. It was placed there so that I could verify my blog.

Childhood Cancer

Often times, I wonder Can I make everything work? How can I make everything work, and make it the best that it can be? How foolish do I sound, when I plead for help? I was wondering these things, as I went into my local Tractor Supply.  As I reach for the previously red bag of horse feed, I thought, "Another thing giving to Breast Cancer."  Now, don't get me wrong.  All Cancers should be known.  All Cancers should have funding and Find a Cure.  But when I saw another thing going to Breast Cancer, I was, in short, very upset. In my mind, our babies have been left behind, again. Why? Because no one wants to acknowledge that Children Get Cancer, too. That 46 children are diagnosed with Cancer, each school day. 7 children die from Cancer, each school day. As I walked around Tractor Supply, I saw that some bags of dog and cat food had turned pink, as well.  That brought a new flood of questions to my brain. 

When I got home, I started doing my work.  As I try to figure out how to grow my AVON business, so it can (hopefully at some point) completely support The Fuller Smile Project, I can't help but get sidetracked.  My brain can not let go of the fact that Breast Cancer is EVERYWHERE.  You can find PINK human and pet/livestock food all the way to office supplies, and most everything in between.  I got to thinking.  The only product (that I know of) that supports Childhood Cancer is Fla-Vor-Ice. Fla-Vor-Ice supports Candlighters.  That's great!  But I have an issue with that, as well.  Fla-Vor-Ice is a seasonal product. 


What it all comes down to is: How can we find a product, or line of products, that can reach most every home in the United States, year round?  How does Childhood Cancer get as much acknowledgement as Breast Cancer?


Anyone who knows me, knows that once I “latch on” to something that I feel is right, it's very difficult to let it go. I'm annoying that way ;) So I start this with a basic email to the Feed company who has changed it's pet and livestock food packaging. A mere suggestion of placing a Golden Ribbon on their “baby” pet and livestock feeds, and donating a portion of the sales on those products to Childhood Cancer Research. I honestly did not expect that it would go anywhere. However, the company has promised to forward my suggestion to the people who decide that. They suggested getting as many people as possible to send in the same suggestion, to show that there is an interest.


This company is responsible for everyday Pet Foods. This is a product that hits more homes in the United States than many other products, year round. It is a good place to start. We need to ask them to Go Gold, and give our Warriors a better fighting chance. This may not be “ideal”, but I figure baby steps. I have to start somewhere.


I have also contacted Kimberly-Clark, maker of many every day, everywhere, products. Huggies and Pull-Ups, being the ones that I am targeting. I am still awaiting a reply from them.


I know, with enough support, we can get more companies to show support to finding a Cure for Childhood Cancer. Question is: Will you help?


I take this quest very seriously. I am the mother of a child who is at War with Childhood Cancer, for the second time. My son was one of the 46 children who are diagnosed with Childhood Cancer. He was one of those children, two times. According to the doctors, with this battle, my son will be one of the 7 who will die from Childhood Cancer. This is a pain that no child or parent should know.


As I sit here, and share this with you, I look over at my son. I watch him while he is in his own little world, playing with his Bionicle and his big sister. He's beautiful, with his scarred and almost bald head. His coloring looks much better after his blood transfusion, yesterday. His once innocent, amazing hazel eyes, now shine with a knowledge that no child should ever know. Amazingly, he is still a happy, silly child. He is an amazing being. My son bares the scars of a Warrior. He keeps fighting this horrible Monster, known as Childhood Cancer. And I send up a prayer of Thanksgiving. I give thanks to God, for the 8 years that I have been able to have my son. I give thanks that my son has made it this far. I pray for God to show my baby mercy, and give my son the cure that the doctors can not provide. I pray for all the children, and their families, who have battled this Monster. I pray for the families who have an Angel, rather than a child to hold. I pray for a Cure for all of our innocent children.