May 28, 2007 Hello! Thousands of children (and teens) receive potentially life-threatening diagnoses each year.
"Diabetes was largely an unknown to the boy before a family
trip to St. Louis in 2003 when Kamaal was taken to the
emergency room after complaining of constant thirst and
feeling ill. ... 'I got really scared,' Kamaal says. 'I was
wondering what would happen to me.' The diabetes books that
doctors gave the boy, with their big words and medical
terminology, weren't much help. So Kamaal and his brother,
Malcolm, were drawing one day and came up with a way to
make it easier for kids to learn about diabetes and how to
control the disease. 'We decided to do a comic book,'
Kamaal says. 'We wanted it to be fun and educational.' ...
Kamaal and Malcolm have sold and donated to diabetes groups
about 90,000 copies of the comics and have given about half
of their $135,000 in profits to diabetes causes, their
parents said." When he was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, in 2003, Kamaal was nine. He was scared and didn't understand what this diagnosis meant for him. Four years later, with the help of his younger brother, Kamaal has found a way to take control of the disease and help others do the same.
"As Ross struggled through chemo and began to re-enter
life, a healing story emerged that yearned to be told, to
allow our family to heal and give other families the
inspiration to face their own healing journey. Ross's
indomitable spirit and positive attitude seemed to inspire
others to appreciate their lives, their families, and their
own daily challenges. In the fall of 1999, at age 13, Ross
was invited to be the luncheon speaker at the annual
meeting of the Wisconsin State American Cancer Society.
This book, I Had a Tumor, It Wasn't a Rumor, began as the
edited script from that presentation. ... We are pleased to
provide I Had a Tumor, It Wasn't a Rumor as a PDF file on
this website, making it accessible to more families in
need." Ross and his family had a story to tell. They found healing in creating a resource that could help other kids deal with a cancer diagnosis -- while empowering them with some age-appropriate tools and tips from someone who had been there.
"Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (a registered 501c3
public charity) is a unique foundation that evolved from a
young cancer patient's front yard lemonade stand to a
nationwide fundraising movement to find a cure for
childhood cancer. Since Alexandra 'Alex' Scott (1996-2004)
set up her front yard stand at the age of four, more than
$10 million has been raised towards fulfilling her dream of
finding a cure for all children with cancer." Alex did not survive the cancer, but her desire to help other kids who are fighting the disease has lived on through her family.
"Ten days after Britney Ann Bostley was born on March 13,
1999, she underwent invasive surgery to repair her
congenital heart defect. Today, she inspires others to
fight heart disease and stroke. In fact, because of heart
research and gifted surgeons, Britney will get a chance to
fulfill her own dreams one day. She may even follow in the
footsteps of her mother, two-time Olympic gold medalist
Cathy Turner. Cathy Turner and her husband Tim Bostley know
that without funding for critical research, their daughter
may not be alive today. That's why they organized 'Team
Britney' in March 2000. Armed with stickers, buttons,
banners, signs and T-shirts, they brought family and
friends together to raise money for the American Heart
Walk." In March of 2000, Britney was too young to understand "that without funding for critical research, [she] may not be alive today." In this case, it was her parents who turned a congenital heart defect into a way to help others and bring hope to those who might some day have to face a similar situation. Thousands of children (and teens) receive potentially life-threatening diagnoses each year. With these diagnoses come patients, families, friends, and classmates who are deeply affected. Type 1 diabetes, cancer, and congenital heart defects are examples of potentially life-threatening childhood conditions that, currently, no one knows how to prevent. This can leave those affected feeling helpless and out of control.
Questions of the Week: Please email me with any ideas or suggestions. I look forward to reading what you have to say. Cindy |
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