Melinda Marchiano

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer And Recovery

The wild storm held off just long enough for us to reach our hotel in Atlanta before it busted loose with strong winds and buckets of rain. The drive from New Orleans seemed to go quickly as we drove over Lake Pontchartrain; it was enormous and beautiful in the early morning sun. The hurricane damage to the trees is still very evident in areas around the lake. Before we knew it, we were already through Mississippi and on the tree-lined interstate driving through Alabama. One very odd thing we noticed about Alabama was there was not one bird in sight. They must have been hiding in the trees!

Georgia was a surprise. I did not expect the beautiful streets that had tree branches laden with leaves covering them. It felt cozy and comfortable.

We met Jessica from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta early in the morning. We discovered that parking around children’s hospitals can be challenging, but Jessica very kindly met us out in front to offer us up-front parking. We discovered that kindness is just one of Jessica’s qualities as she proceeded to give us a terrific, informative tour of their children’s hospital. Aflac is a huge support to CHOA… if you would like to see how they help: http://www.choa.org/childrens-hospital-services/cancer-and-blood-disorders/about-us/how-aflac-supports-us

With Jessica at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

My brother, Nicholas, is a huge racing fan. He is a senior who is studying mechanical engineering. He is on the Hornet Racing Team at Sacramento State where he helps to build and design their race car that they bring to competition each year. I have become educated about racing through Nicholas, and one of the NASCAR drivers who has become my favorite is also a huge supporter of CHOA. Carl Edwards has devoted his time and money to help. For those of you who are not familiar with NASCAR, Carl does a back-flip each time he wins a race. After one win, he took out the Beads of Courage necklace that a cancer patient had given him and placed it around his neck. There is a photo of this in one of the art rooms for children, along with the trophy he won from this race.

Thank you again, Jessica, for the tour of your amazing children’s hospital. Thank you to Aflac; may you be an inspiration to many other corporations!

Carl Edwards, you were already my favorite because of your warm spirit. I guess that now you must be my Ultra-Favorite!

Carl Edwards Photo at Children's Hospital of Atlanta