Melinda Marchiano

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

As each week flies by faster than the last—especially this time of the year—I need to place many things at the top of my priority To-Do-List.  School is important, dance is extremely important, and one priority that constantly remains critically important to me is raising awareness for childhood cancer.

Keeping my room clean is not so important…

I say this not to ease my guilt as I type these words, but to let you know that rubble can wait… children fighting cancer cannot.  I would love for everyone to see that we don’t have time to mosey around. Please join me today in taking action; please join me in ignoring the messiness of life for a moment to choose to do any or all of the following:

Please click on the link below and vote for the Isaiah Alonso Foundation.  This is seriously easy, my friends!

http://bit.ly/iGuo4m

PAC2, always one of my favorite sources of information, is asking us to contact our elected representatives to help bring increased funding for pediatric cancer research.

http://acurechildhoodcancer.ning.com/forum/topics/pac2-initiative-support

Specific Instructions from PAC2—including contact help links:

“Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) are spearheading a bi-partisan effort to get as many senators as possible to sign-onto a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting increased funding for pediatric cancer initiatives in Fiscal Year 2012.   

 Senator Reed’s office has asked that the community engage our grassroots in supporting this effort.   Specifically,getting advocates to ask their 2 senators to sign-onto the letter.

HOW YOU CAN HELP……..

1. 1.     Please call your two senators in Washington and ask the receptionist for the email address for the senator’s health care legislative assistant.  Identify yourself as a constituent  when you call.
2. 2.     If you do not know your senators phone numbers, they can be found here:http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
3. 3.     Once you have the legislative aides’ email addresses, please send separate emails to them that contain the attached correspondence (download here) from Senators Reed and Isakson.
4. 4.     Include a brief note in the text of your emails, that;

• makes clear you are constituent,
• conveys why you are involved in the pediatric cancer community,
• specifically asks the  senator to sign-onto the letter in support of funding for pediatric cancer programs.
• you reference the attachment from Sen. Reed and Isakson which has all the details the aide will need
• you close by asking to be kept apprised of the senator’s decision.   Include your home address in your message.

1. 5.     Please note — This is a letter for senators to sign.  Please do not contact Senator Reed or Isakson’s office and ask that your signature be added to the letter. 
2. 6.     The deadline for senators to contact Senators Reed and Isakson to sign-onto the letter is June 8th.  Offices will need some lead time to consider this request so please act today!

Thanks!”

Some very exciting news this week came from Alex’s Lemonade Stand with their announcement that Toys R Us has joined them in the fight against pediatric cancer.

http://www.toysrusinc.com/press-room/releases/general/2011/toysrus-inc.-joins-alexs-lemonade-stand-foundation-in-the-fight-against/

This gives me hope that more corporations will awaken to act in very large ways to help stop childhood cancer.  Congratulations to Alex’s Lemonade Stand for this major partnership that will without a doubt save children’s lives.

I think it’s a great thing that Toys R Us cares about children who may be too sick to even play with toys. I admit that I look at many corporations with skepticism about their motives and disgust for their greed. Show me wrong, corporate America, show me wrong! Would you like to line up behind Toys R Us and form a nice, long train that will chug up the childhood cancer hill to a cure?

Get your couplers ready for hook-up!

And what is the reason for all of this effort?

Because stories like the one below are common in the world of childhood cancer. It’s easy to get caught up in foundations and fundraisers, but all of this effort is about each individual child. It’s about the children who have suffered and died. It’s about the children in the midst of their battle. It’s about letting everyone know by our actions that their lives matter.

Let’s change that word “common” to “extinct.”

From a friend…

First and foremost…we have a friend who desperately needs our help.  Our buddy, Santos, is fighting a second relapse of his brain tumor.  They are wishing to do some experimental treatment, BUT insurance will not pay for this treatment.  Without $20,000 to begin, they cannot get him ANY treatment…we all know what that means.  He needs a hero, and my thinking it that all of combined can be heroes to this little boy–we can give him HOPE!  He is a sweetheart and he and Braden had a grand time one day when they came up to the hospital to visit.  Santos and his family are very faithful, softspoken, courageous, warm, loving, and wonderful people–I really can’t say enough good things.  I know there are many things that we all are asked to consider contributing to, but this one could give Santos more time on Earth with his family–I don’t think there’s a greater gift.  PLEASE consider helping and spreading the word to others so they can help–no donation is too small, every dollar counts and helps! Please help us find heroes for Santos—he is most certainly one of ours!  You can make financial donations to:

Industrial State Bank
Att: Santos Arreola Treatment Fund
Account # 130000794872
P.O Box 6007
Kansas City, KS 66106

Perhaps donating two bucks to Santos will be the greatest gift you ever gave yourself.

Calling all heroes…