A Childhood Cancer Survivor Blogging about the World of Childhood Cancer

Posts tagged ‘LIVESTRONG’

Children for LIVESTRONG

I am having the best time making all of the arrangements for LIVESTRONG Day this Saturday, October 2nd. There are lots of people who have joined in to help make this a great time for a great cause. Mr. Hubbell, my high school counselor and Key Club advisor has been very supportive and Mr. Clavery (teaches Ceramics) surprised me today by calling me to his classroom and giving me some of his beautiful art for our drawing. How very, very caring!

It’s fascinating to me to discover how people react when asked to help with something like this. Most people are eager and willing. Dolphin Bay Resort donated Brunch for Two at their award-winning Lido Restaurant. And my very, very, very (how many “verys” can you deal with???????) bread comes from a place called House of Bread in San Luis Obispo. They make the BEST bread anywhere! My very favorite is Garden Herb, unless I am making French Toast, and then it is Oatmeal Applesauce. Anyway, I am so excited about their bread that I am traveling off-track! House of Bread is donating…. (drumroll please) … cinnamon rolls. Yes, their” Too Good to be Described with Words” cinnamon rolls. (Anyone out there packing their suitcase for San Luis Obispo on Saturday?)

Meghan is heading up the bake sale and Becca is going to be our emcee who will also “grace” us with singing and drama. Mom’s friend from high school, Cindy Meyers, is kindly and generously going to share her musical talents.

Does Grace really release on Friday???????????????????

Is this what an about-to-give-birth woman feels like?????????????

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LIVESTRONG at School

I love that LIVESTRONG has an educational program for school-age children. If you are a teacher, please consider taking a bit of time to educate your students. There is age-appropriate material, according to grade, and LIVESTRONG makes everything very easy for the user. Teachers can even get a free poster from the LIVESTRONG site when they teach material. 

http://www.livestrong.org/What-We-Do/Our-Actions/Professional-Tools-Training/For-Educators/LIVESTRONG-at-School-Curriculum 

One of the reasons I think it is extremely important for this information to be taught in schools is because nearly everyone’s life has been affected by knowing someone with cancer. Teaching children care and compassion for others at a young age needs to be a priority. This LIVESTRONG curriculum can help children truly understand what cancer patients are going through, and they will learn how they can help. 

When I returned to school after my treatment had ended, it was rough. It was rough with a capital “R.” I’m not sure who it was rougher on, me or my mom– who had to go into serious battle with the school district– so I wouldn’t die. If there are any cancer patients out there reading this who are about to return to school, or have returned to school and are having problems, my mom has some incredible letters that you are very welcome to use– so you won’t die. 

From Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery: 

School had become too much. Almost immediately, Mom and I realized that attending school for the entire day wore me out to the max. However, with Mom’s requests that I cut back my hours, the school system began to show their ugly side. Soon, they had my mom jumping through rings of fire, like some sort of crazy circus act.

  

Boy do we need “Awareness”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
 

 

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LIVESTRONG Day is October 2nd

Guess what I will be doing on LIVESTRONG Day? Are you guessing? Do you think it might have something to do with LIVESTRONG?

I will not puzzle you any longer:)

LIVESTRONG Day Event Page:

http://www.livestrong.org/Take-Action/LIVESTRONG-Action/Livestrong-Day-2010/Event-Details?EventId=3129

This, as you can imagine, makes me happy, happy, happy! Mr. Lance Armstrong did a tremendous thing for my project to help children with cancer when he endorsed Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery, and this is my opportunity to support his organization, LIVESTRONG! I will update you as more of the plans solidify. Children raising money to fight cancer is beautiful!

Now I will take you back to the theme of the month… yes, you know by now… National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

One of the most recent ideas from Congress is to create a US postage stamp for childhood cancer awareness. Please write to your US Representative to show your support. 

http://www.kristinasrainbowsofhope.org/facts.html

This link has a list of childhood cancer facts, including:    

  • Attempts to detect childhood cancers at an earlier stage, when the disease would react more favorably to treatment, have largely failed. Young patients often have a more advanced stage of cancer when first diagnosed. (Approximately 20% of adults with cancer show evidence the disease has spread, yet almost 80% of children show that the cancer has spread to distant sites at the time of diagnosis).
  • Cancer in childhood occurs regularly, randomly, and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region.

The cause of most childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented. (Most adult cancers result from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, occupation, and other exposure to cancer-causing agents.)

Did you learn something????????????

Finally, I just spent a fun-filled weekend in San Francisco, celebrating my Gramma and Poppy’s 55th wedding anniversary with lots of our family. Congratulations, Gramma and Poppy! You are the heart and soul of our family, and I love you sooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Lance Armstrong Helping Children with Cancer

The information in this link makes me very happy!

http://www.wapiyapiclassic.com/

On September 26, Lance Armstrong will ride to help Wapiyapi raise money for families affected by childhood cancer. I can imagine that Lance has his schedule packed with events– that he would take time to do this inspires me so much! I love that he realizes how important it is to help families who have children battling cancer. Not only does he recognize the truth, he actually does something about it. Yes, inspiring!

Once again, I thank Lance Armstrong for leading us in this global battle against cancer. I thank him for caring not only for adults fighting cancer, but for caring deeply about children battling cancer as well. I am joining Lance in this fight, and I invite you to join as well. Together…

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International Charter of Rights

Are you familiar with Matthew Zachary? How about “I’m Too Young for This?” I have to tell you that they are doing one amazing job of giving everything they have to help young people (15-40) with cancer. Now, they are working together with other organizations, like LIVESTRONG, to create an International Charter of Rights for young people with cancer. Young people face many different challenges when confronted with cancer than those who are older.

For one… it takes much longer for young people to get a diagnosis and many times, we are misdiagnosed. Very unfortunately, as most everyone knows, this means that their cancer spreads further. I can personally connect with this. It took nearly four months of going to the doctor every week (and having her look at my mom and I like we were out of our ever-loving minds!) and my mom had to stand her ground and demand tests before I finally received my diagnosis. Four months. Four months!

Imagine how much cancer can spread in four months!

In the meantime, I was slowly suffocating. I realize this is not my doctor’s fault.

And I am not the only one. I care about the others.

Here comes the easy part…  this will only take a moment to show your care.

Please sign the charter. You may save someone’s life. 

Thank you i2y Stupid Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust, CanTeen, LIVESTRONG,  and SeventyK.!

I love my life!

 www.cancercharter.org

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New LIVESTRONG Spot

Oh my gosh… this makes me think of all of the survivors… and everyone who did not survive. It makes me think of how, even when we are alone, we are strengthened by the love and care we share.

It makes me grateful for everyone who is giving it their all to leave this world a better place. Yes– a world without cancer is absolutely a much better place.

Where’s my bike?????????????????

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FcmxG2q&h=0e710EDxtzh6_5kDszLd_xKuYdA

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LIVESTRONG Dedication Pages

Did you know that LIVESTRONG is creating the World’s Largest Dedication Book?

LIVESTRONG Action will present the book to world leaders to impress upon them the immediate attention we need to place toward finding a cure for the global epidemic, cancer. My mom and I are both dedicated to helping others with cancer and to doing all that we can to help find a cure. I am grateful for all that Lance Armstrong and the people at LIVESTRONG are doing to move toward this goal.

Gosh, I feel so loved. My mom wrote a dedication page for me:

http://www.livestrongaction.org/dedication/melinda-marchiano

It just takes a moment to sign my page, and each dedication and each signature will tell our world leaders how vitally important it is that we act now.

Can you guess who Signer #16 is?!!!!!!!  Giggle. Giggle.

Each week, someone I did not know before contacts me to tell me that they are battling cancer. I believe that nearly everyone who will read this post has been touched by cancer in some way. (Some of us have been “hammered” rather than “touched”!)  Let’s all do what we can… working together creates amazing results.

Imagine the result being the cure for cancer. Yes… I will not give up until this happens!

P.S. Please click this link– take a moment to make a difference!  Even better yet, create a page for someone you love.

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First Page Proofs and Livestrong Virtual Bikes

An overnight Fed-Ex package arrived today with first page proofs of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery!  I never thought I could be so excited about a box containing pages of my writing with marks all over it.  Somehow, in school, those marks all over papers are not as exciting!  Now, I have one week to look everything over and give it back.  I should be studying for my end of the year AP World History exam tonight, but I am having a really tough time tearing myself away from those purple-marked pages.

Did anyone else receive an email from LIVESTRONG today that tells about how we can help them, in the next 48 hours, to raise $75,000 from a RadioShack donation for the global fight against cancer?  All you have to do is click on http://www.livestrongaction.org/en/ride/jointheride and

Lance Armstrong at Tour of California, Solvang

 make your bike.  Join the ride and help fight cancer.  Really… do it now!

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