Day 30

Two months ago, I shaved my head with the 46 Mommas at the Shave for the Brave.

I'm keeping it shaved - and continuing to fundraise - through December.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, but I hope we've shown you 

how you can do SOMETHING to raise awareness, hope, and funds all year long.

This is what we did to raise awareness for our warriors. 

And then we did what every reasonable person would do.

We danced.

Five Months OT!

Well, despite the rain, the CureSearch Walk was a resounding success - and the perfect way to celebrate Georgia's FIFTH month off treatment! We didn't actually get to walk, but we did brave the rain for the ceremony. Georgia was the second highest fundraiser, and the Peachy Keens got fifth place in the team totals. Woohoo! Overall, the event raised $72,000 and counting, so THANK YOU to everyone who donated or bought art or lemonade, and we hope you'll join us next year!

THREE survivors in this picture - 

Coach Brown (top left), Georgia, and Coach Mason-Murphy (bottom right)

GO STARS!!!

Peachy Power!

Super Girl

Super Sibs

 Super Cousins

Go Gold - Part V

Hope on Wheels

 

Hyundai Hope on Wheels is an initiative made up of more than 800 Hyundai dealers across the nation, with the mission of raising awareness of childhood cancer and celebrating the lives of children in the fight. Since its inception 14 years ago, Hope On Wheels has donated more than $57 million to pediatric cancer research centers nationwide, and yesterday, Dell Children's Medical Center was the recipient of one of 45 Hope Grants for 2012: 

Pretty amazing. And you don't even have to buy a car to help out. Check out the Five Ways to Lend Hope a Hand, and you can make a difference in the fight against childhood cancer.

LIVESTRONG Day

Next Tuesday, October 2nd, is LIVESTRONG Day. Lance and company are planning the largest display of support for cancer survivors in history by sharing 100,000 messages on Facebook and Twitter. And for every message shared, $1 will be donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation for programs and services that directly support people fighting cancer. Click here to share your message, and it will be posted automatically on October 2nd.

And just so we're clear: It's not about the bike. It's not about the jerseys. It's about the 28 million survivors and the $500 million LIVESTRONG has devoted to the global fight against cancer. We stand with Lance, and we'll continue to FIGHT.

Color It Forward

Votre Vu, one of the biggest supporters of the 46 Mommas, has been really raising awareness this month. If you're on Facebook, make sure to "like" their page, and one dollar will be donated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Also, click here to see a feature on our favorite cover girl!

And don't forget to check out their wonderful French Accents cosmetics! Again, one dollar from the purchase of any of those products will be donated to the 46 Mommas. These sales, plus the generosity of Votre Vu's CEO, Harold Zimmerman, have already raised over $15,000 for our campaign, just since July, so we're looking forward to a long and very successful partnership with these beautiful folks.

Nice bracelet there, HZ. : )

Thanks for the Momma makeovers, Votre Vu - it was a real treat!

She's a Pepper

Georgia had her fifth OT appointment today, and it was wonderfully UNeventful! She did really well with the blood draw, her counts look great, and she's got just one more month of antibiotics - the time has flown by! We celebrated with lunch at Chili's in support of St. Jude:

Georgia's pepper tells her story - from diagnosis to SURVIVOR!

Doubly Aware

In this last week of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we want to remind you that September is also Blood Cancer Awareness Month - very important to our family as well.

From The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:

Each September, LLS observes Blood Cancer Awareness Month as a way to let the public know about the LLS resources available for blood cancer patients and their families.

Since 1949, LLS has invested more than $875 million in research for the discovery of breakthrough therapies that are saving lives today. And survival rates for blood cancer patients have doubled and tripled, and in some cases, quadrupled.

LLS has made enormous strides over the years, bringing us to the edge of cures. Therapies and treatments are now, at this moment, saving lives and improving the quality of life for many patients, making this an extraordinary moment in time.

We are certainly thankful for the research that produced Georgia's treatment protocol, and we appreciate LLS's participation in that research. We've come a long way, but there is still much work to do - especially for pediatric patients - so the continued vigilance of organizations like LLS is critical to improving treatments and finding cures.

You can help fund life-saving research and assist patients and their families by donating to LLS or taking part in one of their fundraising programs, like Light the Night, Pennies for Patients, or Team in Training. It will take all of us to get there, but until we do, we will remain RELENTLESS for a cure!

And don't forget - tomorrow is The Big Day at Chili's! One hundred percent of net profits from all restaurants will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital! I think I know what we're having for dinner ...

The Return

Over the last two months or so, we've noticed a big improvement in Georgia's energy and overall health. She's feeling great, moving well, and laughing a lot. It's obvious that the last bits of 28 months of chemotherapy have left her body, and she is building up her stamina more and more every day. Case in point, I just bore witness to an EPIC all-out, no-holds-barred pillow fight:

And even as I braced for the inevitable fallout (which actually never came), the sound was music to my ears. It's been a long time!

Good thing Georgia is in such great shape - the Austin CureSearch Walk is one week from today! We're looking forward to a really fun event and would love for you to join us. Sign up with the Peachy Keens here, or donate to Georgia's page here - she's just over $50 from her goal! Raising funds for research is the perfect way to close out Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so we hope to see y'all there. Thanks!

Join Team Ethan

These are my friends, Chris and Kim:

This is their precious son, Ethan:

In honor of Ethan's courageous battle, they started The Ethan Jostad Foundation for Childhood Cancer to provide support for patient families and to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. Kim is one of the top fundraisers for the 46 Mommas, and their foundation was recently awarded a grant by the Chase Community Giving program, so they are thrilled to be able to reach that many more families and to continue to share Ethan's story.

Every day this month, they have been posting a fact about childhood cancer on their foundation Facebook page, and this one is particularly familiar - and important - to us:

Leukemia is the most common cancer in children, but as with most childhood cancers, the symptoms are often suspected to be, and initially treated as, those of any number of common childhood illnesses. Many times, children go for weeks and months without a confirmed diagnosis, which is especially problematic with acute and/or more aggressive cancers. 

Georgia's only symptoms at diagnosis were extreme fatigue and pale skin. From the first day we noticed a change in her behavior to the day she was diagnosed was exactly two weeks. We were extremely lucky that we caught it when we did, and our greatest piece of advice when facing lingering, unexplained symptoms in your child is this: Ask for blood work.

Get Swabbed

Today is GMA host Robin Roberts's "new birthday." She is undergoing a bone marrow transplant to treat the myelodysplastic syndrome she developed as a result of breast cancer treatment. Her donor is her sister, which is actually fairly rare as there is only a 35% chance that a recipient will have a sibling that is a suitable match. And as intense as the preparation for this procedure is for the recipient, I think Robin's got the right attitude:  You have to change the way you think, in order to change the way you feel.

Which brings us to our regularly-scheduled plea to get swabbed and register as a bone marrow donor! AND

Research shows that younger donors are best for patients because they provide the greatest chance for transplant success. But by all means, if you're between 45 and 60, please register as well!

Giving Hope

Here's an easy way to do SOMETHING for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Give Headbands of Hope. The mission of this organization is to "fund childhood cancer research and spread hope in all girls, one headband at a time." Each of the 46 Mommas received a glittery green headband at the Shave for the Brave, and they were super soft and comfy on our bald noggins - perfect for girls going through treatment. Plus, for every headband sold, one will be given to a girl fighting cancer and $1 will be donated to St. Baldrick's - so it's a win-win-win!

Hi Tech Help for Childhood Cancer

Exciting news from the computer world and, specifically, our homegrown global sensation:

To combat the void of new, innovative childhood cancer treatments, Dell has made a multimillion dollar, multi-year commitment to design and develop technology to help its research partners significantly accelerate treatment options. The Dell Children's Cancer Care initiatives help power clinical researchers and doctors around the world with high-speed cloud computing solutions that can allow experts to identify and share personalized treatments in days instead of months. Dell is also helping nonprofits worldwide as they provide comfort and care to young cancer patients and their families, including establishing remote learning opportunities for hospitalized children, issuing grants to cover cancer treatment, and funding pediatric care facilities and supporting outreach work.

Watch this video to learn more about these initiatives - click on the arrows to make it larger.

And if you're on Facebook, click here, watch the video, and Dell will donate $1 to childhood cancer research!

Why Do We Fight?

Over halfway through September - please do SOMETHING to raise awareness.

It's Official!

Here is the latest official word on the collaboration between St. Baldrick's and Stand Up To Cancer:

Over the next four years, The St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) will commit a total of $14.5 million to form the SU2C-St. Baldrick’s Pediatric Cancer Dream Team.

This is the first Dream Team focused solely on pediatric cancer research since SU2C's inception in 2008. The pairing of the two organizations brings together two of the world's leading cancer research groups in a unified mission to accelerate the discoveries of new advances for treating pediatric cancer.

"It is through the ongoing efforts of St. Baldrick's volunteers who continue to stand up to cancer, and the more than $32 million they raised this year, that we are able to announce this landmark collaboration," says Kathleen Ruddy, executive director of the St. Baldrick's Foundation. "We are confident that the innovative approach of the Pediatric Cancer Dream Team, along with other St. Baldrick's funded research will help quicken the pace in our ultimate goal to someday find cures for all childhood cancers."

The official word from Peachy Keen HQ? HOPE.

And one word for our hero, Justin? FIGHTER.
 

Snaps for Poetry

Georgia is a published writer! Today, she was selected to read one of her pieces from creative writing camp for the Badgerdog Young Authors Reading. Later, the writers were available to sign a published anthology of their work, and they all seemed to enjoy the rock star treatment.

The Wistful Cactus

She sat

in the desert.

Alone.

It was hot.

She didn't notice.

Dreaming

of the flowers

that never bloomed.

Wistful.

Waiting for the spring,

the flowers never come.

Wanting to prove

to the world

she is beautiful.

Wishing 

the flowers would come.

She wished.

She wist.

She wistful.

- Georgia Lee Moore, age 12

The Austin CureSearch Walk is two weeks away! Join us and help fund life-saving research!

Fedora Friday

This is the beautiful Audra, one of the 46 Mommas who Shaved for the Brave:

This is her amazing son, SuperMax:

Inspired by Max's fight, they started Max's Love Project, which provides uplifting, supportive, and therapeutic resources - including Cloud B Twilight Turtles - to SuperKids fighting cancer.

MaxLove is the fundraising arm of Max's Love Project, and for every purchase of the special edition Momma Fedora (seen above and on ALL the cool kids), five dollars will be donated to the 46 Mommas. Get 'em while they last, share the MaxLove, and help Audra and Max continue to make a difference for all SuperKids - thanks, y'all!

Thank You, Alex

I wish it didn't take parents shaving their heads and kids selling lemonade to raise funds for childhood cancer research, but at least it's doing SOMETHING. With that, here is the inspiration and force of nature behind Alex's Lemonade Stand. What a girl!

Be a Hero

You can be a HERO to kids fighting cancer and support life-saving research when you purchase this awesome Marvel Comics t-shirt from St. Baldrick's! As you can see, they were quite a hit with the celebrity barbers at the Shave for the Brave:

The Property Brothers are (very tall) Super Heroes!

Go Gold - Part IV

Here's an easy - and beautiful - way to Go Gold year-round. This wee ribbon charm is from Dogeared Jewels and Gifts, specifically the Create Jewelry Collection. The generous folks from Dogeared joined us at the Shave for the Brave and invited each of the 46 Mommas to create a necklace as a memento. Every piece was very personal and unique, and they all told special stories. I so appreciate the gift and encourage you to visit their beautiful website. Thank you, Dogeared!

We are lucky and blessed.

Go Gold - Part III

This is the yard sign we made for September, and we've gotten so many compliments and questions from neighbors - raising awareness! We want to remind people that kids get cancer, too, and you'd be surprised how easy it is to start the conversation just by tying a gold ribbon on your tree or on your car. People really do want to help, and "going gold" creates a great opportunity to tell them how! Remember:

AWARENESS= >FUNDS= >RESEARCH= >CURES

New Beginnings

So if you watched the Stand Up To Cancer telecast on Friday night, you heard the Big News: Stand Up To Cancer announced a collaboration with St. Baldrick's and the coming formation of a Dream Team of researchers dedicated to childhood cancers! I think the details of what this will look like and how the funding will work are still to be determined, but it is definitely a HUGE step in the right direction. There was quite a bit of focus on children, adolescents, and young adults on the show, fitting for September and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and hopefully, that focus will be sustained throughout the year - every year, until we find a CURE.

Here is the Stand Up To Cancer introduction of its newest partner:

The St. Baldrick's Foundation, a leader in the childhood cancer community, is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most-promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. 

Childhood cancer is a global crisis, yet research to combat it remains under-prioritized and underfunded. St. Baldrick's funds work to fill this void and support lifesaving research so that children with cancer not only survive, but thrive. Committing more than $101 million in research grants since 2005, the St. Baldrick's Foundation remains the largest funder of childhood cancer research grants, second only to the U.S. government.

"I consider St. Baldrick's the most forward looking and robust philanthropic foundation for childhood cancer," said Crystal Mackall, M.D., National Cancer Institute.

In the past decade, St. Baldrick's funding has made a powerful impact, including contributing to five major childhood cancer research accomplishments: a new cure for neuroblastoma; an improved cure rate for a common type of childhood cancer; raising the cure rate from 20% to 70% for rare type of childhood leukemia; accelerating scientific discovery for rare cancers; and training the next generation of childhood cancer researchers.

"Without the support of St. Baldrick's, the challenge of doing research across this country would be almost impossible," said Peter C. Adamson, M.D., Chair of the Children's Oncology Group.

St. Baldrick's Foundation supporters are the driving force of a global movement to conquer childhood cancers; these donors, researchers, families, kids and volunteers have joined the cause in bold ways. At St. Baldrick's signature head-shaving events, people of all ages and from all walks of life discover a power they didn’t know they had: to give hope and the promise of a future to the bravest children in the world. St. Baldrick's participants shave their heads in solidarity with kids fighting cancer to raise money for lifesaving research.  Others climb mountains and run triathlons in the name of St. Baldrick's, and many lend their voices to the cause through St. Baldrick's childhood cancer advocacy network, Speak Up for Kids' Cancer.

In related news, you may have noticed that St. Baldrick's has a new logo:

From St. Baldrick's:

The evolution was simple – we wanted to respect the Irish roots, while showing today’s broader St. Baldrick’s identity.

The “S” and “B” represent “St. Baldrick’s,” while also forming the shape of a four-leaf clover.

The four “leaves” of the clover represent you -- the volunteers, donors, researchers and families who come together under the St. Baldrick’s name to fund and conduct the best childhood cancer research.

Finally, the word “Foundation” is prominent – reminding the world at large that we are more than a head-shaving event, we are leaders. We – all of us together – are leading the charge against childhood cancer – and we intend to win.

We are so proud to be a part of this organization and so honored to join them in the FIGHT.

Angels Among Us

We've said it before, and we'll say it again. And again. And AGAIN. The nurses that care for children in treatment are a special breed. We are grateful for, and so admire, the teams at the clinic and the hospital, and we think they deserve thanks and recognition EVERY day! How about making a donation for childhood cancer research in honor of your favorite nurse?

Go Eat

Everybody likes to eat, right? Well, did you know that just by eating at select restaurants, you can help kids with cancer? Yes!

First up, for the month of September, Chili's restaurants around the country are raising awareness of childhood cancer through the Create-a-Pepper campaign. Diners are encouraged to donate $1 or more to create a pepper coloring page to be displayed in the restaurant. Through that simple act, since 2002, Chili's has raised over $40 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - with the 10-year goal of $50 million right on the horizon. In addition to the pepper pages, on Monday, September 24th, Chili's will be donating 100% of the day's net proceeds to the campaign. I'd say that's doing something, wouldn't you?

And for our local Friends of Georgia, Saturday is CureSearch Night at Cypress Grill (insert Cajun yell here)! Twenty percent of the night's receipts will be donated to the Austin CureSearch Walk, so go! And eat up!

And don't forget to watch the Stand Up to Cancer telecast tonight! Even though I won't be with the Momma delegation in the audience, my friend and FIERCE 46 Mommas ally (and Dr. Ben Warren on Grey's Anatomy) Jason George will be. This guy walks the walk, y'all, and we so appreciate the support!

 

Stand Up

Justin is 9 years old and has been fighting Neuroblastoma for six years. He is a St. Baldrick's Honored Kid, and we Stand Up for him and all the other kids who have, and are, battling cancer. YOU can Stand Up, too, by tuning in tomorrow night, Friday, September 7th, for the Stand Up to Cancer live telecast, and helping to accelerate ground-breaking research in the fight against cancer. Extra special for this year's telecast, we will have a delegation of 46 Mommas in the audience AND we will learn the details of a new collaboration between SU2C and St. Baldrick's in childhood cancer-specific research! Progress!

I remember when we watched the inaugural telecast in 2010, and I saw the first class of 46 Mommas, I thought how wonderful it would be to be one of them. Two years later, I am proud to say I can call myself a Momma and call all of those women, and many more, my sisters. Here's a video from the 2010 shave:

Be Sweet

This Saturday, we'll be promoting the CureSearch Walk at Libbie's Second Annual Birthday Bash at the Austin Music Hall. This very sweet event, created by the amazing Becky and her teams at A Trip to Bountiful Bakery and Cafe and the Loving Libbie Memorial Foundation, benefits their "Comfort Through Food" program for the clinic, the hospital, and the local Ronald McDonald House. In addition to stocking the kitchens with delicious macaroni and cheese and chicken and dumplings, they provide cakes and sweet treats for kids celebrating birthdays while in treatment and, our favorite, for kids going off treatment! Remember these?

,

All incredibly scrumptious, and all from Bountiful. They also donate baked goods to many childhood cancer-related events around town, including the CureSearch Walk, and Becky is a tireless supporter of all of the local non-profits and family-run organizations that are trying to make a difference for these kids. She even showed up at the city council meeting to hear Georgia speak!

The next time you need a tasty custom cake, special cookies, or a just-like-mom-used-to-make meal, please stop by A Trip to Bountiful in Westlake. You'll get great food and be supporting a great cause, too!

Go Gold - Part II

Here's another idea for going gold this month: This ribbon is one of two that were displayed at the 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave. They are about five feet tall and covered front and back with pictures of children who have battled cancer - including our sweet Georgia, on the middle right side. These kids, and so many others, are the reasons the Peachy Keens do what we do.

Go Gold - Part I

The gold ribbon is the symbol for childhood cancer awareness, and while there are many places you can display your gold, we think our friend, Ishani, has the right idea: Start with the most recognizable address in the country.

No answer yet, but he did issue this proclamation: 

This month, we remember the young lives taken too soon, stand with the families facing childhood cancer today, and rededicate ourselves to combating this terrible illness.

Get The Facts

Here are some sobering facts about childhood cancer in the U.S., courtesy of St. Baldrick's:



One in every 330 children in the U.S. will develop cancer before the age of 19.

 

 

 

On average, 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every week day. That's about the equivalent of two full classrooms.
 

 

 

On average, 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year. One in five of them will lose their battle.
 

 

 

Childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly, and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region.
 

 

 

Childhood cancer is not a single disease, but rather many different types that fall into 12 major categories. Several of these cancers are almost exclusively found in children.
 

 

 

Common cancer symptoms in children — fever, swollen glands, anemia, bruises, and infection — are often suspected to be, and at the early stages are treated as, other childhood illnesses.
 

 

 

When cancer strikes children and adolescents, it affects them differently than it would an adult, often causing developmental problems.
 

 

 

Three out of five children diagnosed with cancer will suffer from long-term or late-onset side effects, including fertility issues and increased risk of secondary cancers.
 

 

 

The cause of most childhood cancers is unknown, and at present, childhood cancers cannot be prevented.
 

 

 

Today, up to 75% of children diagnosed with cancer can be cured; yet, some forms of childhood cancer are so resistant to treatment that, in spite of research, a cure is still elusive.
 

 

 

Childhood cancers are the #1 disease killer of our children. More than asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined.
 

 

 

At present, the National Cancer Institute allocates less than 3% of its research budget to all 12 major groups of childhood cancers COMBINED.

 

 

AWARENESS=>FUNDS=>RESEARCH=>CURES