Calling All FROGs!

On the eve of the federal budget sequester, kids fighting cancer need your help! From our friends at St. Baldrick's Speak Up for Kids' Cancer advocacy wing:

What’s been proposed? Automatic across-the-board cuts that affect every federal program budget. An 8.2% cut has been proposed for federal research agencies, which include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and in turn, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), as well as the Food and Drug Administration.

How does this impact kids with cancer? With only 4% of the current NIH/NCI budget dedicated to childhood cancer research, children with cancer enter this debate on an uneven playing field. This small amount already cripples the childhood cancer research community to the point of significant dependence on the private sector, but the budget sequester has the potential to impact an entire generation of childhood cancer patients. 

If the sequester cuts indicated for NIH/NCI occur, it will set off a disastrous domino effect for the Children’s Oncology Group – the innovative research engine that unites more than 8,000 pediatric oncology physician researchers at more than 200 children’s hospitals, universities, and cancer centers around the world.

• Research scheduled for 2013 would be halted, meaning that projects slated for 2014, 2015 and beyond would be cut.
• Staff cuts would cause the intricate workings of the COG to freeze.
• If COG operations were to halt, it would take years to restore the COG to the current pace of operations.
• Children with cancer would be unable to access clinical trials, medical discoveries that improve the lives of children will be stifled, and promising research on childhood cancer cures will grind to a halt.

Sequester cuts would also seriously impede the FDA’s drug approval process for patients of all ages.

• Children with cancer are especially vulnerable, as they receive oncology drugs originally developed for adult patients. The toxicity of these drugs causes severe side effects and extreme long-term effects in these young patients.
• With only two drugs approved by the FDA specifically for children with cancer in the last 20 years, new, highly-targeted therapies are desperately needed to treat pediatric cancers.

And here are some beautiful words on the subject from my Momma friend from Michigan, Monica, and her amazing son, Luke, a 2013 St. Baldrick's Ambassador. The bottom line is, as always, kids can't fight this battle alone, so by taking just a moment of your time, you can raise your voice for them and raise awareness of the critical need for solid (and, ideally, INCREASED) funding for childhood cancer research. Click here to contact your senators and representatives in one easy step. Thanks, y'all!

BIG News!

This morning, the 46 Mommas hit our goal of raising ONE MILLION DOLLARS for childhood cancer research! For the past three years, over 100 mothers have shaved their heads in solidarity with their own children and the 46 children diagnosed with cancer every weekday. The lofty goal may have seemed out of reach at first, but the Mommas were determined to raise awareness and funds for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, and after three national shaves and dozens of local events across the U.S. and Canada, here we are!

I'm so proud and honored to be a Momma today, and I want to say THANK YOU to the many Friends of Georgia who have donated to St. Baldrick's since The Peachy Keens' first shave in 2010. You have helped fund lifesaving research and, hopefully, guaranteed happy endings for more families touched by childhood cancer.

And we're not done yet! On June 30th, I'm thrilled to be bringing a national shave event to San Antonio - we'll be celebrating hitting the million Texas-style! More details to come, but I can tell you it's going to be one big party with Mommas past and present continuing the momentum for the Mommas of the future. We all look forward to the day when no mothers have to shave their heads or children have to sell lemonade or families and friends have to walk, run, or bike in order to raise awareness and critical research funds for our littlest - and bravest - cancer warriors. And I really believe we can get there, someday. Until then, the 46 Mommas and the Peachy Keens will continue to bring love, light, and HOPE to this fight, and we'd love for you to join us.

Onward!

Just Super

Another marathon, another super awesome time at the Superhero Kids water stop! It was a chilly morning, but it turned into a perfect race day, so we were happy to be there to cheer on the runners. We'll definitely be back next year!

We made special signs for some of our friends, including Dianna, Kalee, and Jessica, who came down from Frisco to run the half marathon. Kalee's son, Grayson, is a fellow ALL warrior, and his team is G Force!

No, YOU are. A Superhero and a SuperSib!

Georgia's clinic appointment went very well yesterday, and she even did the blood draw without any numbing cream on her arm. She's done it before, in a pinch, but this was the first time we decided beforehand to try it without the cream. Her numbers are excellent, so we'll go back in a month. Also, Dr. Neff ordered a bone density scan to give us another good piece to the ankle puzzle. Knowledge is power, right? Yes!

That's the haps around Peachy Keen HQ. Have a SUPER week, y'all!

Sunday Sunday SUNDAY!

Once again, we'll be hootin' and hollerin' for the brave and generous souls running the LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon and Half Marathon this Sunday. We had such a blast helping out at the Superhero Kids water stop last year, so we're looking forward to another great day. Good luck to all of the runners, including several Friends of Georgia - we'll see y'all out on the course!

Georgia has about 10 days left in her boot, which she has been managing very well. She says her ankle is feeling much better, even now that she's in the boot only at school. She's got her regular clinic appointment on Monday and then her follow up with the orthopedic doctor the next week. Before then, she'll have bloodwork done so we'll have everything we need for a plan of action.

Speaking of plans, how about this one?

Sounds good to us! Have a great weekend, y'all!

Armor

It's funny how often I've wanted to update the blog on a wonderfully uneventful day, and a great idea for a post just appears out of nowhere. And so it was today when I saw this article on writing as therapy during cancer treatment, and my mind was off and running.

Writing as therapy is hardly a new idea, but in a medical crisis, it can provide not only an emotional outlet but also a record of treatment that is more accessible and understandable to the patient. I think that's why so many people set up blogs or Facebook pages or CaringBridge sites - to not only share updates with others, but to sort through an incredible volume of non-stop information and have it make more sense. Many times, we have taken protocol paperwork and the chicken-scratch notes I take at every appointment and cross-referenced them with blog posts to recall how Georgia managed a particular medicine or just treatment in general. We've used it to document symptoms as well as milestones, good days and not-so-good days. This record will be a great benefit as she moves further into survivorship and will be a positive reminder of how far she has come and how much she has accomplished.

Even though Georgia was the one diagnosed, cancer has impacted our whole family and community of friends, and this blog has been a clearinghouse of information and a  true source of comfort. A very wise friend and fellow veteran of the childhood cancer war calls it my "armor," and I wholeheartedly agree. And even though I write the majority of the posts, the tag says "Posted by Georgia Lee Moore" because this is her story, her journey, and she is the inspiration behind every word.

 Thanks for reading - and fighting - along with us.

World Cancer Day

Today is World Cancer Day - an annual day to promote awareness of the disease and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. Click here to find out how LIVESTRONG is fighting the stigma of cancer for survivors around the world.

And in our little corner of the world, Georgia is managing her boot quite well, even if she needs reminders to take it easy in P.E.! It's frustrating when you otherwise feel so good to have to sit out of fun activities, but we really don't want her to injure herself further, so she's following doctor's orders. If she does, she should be back on both feet in three weeks!