Happy Anniversary!

We've been so busy the last week or so - many things to celebrate! Today marks Georgia's 15TH month off treatment! She continues to feel good and just finished up another session of Badgerdog Creative Writing Camp. Ivy participated, too, and they were both selected to read their work this fall at the Austin Teen Book Festival - so we have TWO great writers in the family! Very proud of them.

 Our poet in her poet blouse

This weekend, we also celebrated my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. 50! Some dear friends hosted the most beautiful party, and it was wonderful to be in a room full of people who love "Lolly and Poppa" as much as we do. It was a great night!

Today also marks one year since I shaved my head with the 46 Mommas in Los Angeles. I joined an incredible sisterhood that day - and added 46 new members to my family. We're all committed to raising awareness, hope, and funds for childhood cancer research, and we won't stop until every child can be guaranteed a cure. It's such an honor and a privilege to know these women and to work with them in support of the St. Baldrick's Foundation. The 2013 event a month ago was amazing, but the Class of 2012 will always hold a special place in my heart.

Have a great week, y'all!

22

Last week, the St. Baldrick's Foundation announced $22 million in childhood cancer research grants. 22! These grants were funded by generous donors like YOU from November to June, and this research has the potential to impact every child diagnosed with cancer because of its breadth and depth: 63 grants, 17 countries, and covering a variety of diagnoses, the effects of treatment, and survivorship. 

This is why we support St. Baldrick's - we can see results, action, hope. And we are so grateful to those of you who have joined us in making these grants possible. Thanks to years of dedicated research just like this, we had a proven treatment protocol for Georgia, and it worked. Hers is a success story and now serves as inspiration for funding further research so more kids can have the victories they so deserve. What an honor!

Hairstory 2.0

In August 2010, after eight months of hard chemotherapy, Georgia moved into the maintenance phase of her protocol, and her hair started to come back. Now, after nearly three years of growing it out, she had her first haircut on Thursday. In our never-ending quest to accentuate the positive, we had long ago decided that this was "magic hair" and that we needed to do something very special with it. So, Georgia donated over 11 inches of her lovely locks to Wigs for Kids, which provides free wigs and hair replacement systems to children who have lost their hair to chemotherapy or other medical issues.

Before

Keepsake curls for Mommy

Three of four ponytails, ready to go

After

I think she likes it!

Although Georgia wasn't bothered by losing her hair during treatment, she wanted to give another child some comfort and confidence in their own battle. And while it was a bittersweet moment, looking at her long, thick curls as a measure of her journey over the past three-and-a-half years, it was also another celebration of her victory and her continued good health. We are so grateful for that and for the opportunity to support other families with children still in the fight. Thank you to Amanda and her team at Salon at the Highland for taking such great care of our girl and for participating in Wigs for Kids!

Peace to Kethan, a mighty ALL warrior, and strength to his dear family. 

Friends, please help us conquer childhood cancer. Click here to register as a bone marrow donor and here to donate to the St. Baldrick's Foundation and lifesaving childhood cancer research. Thanks.

Shave Rave

And it's done! The 2013 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave has come and gone, and we've raised over $195K and counting! Mommas will continue to fundraise through the end of the year, and our four-year total is closing in on $1.2 million!!! So exciting! There seems to be a lot of momentum surrounding the team, so it will be interesting to see what happens next ...

We all had a great time in San Antonio, even with a last minute venue change due to - of all things - RAIN! Our hotel was ready with the ballroom, so we barely skipped a beat, and the shave was underway in no time. This was the biggest event I've ever planned, and I'm really happy with how it went. I'm also really happy that it's over. : )

The morning of the shave, Georgia and Ivy were invited to participate in the Pablove Foundation's Shutterbugs program. Each family was given a camera, and the children got photography lessons and tips from two professional photographers. The girls loved it and got some really cool shots, too!

"Momma Head" fans we had made for the heat - before the rain!

Ivy took this one - she even caught Poppa in the background.

We also had several volunteer photographers shooting the event, and because we ended up in the ballroom, they were able to get some really wonderful closeups. It's such a powerful event, and they were all very moved by the moments they were capturing.

My reason for doing this crazy thing.

First swipe.

All done!

 

 One of my best friends, Jill, came to support us.

Every bit the champion that Georgia is.

At each national shave, the 46 Mommas include an advocacy or outreach event. This year, we held a book drive and collected over 300 books for the pediatric oncology units at Children's Hospital of San Antonio and Methodist Children's Hospital. The day after the shave, this delegation of Mommas delivered the books and some Momma fedoras and Twilight Turtles from MaxLove Project and enjoyed a wonderful tour of the outpatient clinic at CHSA. 

We are fortunate that Votre Vu is continuing their partnership with the 46 Mommas and donating $1 from the sale of every French Accents product to our campaign. Harold Zimmerman, CEO of Votre Vu, presented a check for the the $15K raised so far this year, and Kathleen Ruddy, CEO of the St. Baldrick's Foundation, was on hand to accept it - and to be of invaluable help that day!

Your 2013 Leadership Team: Alyson (California), Susan (Pennsylvania), and Lisa (Texas).

 We were dearly missing Bekah, who was home in Rhode Island, awaiting Baby #3.

The Class of 2013! 

(including Honorary Mommas and Honored Kids)

And their fearless leader, trying to get them organized for the picture.

I have a feeling I looked like that a lot throughout the weekend ...