Charlotte's Journey

“People will forget what what you said and forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel”. Yesterday, Charlotte was having ear pain along with head cold symptoms so off to the pediatrician we went. There was a nurse there helping out for the day from Duke Children’s Hospital and she REMEMBERED Charlotte from her time with the pediatric surgical team. Charlotte has had 7 surgeries during her time in treatment over the years at Duke and this nurse was helping out in the OR during one of Charlotte’s surgeries. I thought about this on our drive home and how could this nurse who sees thousands of kids remember our Charlotte and her name? And the Maya Angelo quote above rang out to me. Later on when we got home, 2 of Charlotte’s best friends rang the doorbell with get well cards they made her. Charlotte will never remember what they say or even that they did this…but she will remember the way the people she has in her life makes her feel. I believe we all do. The imp...

 Quick update but more soon—3rd GRADE here she comes! Fresh off the beach with sun kissed freckles and sweetest giggle you’ve ever heard. Wearing a bracelet that says Keep Going sent from some special person in our village. And keep going she will! Have a great first day Charlotte! We love you soooo much. And as always we feel you prayers for our sweet girl! Keep them coming please🌈❤️Thank You God

  We are off and running!! We have been able to help families by assisting with lodging, flights, travel expenses such as gas, meals, and specialty items such as collapsible wagons which help families in a variety of ways when they come for hospital appointments. We are sponsoring Panera breakfast once a month for families in patient at Duke Children’s hospital. And this past week, my heart was heavy when we helped a family bury their 4 year old little boy named Isaac who was fighting ALL, We were able to help alleviate some of the financial burdens this sweet family was facing. Do you know how much it costs to bury a child? $4,000. We have all seen the prices at the gas pumps, grocery stores, and perhaps airline tickets. These realities are especially hard for these families facing childhood cancer. And so here we are, trying to fill in any cracks and gaps as we are able. In any way we are able. And we are able because of YOU! Because of your generous gifts and donations helping u...

 We are excited to say we have begun working and helping families! We are able to start helping to ease the burden for some pediatric oncology families we have been connected with through social services and family support organizations. A few things we have been able to help with include travel expenses for families traveling for treatment, meal assistance, and some specilaty care items such as this collapsible wagon. I wanted to share this story with you all below, along with an updated picture of our family this Easter❤️🌈Thank you village! Thank you for coming along with us even further on this journey Sharing a full circle moment with you all. Some may remember Charlotte’s red wagon days. She was so sick. Just started chemotherapy. She shut down and wouldn’t walk and would hardly eat or speak. But a ride in the wagon seemed to not only bring her back, but help me feel like a stroll down those hospital halls might one day lead us to a stroll home with a happy and healthy Charlo...

6 years ago today  Posing during clinic today Charlotte sharing her news Just when we thought the news couldn’t get any better, village.  1. Charlotte’s scans are clear! 2 years off treatment for relapse and she’s still clear. This is a huge milestone! 2. Both Duke and MSK have approved Charlotte to move out to 6 month scanning intervals for the next couple years. This is a huge milestone for her specific Neuroblastoma diagnosis (remembering she was placed in the highest risk stratus and stage IV with a specific gene detected in her tumor that they shared is associated with the poorest outcomes, and with a relapse giving her an even worse prognosis but of course we never liked talking much about that). Take that cancer! As I shared, this is the week Charlotte was diagnosed 6 years ago. This picture below we took 6 years ago this morning as we got ready to send her in for her tumor and bone marrow biopsy and central line surgery placement. She would start chemotherapy tomorrow ...

  It's scan week AND the anniversary week of her diagnosis, village. Here is a special video from Charlotte. It was this exact week 6 years ago, after being admitted to the pediatric oncology unit at Duke, that Brian and I received our first gift of many from a special charity. However, they had formed their charity to help families like ours in memory of their daughter who had lost her battle with cancer. I remember looking directly at Brian, anguished and scared beyond belief, but I said these exact words "We will do something like this one day but we will do this WITH Charlotte because she is going to survive this. And will will give back and help others somehow and some way not to honor her memory, but along side of her and show the hope that we need to see right now ." I said that because I needed to believe that. It was the only fuel I could find to get us through those days and the hundreds that followed. And here she is. Right next to me making a thank you video f...

F or all of you who have loved and cared for our family over the last 5 years while we helped Charlotte battle her cancer, we are proud to share with you our special news! Brian and I have started Be The Rainbow Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, focusing on supporting families facing childhood cancer. We are so blessed to be in the space and time to give back and help in any way we can. And as always, we are so grateful to have all of you with us, helping to truly make a different for families facing the unimaginable. Stay tuned for more information as we begin and kick off Be The Rainbow Foundation! For now, like us on Facebook @betherainbow.org, and visit our website www.betherainbow.org to follow our work and to donate! Thanks for sharing and helping us grow our village! (feel free to share the donation page as well https://betherainbow.networkforgood.com/ ) Thank you GOD for this day, this season, this opportunity, and all the things yet to come.