Monday, September 26, 2011

An Overdue Update

Sorry it has been so long in between posts! You probably get tired of hearing that!

Things are pretty much the same here: school, work, homework and studying.
And as usual we really try to make having fun and resting a priority on the weekends.

Unfortunately, right now, Liv has a stomach bug. It has been a minor one and tonight she just feels puny. She didn't go to school today. Please pray the bug is over and that she will feel better in the morning.

A praise from last week is that on Friday the students and staff at our school donated $633 to CURE! It made my heart overflow with joy to see SO many children wearing hats! They really cared and wanted to make a difference. Some kids told me that they brought more than a dollar to donate. Others said they didn't wear a hat, but brought a dollar anyway. Some said they donated their ice cream money. It doesn't take much. We all can make a difference in another child's life.

On Saturday, I attended a special luncheon hosted by Chris Glavine. It is called “A Tribute to Our Quiet Heroes”. After personally witnessing the burdens that all families carry while caring for a child with cancer, Chris Glavine found herself empathizing with the moms and decided she wanted to do something special for them. Seven years ago, she hosted the first luncheon. Not only does it pay tribute to the mothers of children with cancer, it helps raise much needed funds to support pediatric cancer research. Over the past seven years, this event, the raffles, and the silent and live auctions have raised over 1.8 million dollars for CURE!!

It is a wonderful luncheon and fundraiser for CURE. This was my second year attending. It is a reunion of sorts. It is a time to reconnect with the extraordinary women I have met on this journey, to meet new ones and even personally meet others I have only known through their child's blog or Caring Bridge site. Everything about the day was wonderful! The friends, the fellowship, the food, and this year's remarkable speaker.

Kristin Connor, the executive director of CURE, shared some fabulous “You know you are a cancer mom when” comments with us. A friend looked online to see if she could them. She did. It will give you a laugh, but will also give you some perspective into what families are dealing with when their child is on treatment.

You know you are a cancer parent when:

  1. You carry a tube of Emla cream in your purse instead of a tube of lipstick
  2. You can sleep anywhere and anything that reclines more than 15 degrees looks “comfy”
  3. You enjoy the drive at 3:00 am to the emergency room because there aren’t any other cars on the freeway
  4. Your child is estatic because all she is getting done is counts in her arm and a shot in her leg. That's a good chemo day at the clinic!
  5. The nurses stop responding to the IV alarm, knowing you’ll fix it anyway
  6. Your 2-year-old knows where all of the medical equipment goes, and how to use it
  7. You keep a bag packed at all times like your 9 1/2 months pregnant
  8. You correct the doctors spelling on the chemo meds
  9. You have more meds in your cupboard (or on your counter) than food
  10. Your child uses Legos® to build “MRI” machines
  11. The siblings want to know what the child’s counts are to see if they can go inside and eat at McDonald’s or have to go through the drive-thru
  12. You can reset the IV machines overnight, in your sleep, every 30 minutes without waking up once and still call it a good nights sleep!
  13. Your kid takes more pills than you
  14. Your child has his/her own website to keep family and friends updated on his/her progress because calling everyone gets to be too expensive and repeating the report over and over is tiring.
  15. A Radio Flyer wagon is considered an essential transportation device
  16. Every little thing can make you cry in a heartbeat, but this list has you rolling on the floor!
(this list was taken from http://www.squirreltales.com/forfun/fun.html)

Hope you laughed like we did when we heard these. Laughter really is one of many things that help you stay sane in the world of childhood cancer!

Blessings to each of you!
In Him,
The Tates

"The God of all grace...will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
1 Peter 5:10

Saturday, September 17, 2011

CURE Update

We are all well here at the Tate house. Weekdays are still filled with school, work, homework and studying and we try to fill the weekends with as much rest and fun as we can!!

Please continue to pray for us to find balance in our lives in all things.


Here's an update from CURE:


"We're halfway through National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and CURE's Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time.

We are just two weeks in and already off to a great start.

Thanks to all of our supporters, CURE's Kids have already raised over $123,000!

CURE Childhood Cancer is committed to raising awareness and raising money to help find a cure for childhood cancer in our lifetime and put an end to this terrible disease. Our goal at month's end is to raise $250,000 to put towards the fight to end childhood cancer and, most importantly, to honor our brave warriors One Day at a Time! Help us reach our goal!"


You can still donate to CURE's September Initiative: CURE's "Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time" all month. You never know....maybe CURE will have another $1,000 by the end of this week, this month.

Click here for more information or to donate.
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/oliviaandelenatate/2011curekids

We will be having at Hat Day at school this Friday. We are praying that every kid will wear a hat and bring a dollar for CURE. I'm thankful that I work for a principal who didn't even hesitate in saying yes to sponsoring the event! Liv is excited because she will be on the morning announcements this week to help promote the fundraiser.

On a sad note, if any of you noticed the sweet little girl with pink glasses under the girls picture on the CURE website, Regan Boatner, she lost her battle against cancer this morning.
This is the notice her parents sent out.
Angel Baby
On Saturday September 17 at 8:25 am, Regan Eva received her miracle of complete healing from cancer.To God be the glory, great things he has done.....in and through this precious little girl.
Mommy and Daddy love you, Regan. We will see you soon.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/regan2009 - This is her Caring Bridge Site -


Blessings to all of you!
In Him,
The Tates

"Let us not become weary in doing good..." Galatians 6:9


Monday, September 12, 2011

Continued Thanks!




WOW!!
Another day, another $1,000 for CURE Childhood Cancer!!

We are humbled and overwhelmed by your donations to CURE in honor of the girls. Thank you for caring and for continuing to support us in so many ways!

You can still donate to CURE's September Intiative: CURE's "Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time" all month. You never know....maybe CURE will have another $1,000 by the end of this week, this month.

Click here for more information or to donate.
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/oliviaandelenatate/2011curekids

In Him,
The Tates

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24

Sunday, September 11, 2011

THANK YOU!!




Thanks to our generous family and friends we passed our goal of raising $2000 for CURE Childhood Cancer's research initiatives! Thank you for making a difference is the lives of children as CURE works to find better treatments for childhood cancer and most importantly to find a cure!

Thank you for making a difference in our lives!
Thank you for loving our family through the good and the bad!

Thank you for joining us in the fight!


Just because today is coming to an end, doesn't mean you still can't donate.
CURE's September Intiative: CURE's "Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time" continues all month.

Click here for more information or to donate.
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/oliviaandelenatate/2011curekids


In Him,
The Tates

"For I know the plans I have for you." declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Today's the Day!

This is it! Today is the day that CURE Childhood Cancer is honoring our girls!

We are grateful to those of you who have already donated. We are a little over half way toward making our goal of $2000.

Please consider donating today!
Click here for more information or to donate.
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/oliviaandelenatate/2011curekids


In Him,
The Tates

"For I know the plans I have for you." declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11


Saturday, September 10, 2011

Tate Girls' Day with CURE Childhood Cancer

Just a reminder that tomorrow Elena and Olivia will be honored by CURE Childhood Cancer for National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Please help us in our goal to raise awareness and to raise $2000 in honor of our girls. This money will help fund research that will lead to better treatments and cures for pediatric cancers.

Click here for more information or to donate.
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/oliviaandelenatate/2011curekids

Thank you to those who have already donated.
We are 29% of the way toward making our goal. Please help us reach 100%.
Every dollar helps fund the research needed for a cure.

In case you missed them the first time...here are the facts:
Each day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.
Each day, 7 children die from cancer.

There's more:
1 in 320 children will develop cancer by age 20
Cancer is the #1 disease killer of children
Cancer treatments cause serious side effects that last a lifetime
All children cancers combined receive 3% of the American Cancer Society's research funds.

Please consider joining us in the fight to find a cure and in doing so honoring our girls.
In Him,
The Tates

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me (us)." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Friday, September 2, 2011

11 Alive Clip

After a 4:30 am wake up call, we all got ready and headed downtown to the 11 Alive news station. We were welcomed and as soon as we all got into the green room, we were all quickly escorted to the set. We walked in while the taped portion of the story was playing. It was great to see Jill so surprised. She was very moved. We are thankful to have been apart of a brief but touching part of her day and to help represent such a wonderful organization, CURE Childhood Cancer.

I can't believe we are all still up! That will be changing quickly! We just finished watching 'Where the Red Fern Grows' and are all headed to bed.

My aunt found the clip and sent the link.
Our girls (and their friends) ended up being in the right place for the camera : )
It was a fun morning for all.

In Him,
The Tates

"The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy."
Psalm 126:3


http://www.11alive.com/video/1139976322001/0/Jill-continues-work-with-CURE-Childhood-Cancer

Thursday, September 1, 2011

A Little Fun

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we will be driving downtown to 11Alive's TV station.

We will be helping to help honor Jill Becker.
She is retiring after 22 years of newscasting. Her last newscast is tomorrow. Jill has been a champion for children with cancer, using her position of influence in the community and on the air to get stories of children and families told and to raise awareness of the devastation of childhood cancer. She has been one of the best friends to CURE and the families they serve and she plans to join their Board of Directors in 2012 to continue to work for and serve families.

The station wants to end
tomorrow's show and celebration with a story about Jill being a warrior for children with cancer. When a taped video segment about childhood cancer concludes, several children who have been touched by cancer (patients and their siblings) will walk onto the set of the morning news and surround her as the final “goodbye." It is a surprise for Jill. (No, she doesn't read the blog! haha)

We will be leaving at 5:15 to be at the station by 6:00. We were told we would be done by 7:00. So, if you are up and watch the local morning news...check out Jill Becker's farewell on 11Alive, maybe you'll see two beautiful red heads!

CURE's "Kids
Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time."
UPDATE from CURE's website:


The month just began and you're already off to a great start. Thanks to all of our supporters, CURE's Kids have already raised over $29,000!

CURE Childhood Cancer is committed to raising awareness and raising money to help find a cure for childhood cancer in our lifetime and put an end to this terrible disease. Our goal at month's end is to raise $250,000 to put towards the fight to end childhood cancer and, most importantly, to honor our brave warriors One Day at a Time! Help us reach our goal!


So...check out our story and please consider giving.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/oliviaandelenatate/2011curekids


In Him,
The Tates

"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
Psalm 126:3

Please Join Us in the Fight Against Childhood Cancer

It is September 1st.


September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.


Here are some startling facts about childhood cancer.


Cancer is the number one disease killer of children in our country, more than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and pediatric AIDS combined! After accidents, it is the second leading cause of death in children.


Today the parents of 46 children will hear the words, “Your child has cancer.”


Today 7 children took their last breath. On April 2, 2009 Elena was one of the 46. We can’t even think about her being one of the 7! Overall, 80% of childhood cancer cases can be successfully treated.....that sounds great until you think of putting 5 children in a room, look around and realize that one of them won’t survive…..from there, 80% doesn't look so good!


While over the years the survival rate for kids with cancer has risen, many of the children who survive face health problems from the harsh cancer fighting treatments they have endured. With children still dying and many others suffering late effects, much more research for safer and better treatments is needed. This research requires money. Unfortunately, less than 2% of federal funding for cancer research is given to childhood cancers.

CURE is an organization based in Atlanta that is funding research specifically for pediatric cancers. You may think this research can't help. You’re wrong. A beautiful, bright eight year old girl in our neighborhood was diagnosed with ALL almost two years after Elena. Six months before Abby’s treatment started there was a different treatment protocol. Elena's protocol was different from Abby's. The protocol was altered because of the results of an ongoing study. A study that ended early because the results were so overwhelmingly positive that it will increase Abby’s chance of survival. That’s where the dollars you give today are going.


For the third year in a row, we are participating in an initiative called “CURE's Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time.” On September 11, both Elena and Olivia will be honored. CURE Childhood Cancer will feature our story on CURE’s website www.curechildhoodcancer.org, CURE’s blog www.curechildhhocancerblog.wordpress.com and on http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/oliviaandelenatate/2011curekids




Our goal is to raise as much money as we can to fund research that will lead to better treatments and cures for pediatric cancers. Please consider donating to help fund this research. For us, participating in this month's initiative with CURE is a way to honor our girls, their fight, their perseverance and their grace.


We hope you will help and share our story with your families and friends. We will keep you posted on the initiative's progress.


Thank you for continuing to pray for us and care for us!
In Him,
The Tates


"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me (us)." 2 Corinthians 12:9