There's a post on here from Ashley's caring bridge that I shared back in 2009. This was prior to her Chicago doctor recommending the chemo that caused her AML. Doctors at St. Jude had recommended a protocol that was taking place at 10 different hospitals. Her hospital in Chicago was not one of the 10, so she would have to go to children's memorial where she had never been before. Read the post. It shows you what Ashley was willing to do for other children prior to evening deciding to take a drug that she knew was risky. My Ashley, from a young age, was always willing to make whatever sacrifice, to help other children fighting this monster.
So today I sit hear very sad. I'm not talking about the intense pain and heartache I feel Every second of every day since my Baby Girl was taken from me. I'm talking about an added pain.
I look at the numbers of our event coming up on Sunday and I see that we have less Participants than we've had in the past.
Our numbers for this event should be increasing not decreasing. This event is about more than running or walking. It's about our children who are dying. It's about the sacrifice that my Daughter made for other children. Yet it's always the same people supporting the cause. There is the potential for so many more people to come and participate in this event, yet the numbers decrease each year instead of increasing.
I just don't get it. And I mean we're like really cheap for a 1/2 marathon. And the 10K and 5K is not that expensive. You go to Chicago & you will pay for a 5K what you're paying for our half marathon. We offer day care. I have never ever heard of a run that's does that. Yet our numbers are decreasing.
The 5K that you can walk or run should have tons of participants. Yet those numbers never increase. We don't even have anybody for the one mile this year.
Everybody tells me that my Daughter's Legacy will live on. They tell me that she will not be forgotten. But she's already been forgotten. Her sacrifice has been forgotten.
Ashley sacrificed her life for other children. She made that choice at 17 years old. She did so without a second thought. Yet we as parents, who must advocate for our children because they're too little to do it for themselves and they're too busy fighting this monster, have a constant uphill battle to get funding for our children.
It shouldn't be this hard. They are children. The most precious thing walking this Earth.
How many women were willing to walk around with a Pink Hat representing a V***** on there head, for I don't even know what reason? But we can't get more than a 150 people to run for our children who are fighting a monster. Who are dying because of this monster.
And those are women. We are the ones who carry our precious gifts and nurture them. Yet we don't stand up and fight for them .
We live in a sad sad world where it takes nothing to go out and fight for something you don't even know what you're fighting for, But our children are dying and We don't have the time or the money for them.
Thank you to the people who continue to support this cause. Without you more of our children would be dying.
If we focused as much time, money and energy on our children fighting this and other diseases, As we do on hate and destruction, Then maybe less children would be dying from this monster and we could potentially be reaching a day where no children have to die from this.
We can't even get people to put a simple frame on their profile picture. Oh but come October, Facebook will be pink and you'll see all sorts of games to support breast cancer. And that's fine and dandy it should be supported. But don't you think our children deserve just as much support?
Again, thank you very much to those of you who continue to support this cause. It means the world to me, to Mike, to My Boys, to Every Parent whose Child is fighting or who has fought this monster. It means the world to Every Parent who has lost a Child to this monster. And it meant the world to Ashley And if indeed there is a Heaven, An Afterlife, Which I pray there is, then I promise you it still means the world to Ashley and she is shining Her light down on us And helping us to continue Her Legacy.
So today I sit hear very sad. I'm not talking about the intense pain and heartache I feel Every second of every day since my Baby Girl was taken from me. I'm talking about an added pain.
I look at the numbers of our event coming up on Sunday and I see that we have less Participants than we've had in the past.
Our numbers for this event should be increasing not decreasing. This event is about more than running or walking. It's about our children who are dying. It's about the sacrifice that my Daughter made for other children. Yet it's always the same people supporting the cause. There is the potential for so many more people to come and participate in this event, yet the numbers decrease each year instead of increasing.
I just don't get it. And I mean we're like really cheap for a 1/2 marathon. And the 10K and 5K is not that expensive. You go to Chicago & you will pay for a 5K what you're paying for our half marathon. We offer day care. I have never ever heard of a run that's does that. Yet our numbers are decreasing.
The 5K that you can walk or run should have tons of participants. Yet those numbers never increase. We don't even have anybody for the one mile this year.
Everybody tells me that my Daughter's Legacy will live on. They tell me that she will not be forgotten. But she's already been forgotten. Her sacrifice has been forgotten.
Ashley sacrificed her life for other children. She made that choice at 17 years old. She did so without a second thought. Yet we as parents, who must advocate for our children because they're too little to do it for themselves and they're too busy fighting this monster, have a constant uphill battle to get funding for our children.
It shouldn't be this hard. They are children. The most precious thing walking this Earth.
How many women were willing to walk around with a Pink Hat representing a V***** on there head, for I don't even know what reason? But we can't get more than a 150 people to run for our children who are fighting a monster. Who are dying because of this monster.
And those are women. We are the ones who carry our precious gifts and nurture them. Yet we don't stand up and fight for them .
We live in a sad sad world where it takes nothing to go out and fight for something you don't even know what you're fighting for, But our children are dying and We don't have the time or the money for them.
Thank you to the people who continue to support this cause. Without you more of our children would be dying.
If we focused as much time, money and energy on our children fighting this and other diseases, As we do on hate and destruction, Then maybe less children would be dying from this monster and we could potentially be reaching a day where no children have to die from this.
We can't even get people to put a simple frame on their profile picture. Oh but come October, Facebook will be pink and you'll see all sorts of games to support breast cancer. And that's fine and dandy it should be supported. But don't you think our children deserve just as much support?
Again, thank you very much to those of you who continue to support this cause. It means the world to me, to Mike, to My Boys, to Every Parent whose Child is fighting or who has fought this monster. It means the world to Every Parent who has lost a Child to this monster. And it meant the world to Ashley And if indeed there is a Heaven, An Afterlife, Which I pray there is, then I promise you it still means the world to Ashley and she is shining Her light down on us And helping us to continue Her Legacy.
POST FROM FACEBOOK SEPTEMBER 7, 2012 SHARED FROM CARING BRIDGE POST JULY 9, 2008
Day 7 of Childhood Cancer Awareness! Are you doing your part to raise AWARENESS! Step back Pink! It is our CHILDREN"S month! Stay in your month! Only cruel peo...ple would want to overshadow the need for awareness for Childhood Cancer!!! You have your month! Stay in it!
Sharing a post from Ashley's Caring Bridge from:
Written Jul 9, 2008 10:08am
We are back from St. Jude. Ashley had an MRI of the spine and one of the brain. She saw her main doctor at St. Jude. He said that the scan of the spine showed no changes since the last one. This is good because it means the tumors have not grown. We still do not have the results of the brain scan, her doctor will be calling us later today. Ashley is showing no physical signs of the tumors being present.
We meet with the neuro-oncologist at St. Jude. He went over the new chemo protocol with us. This chemo is suppose to be a lot less harmful to the immune system than standard chemo. Ashley has agreed to try this chemo and has also agreed to do it at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago so that her treatment can be part of the research protocol.
I know I am Ashley's mother and all parent's think that their kids are the greatest but I truly believe that Ashley is one of the most amazing kids I have ever known. To talk to and listen to this young lady in regard to what she is going through and her unbelievable outlook on life in general is inspiring to say the least. Not only does Ashley happen to think very highly of Doctor Rubin and his Nurse Kelly at University of Chicago, but she happens to like them and feels very comfortable with them. Having them administer the chemo and taking care of her through this would be what would make Ashley feel the most comfortable and secure. However, if that was the choice she made then it would not be part of the research that the doctors need to determine whether or not this type of treatment can work on her type of cancer. So in my opinion to forgo what you feel may be the best for you so that it can help others in the future ranks you as being a pretty amazing and selfless person. Ashley had to receive steroids for both of her surgeries. Steroids cause you to swell and get puffy especially in the face and belly. One day I asked her if it upset her that her face was getting puffy. Her response was; "No, there is nothing I can do about it, so why dwell on it". Then the other day at St. Jude her doctor told her that she would loss her hair from radiation treatment. I asked Ashley how the thought of losing her hair made her feel, if it upset her, her response; "no, it's hair it will grow back" she then said; "unless of course there is hereditary balding in the family, then maybe it won't grow back" and she started laughing. I am sorry but I am not going to lie, at seventeen I would be freaking out at the thought of losing my hair. Heck I would be freaking out now.
I have to say my daughter is pretty amazing. I have gone to school for 16 years and in all those years and all those teachers never have I learned as much as I have from my daughter in the last couple months. She is my "HERO" and an inspiration to all. Everyone can learn from her.
We are now waiting to hear from Children's Memorial. They will schedule her to have her port put in. They will then have to wait about 2 weeks for the incision to heal before they start the chemo.
Thanks for everyone’s continued support and prayers!
Written Jul 9, 2008 10:08am
We are back from St. Jude. Ashley had an MRI of the spine and one of the brain. She saw her main doctor at St. Jude. He said that the scan of the spine showed no changes since the last one. This is good because it means the tumors have not grown. We still do not have the results of the brain scan, her doctor will be calling us later today. Ashley is showing no physical signs of the tumors being present.
We meet with the neuro-oncologist at St. Jude. He went over the new chemo protocol with us. This chemo is suppose to be a lot less harmful to the immune system than standard chemo. Ashley has agreed to try this chemo and has also agreed to do it at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago so that her treatment can be part of the research protocol.
I know I am Ashley's mother and all parent's think that their kids are the greatest but I truly believe that Ashley is one of the most amazing kids I have ever known. To talk to and listen to this young lady in regard to what she is going through and her unbelievable outlook on life in general is inspiring to say the least. Not only does Ashley happen to think very highly of Doctor Rubin and his Nurse Kelly at University of Chicago, but she happens to like them and feels very comfortable with them. Having them administer the chemo and taking care of her through this would be what would make Ashley feel the most comfortable and secure. However, if that was the choice she made then it would not be part of the research that the doctors need to determine whether or not this type of treatment can work on her type of cancer. So in my opinion to forgo what you feel may be the best for you so that it can help others in the future ranks you as being a pretty amazing and selfless person. Ashley had to receive steroids for both of her surgeries. Steroids cause you to swell and get puffy especially in the face and belly. One day I asked her if it upset her that her face was getting puffy. Her response was; "No, there is nothing I can do about it, so why dwell on it". Then the other day at St. Jude her doctor told her that she would loss her hair from radiation treatment. I asked Ashley how the thought of losing her hair made her feel, if it upset her, her response; "no, it's hair it will grow back" she then said; "unless of course there is hereditary balding in the family, then maybe it won't grow back" and she started laughing. I am sorry but I am not going to lie, at seventeen I would be freaking out at the thought of losing my hair. Heck I would be freaking out now.
I have to say my daughter is pretty amazing. I have gone to school for 16 years and in all those years and all those teachers never have I learned as much as I have from my daughter in the last couple months. She is my "HERO" and an inspiration to all. Everyone can learn from her.
We are now waiting to hear from Children's Memorial. They will schedule her to have her port put in. They will then have to wait about 2 weeks for the incision to heal before they start the chemo.
Thanks for everyone’s continued support and prayers!
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