From Sunrise to Sunset

As we left yesterday morning, we were ushered out by a beautiful sunrise. Even today as we drove down to Denver Esther asked if we could see the sunrise again.  I told her we can only see that if we wake up really early in the morning, and we wouldn't see it today.

Tonight, as we exited the interstate, we were blessed to wait through two cycles of the light. Esther sighed, "Look at the sunrise, Mommy."  The sunset to close our journey home almost brought me to tears.  What a sweet, sweet day.  

You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

Psalm 65:8b

Sunrise

Sunset

Psalm 65

Praise is due to you,O God, in Zion,
    and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer,
    to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me,
    you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
    to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
    the holiness of your temple!

5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
    O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas;
6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
    being girded with might;
7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples,
8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

9 You visit the earth and water it;
    you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
    you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
    and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they shout and sing together for joy.

The scans said...

Esther's CT scan, bone marrow, and MIBG scan revealed no cancer! She has one lab that will take a few days to process, but this is great, great news!

 

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Scans are Wednesday and Thursday

Esther's scans are tomorrow, Wednesday the 25th and Thursday the 26th.  With dentist appointments, well child check ups, orthopedic surgeon appointments, supportive care, and Esther's scans our family will have had about 25 doctor or dentist visits in about 4 weeks. It wasn't supposed to be that way but things keep being rescheduled for various reasons, and now they're all piled up.

I will probably wake up in the middle of the night anxious, but for now, I'm SOOOO looking forward to mid-October when all of these appointments are finished.

We will post updates as we get them.  Please pray Esther would be cancer free and remain that way for the rest of her life.  Thank you for running with us through this finish line.

48 bald heads

Just a quick note to say the St. Baldricks shave-a-thon was amazing. Over $13,000 were raised to support childhood cancer research. 

There are some great pictures coming, but for now, look at the beautiful woman who did a fantastic job planning the event. I love you, Robin. 

Scans are next week! And...what are we going to do with all that hair?!

First...Esther's scans have been rescheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday, September 25 & 26th.  Please be praying.

Now...on to the hair!

There is an impressive list of people ready to shave their heads Sunday, September 22!  I hope there's a lot of people who come to watch and cheer on these brave men, women & children!  Even if you're not planning to shave or donate, please come.  It's going to be a celebration and I can't wait to see the final total a humble group of people can put together to help cure kids with cancer.  The event is nearing $7,000 of online donations.  I know there are other checks coming the day of.  Wouldn't it be amazing to raise $10,000?  There are some AWESOME raffles, and it will be a great time!

Sunday, September 22nd at 2pm

Summitview Community Church Gym

1601 Drake Road, Fort Collins 80526

www.stbaldricks.org/events/EstherAlvarado

Thomas and Esther in August 2012

It is such an encouragement to see how many people are shaving their heads, I think there will be over 30 people!  My sister, her husband, and their kids, my dad, my grandpa, our pastor, and lots of old & new friends. I've also had reports of people who aren't ready to shave, but are going to get a significant trim to donate their hair. There is also a very dear family participating...our friend Thomas, who was in treatment about 6 months before Esther was diagnosed, and his three sisters are all shaving their heads.

I can not express what a mercy it was to have seen the Maeda's faith and white knuckle grip on the deep faithfulness of the Lord.  I don't know why it happened that two students in the same home school program would be fighting cancer at the same time.  Maybe God knew we'd need each other... We love you, Maeda family!

Now, what are we going to do with all that hair?!

I've hesitated to bring this topic up for some time because I know hair is quite personal. However, I've decided it's worth the uncomfortably because I would want to know. Over the last year several of you have cut your hair and donated it while thinking of kids like Esther.  That is great! Unfortunately the most commonly known hair donation organization, Locks of Love, isn't all that great.

They do give away wigs to kids, and that is great!  They can't use all the hair that is donated for various reasons, so they end up selling a lot of it.  Understandable.  However, the organization needs a lot more accountability in the way their executives are paid and what is done with the money they make from the hair that is not to their standards.  The part that gets me is that they ride the coat-tails of misunderstanding about who gets the wigs.  I've read articles and seen news stories about people regularly donating their hair to Locks of Love for "kids with cancer"; however, they don't actually provide wigs to kids or adults with cancer.  They have kids with permanent hair loss from things like burns or alopecia as a target population. I think a wig would be a wonderful gift to a child in those circumstances; however, I'm not okay with them utilizing this secondary marketing of oncology patients.  As I've learned more about their finances, it just makes me sad.  A simple google search will give you lots of things to consider.

There are several organizations that are better options.  A few suggestions are Pantene Beautiful Lengths, Children With Hair Loss, Wigs For Kids, and the Childhood Leukemia Foundation.  There are also other organizations that may be unique to your area of the country like Wigs 4 Kids in Michigan.

I think the first need is for your hair to be dry, dry, dry!  The second is it should be braided with a band at the top and bottom.  Unfortunately, colored hair is often unusable in these circumstances; however, I read one suggestion about selling the hair on ebay and donating the money.  Apparently wig makers who don't have as many requirements buy it this way.

I guess this is a reminder to research organizations you aren't sure about.  It is infuriating to me that many organizations are at the least are not responsible with donations or profit from other's suffering.  Here's a list demonstrating this horrible practice, and here's an article that gives some thoughts on being wise with your giving in case you aren't sure it's a good organization.

Thankfully, St. Baldrick's is an awesome organization with lots of accountability.  I hope we get to see you Sunday!!!!

Blue Stars in the Making

As part of our new normal, we wanted to give the kids something special to do/learn.  When our friend posted about some openings for piano lessons, we knew Lydia and Frannie would love the opportunity to play.  Rourke wants to do a soccer skills class and Zinnia hasn't decided yet.  She has an extreme, irrational fear of dogs, so we might have to get a puppy, just for her to get over it!  Probably not...I think we have enough going on, a sweet, huggable puppy will probably add more chaos than I could handle.  Anyway, back to piano lessons.

When we lived at Brent's Place we learned about a really neat organization, Blue Star Connection.  They are a great non-profit supported by musicians and music lovers alike that gives instruments to kids with various diseases and to their siblings.  I went back & forth for a few days debating if we should contact them or not for a keyboard for Frannie and Lydia to practice.  After some prompting from Miss Rachel at Brent's Place, I asked.

The director, John Catt, emailed me back right away and said he had just the keyboard.  We made plans to go to Denver to pick it up.  The next day he received an email from a family who wanted to donate a digital piano and he wondered if we had room.  Well, we had the perfect place!  The couple donating the piano even delivered it to our home a couple of weeks ago!  We are so thankful for all the generosity.  I'm excited to have something all seven of us can learn to play.

Mrs. Amy and Mr. Mike, the generous
givers of the piano

This was pre-broken leg.
Everyone loves the piano!

Because of Esther's broken leg, Frannie and Lydia just had their first lesson this Monday and have been practicing finding middle C and practicing their C-scale.  They are thrilled and can't wait to learn more.  They keep asking when will they be able to play "fancy songs" aka classical music and the Charlie Brown song that Mr. Jimmy played at Brent's Place.  Next summer at the Blue Star Music Festival, maybe they will have a piece to play!

Lydia

Francesca

As the girls have plinked out the notes on the keyboard, I have been struck with how peaceful a simple scale can be.  While normal is very relative, the notes sounded sweet, just perfect to represent what a day should be for little girls.  We are thankful for an opportunity for them to learn and an avenue of healing for everyone.

Family Reunion

Today was a good day, in a very strange way. The rains let up here in Northern Colorado for a bit, and I was able to venture out to something I've been looking forward to for several weeks.

Over the past 4 years, I have spent many, many hours with some very dear friends. Since we have two sets of twins, we felt like God would want us to get to know and serve other families with twins. There is a great multiples club here in NoCo, and it's supported by one of the biggest non-profit consignment sales in the country! It's really cool that along with several hard working friends, I got to help grow this consignment sale from a tiny sale to a successful fundraiser that supports it's community at large by giving families both a way to make and save money on the things for their family, provides for the needs of an organization that supports families with multiples, and even makes enough to be generously charitable. It is well organized and run strictly by volunteers. I have missed this group of people terribly.

A year ago our friends from the twins club put on a huge fundraiser for our family with raffles and they collected donations. It was a lot of money. At this fall's sale, they handed out gold ribbons to promote childhood cancer awareness and gave me a spot right in a thorough fare to put a display. On the display I was able to feature some of the kids we've met on this cancer road, many of them from Brent's place. When I see each of the faces on this display, I don't just see a child, but friends we've cried with, prayed with, and fought with. I see the supportive, loving friends from Brent's Place and the incredible caregivers from the Children's Hospital. I humbly say, it was beautiful.

Then my sister and two of her kiddos came out to make sure people didn't just walk by the faces. They bravely approached people and offered them some information about how to be an active participant in the lives of kids with cancer through research, awareness, head shaving, and practical support.

Today I spent the day here and there and all around the sales floor, hanging up clothes, putting away toys, telling about brave children, talking to old friends, and making new ones. With my sister and her kids, my friends from the twins club and the Grow With Me Sale, and the faces of children near to my heart, it felt a bit like a family reunion. Running around that floor, basking in extroversion not bound by a fear of germs, I felt like myself. Amongst toys and bottles and books and clothes, there was a glimpse of an old and new life coming together. What a good day.

 

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Promises in the midst of a flood

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

This last week has been one of the hardest of this cancer road. I've been mad. Struggling to rest in the promises of God. I've been shaking my fist, questioning why. Hasn't she endured enough?! Haven't we all? All around us dreams and hard work and homes have been washed away by the literal flooding of our state.

Our lives this last week felt like too much rain in already saturated ground that had just started to dry out.

This anger has been making me flippant. Oh, it's hard to live this way. I've need to take a deep breath and choose to cling. Please, Lord, don't let me be bitter. No matter what, I don't want this pain to imprison us to laziness, anger, and entitlement. I have a choice to correct my thinking, and move forward.

One thing I love about God is that we can hold Him to His promises. He does not lie and can not change. I've had a hard time really resting in these promises, and must be deliberate to meditate on the truths of His character. Here's a few I've been thinking on...

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Notice how the verse doesn't say there will be rest from the hardship? But there is rest for the soul. When my soul is at rest, I can face the burden. He will carry and the heaviest burden does become so much lighter.

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." From Matthew 19:26

A gentle correction that these circumstances are impossible with out the help of my Lord.

"But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head." Psalm 3:3

I've been praying God will lift my head. Psalm 121 came to mind...

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

8 The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

God is my help. I can't do this life without His help. What is your promise? I could add a few to my list this week.

Our friends Travis and Katrina wrote a song a while back that has been one of my go to songs, blessing me with peace and comfort over and over. My favorite part is the freedom to admit that I don't have it all together. "Be at rest, once more."

You can take a listen here. The song is called "At Rest." If you like it, download it. They'd be happy to give it to you for free.

When I'm overcome by trouble

And sorrow comes upon me

Be at rest, Oh my soul.

 

Even when I'm broken hearted

Though in pain I still believe

Be at rest, Oh my soul

Be at rest, Oh my soul

For The Lord has been good.

Good.

 

Be at rest, once more.

 

When I speak of my salvation

In the presence of this world,

Be at rest, Oh my soul.

 

Though I do not know tomorrow,

I will praise His name.

Be at rest, Oh my soul.

Be at rest, Oh my soul.

 

For the Lord has been good.

Be at rest, once more.

 

Be at rest, Oh my soul

Be at rest, Oh my soul

For the Lord has been good.

Good.

 

Be at rest, once more.

Esther is doing well. I started weaning down her pain meds. We still don't have a wheelchair for her and it will be several more days because of the flood here in Ft. Collins. We don't have dates for her scans yet. There might be a delay because of the inflamation in her leg. One of the orthopedic people we talked with in the hospital thought she could have a false positive or possibly miss something, so Esther's oncologist is looking into that. Dr. Tim, Dr. Amy, and our nurse, Kerri, have been so supportive and helpful. We knew Children's Hospital is an amazing place for care, but it was amplified greatly this last week as we navigated a different hospital and system. We are so blessed to have this hospital so near by.

We are safe and far from the flooded areas. Anthony has been going nuts. It's not often a water resources engineer actually sees the models they create to plan/prepare for a 100 year flood come to life. There is so much destruction in this area, but it is thanks to the designs and plans of engineers like him it's not worse and they are able to predict where the water will go and even direct the water to keeping as many people and homes safe as possible. I'm really proud of him and his fellow engineers who truly understand how terrible it could be.

 

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You give me femur...

Ahahaha! Sorry, I couldn't resist. Now we'll be singing like Elvis about fevers all night. But tonight, I do mean femur.

As in BROKEN FEMUR. The biggest, strongest bone in your body.

Esther was standing on a small step stool in the bathroom at the sink and she slipped off. I was upstairs in the kitchen and heard a strange scream. My kids enjoy dramatic play and their dollies are always in some precarious circumstances crying for help and for a second I thought it was play. As soon as I got down stairs I found 4 wide eyed kids pointing at a very distraught Esther. She was sitting on the floor and her right leg was bent a little strangely underneath her body.

When I picked her up I knew something was very wrong, but was hoping for a dislocation or something not so bad. Thankfully my sister lives up the street, Rourke ran up to get some help, I loaded Esther in the van, Robin took the kids, and we headed to the ER in Ft. Collins.

Esther is my hero. She is so strong and brave. She only was crying when I moved her, otherwise she was just breathing through her pain. Long, deep breaths. Guys, when they brought a portable x-ray machine and she had to move and straighten her leg...she did. On her own. And didn't cry. With a broken femur.

It was a bit of a jumble, and we were expecting to be taken down to Children's in Denver. Our friends' son broke his femur a few weeks ago and had to go down for the surgery. There was pediatric orthopedic trauma surgeon on call today who was ready to fix Esther's leg. After several phone calls to the oncology clinic and Esther's obvious terrible pain, we decided to go ahead with the surgery.

She now has a plate and 6 screws in the bone. They will need to come out in about 4 months. The surgeon said no walking for about 2 weeks.

We are at Poudre Valley Hospital tonight, and the kids came to say goodnight. That was nice. But Esther was a bit sad when she asked who might be her nurse tomorrow and listed off names of nurses in Denver. Sweet girl.

She said her dolly has a broken leg like she does.

 

She said to me,"oh wait, we are sad I have a broken leg. I should make a sad face." Silly girl. She's loaded up to manage her pain.

Esther's scans will be rescheduled. I'm not sure when, but I'll keep you posted.

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On Going Bald

I recently found a brush in a bag of treasured things I had planned to keep.  It was one of those really inexpensive brushes with lots of tiny plastic bristles that just fills your hair with static.  I was racking my brain how it got there.  As I got further in I found another little clear bag, with soft, brown ringlets.

And then I remembered why I had kept that brush.  

That was the brush we bought in the hospital gift shop because I had forgotten a brush when Esther had to ride in the ambulance.  It was the brush that ended up in the hospital suitcase, the brush I used for hours as I brushed and brushed those little brown ringlets off of my sweet girls little head and into piles, most of which ended up in a trash can.

I was carried right into that hospital room on the 8th floor.  Ricardo, Julie, and Stella were Esther's nurses that stay where she made it home for a few hours before another fever brought us back the same day.  She was afraid she was going to look like a boy and wouldn't let me cut her hair.  A child life specialist gave Esther a barbie to cut the hair off.  That barbie was also contained in this bag.  I felt like I couldn't breathe as I looked at the ragged hair on the doll.  I tried to throw it away this weekend, but ended up packing it away with the brush and ringlets of hair.

At the time, it wasn't so emotional for Esther to lose her hair.  I think I was just in the shock of diagnosis and didn't want to make a big deal out of it for her sake.  It certainly helped that she was the cutest sparkly green eyed, bald, little girl.

The St. Baldrick's Shave-A-Thon is in less than two weeks.  I took a look at the roster and discovered several new names added to the list of shavees.  That is really brave.  Really bold.  I'm already beaming with pride over those men, women, and children who are going to shave their heads in honor, support, and for the cure of kids like Esther.  She said she wanted to give some of her hats to the people who shave their heads.  That's quite the incentive.

Dad, Robin, Casey, Amelia, Delaney, Remington, Rafe, Benson, Mitch, Katherine, Jasmine, Dave, Andrew & Kyle, we will be there to rally around you!  Who's going to join them?  Can you support one of these brave people shaving their heads?!  Click where it says, "View Participants" here to see the awesome volunteers and shavees.  Given the flood of emotion found in a brush and barbie, I don't think we're ready to have even healthy bald headed kiddos in our house.  So for this time the Alvarado family will be there with cheers and probably tears.  

Another cool thing that is happening to support this event is through the Grow With Me Sale.  This is the Ft. Collins Parents of Multiples Club amazing consignment sale that is so near to my heart.  This club has been a huge support to us over the last year, taking donations for our family at the sale last fall, keeping everyone updated on Esther, and packing the walls of Chick-Fil-A.  .  Some of my sweetest friends have come from this group of parents, and I miss them terribly.  I was slotted to be the president last year, but was unable.  A very kind friend stepped up and added my role to her already very full plate.

The sale this Friday and Saturday will be a bit brighter because they are going to be sporting gold ribbons, and there will be a display to help create awareness and offer a bit of education about Childhood Cancer.  They are also going to take donations at the checkout for St. Baldrick's.

Over and over we have been so humbled by the generosity and heart shown to our family.  This shave-a-thon is another example of that.  We know it's not easy to shave your head.  There are a million great causes the Grow With Me Sale could support.  Thank you for doing this in support of Esther and for kids like her.

EEEEEK! Scans are next week!

I called the clinic this afternoon to check on a tentative date for Esther's scans and found out they are next week.  Maybe it's better to be last minute because I don't have as much time to freak out.  After the scheduler called to give me the details, I felt.

Esther will still have monthly check ups and scans every three months to monitor her closely, but could this really be finished?

We would covet your prayers for Esther to be cancer free.  Forever.

Tuesday will be an audiology appointment and CT Scan, Wednesday an MIBG scan, and Thursday bone marrow biopsies.  We should have the CT and MIBG results fairly quickly, the marrow takes a little more time.  She should also have a cardiology and pulmonary appointments at some point.  Hopefully we'll get to see some of our nwruse and Brent's Place friends.

LAST MEDICINE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes I wonder how aware Esther is of her circumstances.  Maybe because she's a twin and knows that Zinnia doesn't have to go through what she goes through or maybe she's just incredibly smart for a little four year old girl.  We haven't totally shielded her from what is going on and have talked openly about treatment, many side effects, and that this cancer could come back.  In any case, she knows.  She is aware that her life is different and that it's not supposed to be this way.  A couple days after her broviac was removed, she peacefully prayed with Anthony....

"Father God, thank you that my hair is growing back, thank you that I don't have tubies anymore, thank you that my cancer is all gone.  Please don't ever let me get sick again, please don't make me have to get my tubies in again, and help me not have to stay at the hospital again."

Woah. From a four-year-old.  Yeah, she gets it.

The FIRST thing Esther told me this morning is that today is her "last medicine day." At breakfast, she popped those last two pills her in mouth and swallowed them down with a sip of milk like it was nothing.  And that's that.  She's done taking medicine to kill cancer.  

I am often in awe of the quiet perseverance of this little girl.  Her graceful strength is incredibly beautiful.  God made her ready for this road.  We never told her it was coming; she just knew.  Who knows how long she had been anticipating this day.  I don't know how else to describe it but as faith.  She is peacefully secure in her days, she trusts and hopes, but not with entitlement.  Of course she is also four and struggles when she doesn't get her way, but through all of this, she has taken each days as it has come.  She is an illustration of these verses, when everything is falling apart, she has remained steady.

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

19 God, the Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet like the deer's;

he makes me tread on my high places.

Habakkuk 3:17

What will you do?

Right click and save this picture.  Use it for your profile
pic or share it on social networking sites.  

"Imagine this headline: "Seven children were mercilessly killed today as their parents watched in horror." Or, imagine if a classroom full of 36 kids was taken hostage today by a known killer. What outrage would this cause? Would flags be lowered to half staff to pay tribute to the children? Would the president preempt your favorite television program to address a grieving and outraged nation? How many newspapers across the country would lead off the front page with this headline? What would happen if this story repeated itself seven days a week, 365 days a year? Just think about that for one minute.

Seems like a far-fetched story. Yet, it is not fiction. Each and every day in this country at least seven children are mercilessly killed by a murderer known as childhood cancer. "  ~Jonathan Agin, Huff Post Impact

We all know that the pink ribbon symbolizes breast cancer awareness.  That is so good!  My hope would be that everyone would also know what the gold ribbon stands for.  I think it's easy to think that childhood cancer is super rare.  I used to think that way.  But it's not super rare. We don't need a ton of research to realize this, we just need to think.

I'm sure you know of at least one other kid other than Esther.  In our spheres of community, Thomas, from our homeschool group and Ally, from our church were in active treatment when Esther was diagnosed.  Before that, another girl from our church had recently had her five year from treatment clean scans!  That's three...easy.  If I really thought, I'm sure I could think of more...in your neighborhood or kids' school, in your church or someone from your hometown.

Now, there are TONS of great organizations for kids with cancer.  For today I want to focus on research.  There are multiple facets of need and that is good.

As I've learned more about the funding for research for kids with cancer, it's been so sad.  On a federal level, only 4% of the National Cancer Research budget goes to kids.  This isn't surprising, I don't really observe our government making many choices that truly benefit children. .

In adult research...which is good and needed!  I don't want to say adult research shouldn't be funded any less.  Back to adult research.  Over 60% of adult research comes from pharmaceutical companies...because they will see a return on that investment.  I get that, it's business.  However, I'd love to see pharmaceutical companies in it not just to make money but to primarily make medicine that help people....pediatric drugs aren't profitable.

Research has grown significantly in the last 50 years.  However, the FDA has only approved two new drugs for kids with cancer in the last 20 years!!!!  There hasn't been enough research.  This lack of research doesn't cure enough kids and leaves the ones that survive with long term side effects that are often severe.  "By the time they're 45, more than 95% of survivors will have a chronic health problem and 80% will have severe or life-threatening conditions." From the St. Baldricks website.

What about private organizations?
Most give very little to kids.  For example, the American Cancer Society only gives 1% of all donations to kids.  That $0.01 of each dollar.  Kids aren't necessarily their target population.  That's fine because they are meeting needs in other meaningful ways. However, it's easy to think that there's lots of resources.  One thing that makes me very, very sad is that many private organizations use pictures of bald kids to fund raise when little of that money actually goes to kids with bald heads.  This is just plain wrong; furthermore, it leads us to believe the need is being covered.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  What will you do?  Do you have an idea--share it in a comment!  Here's a few things to get you started...

• Need new shoes...here's one.
• Change your profile pic, there's one you can use in this post.  Just right click and save the picture.  I give you permission.  
• Shave your head and then tell people why you did it.  There's a place in Ft. Collins you can do it September 22.  Can't shave? Volunteer or donate to someone shaving.
• Go Gold! (As much as I love the CSU Rams, not that gold).  Again, this site has some references to breast cancer.  I'm not knocking it AT ALL.  My hope is that just as we all know the pink ribbon symbolizes breast cancer, we would be just as aware what a gold ribbon means.  
• Do a little reading...here's a few places to start
• Cure Search
• St. Baldricks
• American Childhood Cancer Organization
• Because of Ezra
• Alex's Lemonade Stand
• The Sierra Ryan Foundation
• The video below has a bunch of great ideas.  What will you do?