Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

We at Awareness Beads would like to wish EVERY mother in this world a wonderful mother's day.



Whether your child is here and healthy, here and fighting, or spending today with you in spirit from heaven, we hope your day was/is wonderful.




To those of us who do not yet have children, may we remember to celebrate our mothers and grandmothers for giving us life, and probably a lot more.  May we also remember the moms that spent or are spending today and tonight in a hospital room watching their baby fight for his/her life.  May we lift them all up in continuous prayer.




Happy Mother's Day everyone.

Lindsey Needs Us

I posted about Lindsey Steltenpohl earlier this week.


Lindsey has DIPG and was put into the hospital becuase her condition got really bad, really fast.


She was supposed to have an MRI, but they couldn't do it because of inability to control secretions.


Doctors are now telling Lindsey's parents that there is no need for an MRI.


They are talking about feeding tubes and home health care.


Lindsey's parents feel like they are the only ones who still have hope.


Please lift Lindsey and her family up in prayer for her earthly healing.  No one is ready to let sweet Lindsey go.



Also, we have permission to use her name for Awareness Beads, so place your "Love On Lindsey" order today.  All proceeds go to DIPG research in honor of Lindsey's fight. 



Pray for Lindsey and the Steltenpohl family, and to learn more, visit: www.caringbridge.org/visit/lindseysteltenpohl





We love you Lindsey, and we will never stop!



Saturday, May 7, 2011

Happy Birthday Audrianna!

Audrianna Bartol is 5 years old today!  Audrianna is fighting Stage IV Neuroblastoma and has been in the fight since she was 3 1/2.  She is a true fighter and hero!  Happy birthday Audrianna!  We love you!  

Goodbye Vinny

Childhood cancer has taken another from us today.  Vincent fought a long and brave battle with Neuroblastoma cancer.  He leaves behind his parents and two brothers along with many other loved ones.  


Fly high Vinny.  We will miss you little buddy.


Friday, May 6, 2011

Pray For Lindsey

Lindsey Steltenpohl is one of the children we follow.  Lindsey has been battling DIPG for nearly 400 days.


Right now she isn't doing well.



To stay updated and learn more about sweet little Lindsey, please visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/lindseysteltenpohl




Please pray for Lindsey! 



Thursday, May 5, 2011

Happy Birthday Cooper!

Cooper Bryan is 8 years old today!  Cooper was diagnosed with cancer at age 4 and is a SURVIVOR!  He lives here in NC and I am going to go and help out with his team at Relay for Life this month!  Happy birthday Super Cooper!  We love you!

Olivia's Special Request

Olivia Haveri is an eight year old girl that lives here in Goldsboro and goes to the same church as me (Stormy).  Many of you reading this probably already know Livi's story, but for those who don't, here's a brief version:

Last summer, on July 5th (the day before my birthday) to be exact, Olivia was diagnosed with Stage III Burkitt's Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer.  She was only seven at the time. The third of four children, Olivia is a middle child who loves horses. dancing, singing, anything blue, and Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  During her battle, Olivia underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, a few spinal taps, and lots of tests and scans at Pitt Memorial Children's Hospital in Greenville, NC.  This all took about two months, and Olivia had scans again to see if her treatment was working.   On September 1st, ironically the first day of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Livi's scan results were in and miraculously showed NO CANCER!  She completed one more round of chemo as protocol, and it is now May and the cancer has still not returned! Praise God!


So anyway, Olivia and her family go to the same church I go to, so I know them personally.  Last night at church, I took Olivia her Awareness Beads.  She absolutely LOVED them!
When service was over, Olivia came over to the Carpenter's House, where we have teen church, and she came and talked to me for a few minutes.  She told me how she was doing and how her horse was and how much she loved her necklace.  Then she got quiet for a minute just looking at her beads.  Finally. she looked up at me and said that she was going on a beach trip this coming weekend with her mom with a bunch of other kids from the hospital and she just knew they would love to have some beads and she would love to have some more to pass around to them.  It was a great idea and the way she smiled and her eyes lit up I just couldn't tell her no.  So, last night when I got home, I started making beads!  I beaded until I fell asleep.  I ended up having a little less than 20 necklaces to take over to Olivia for her to take with her to the beach.  All of them had yellow to represent childhood cancer and another color, and they all said either "love", "faith", or "hope".

There are about 100 kids going on the beach trip.  I wish I could send a necklace for all of them, but there isn't enough time to get them made, and Mrs. Emmy, Olivia's mom, said they probably wouldn't see all the kids anyway.  This was a wonderful idea that Olivia had and I am so glad I was able to make the ones I did for her to take.  The lives and hearts of the kids and families that get those few necklaces will be touched, and that is our mission; to touch lives and hearts and make kids smile.  Thank you Olivia for having that awesome idea and for having the courage to ask me about it!  I hope you have a great time at the beach!


Olivia (right) and little sister Natalie (left) with the beads for the kids going to the beach!