A Friend Needs Help

When Maddy relapsed in February of 2011, Russ and I scoured the web for information on treatments.  We came across a list serve for parents of ALL kids who had relapsed.  Through this site, we met the family of a little boy from New Zealand named Pete.  Pete relapsed the same time as Maddy.  We would discuss treatments and the journey our kids were on with Pete’s mom, Bridget.  Pete has continued to fight but has relapsed several more times.  There are no more treatments available for him in New Zealand so his parents are attempting to raise the funds to bring him to the US  for a promising trial at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  We had talked to the doctors in Philadelphia when Maddy relapsed the second time, but at that time the trial was not accepting patients with relapse in the CNS. Now they are and Pete is hoping to get into it.  Please visit his Facebook page to learn how you can help and you’ll see that even kids in New Zealand wear Maddy shirts!

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peter-Pirie-space-ranger/141609889350855

Happy Birthday!

It has been six months since we lost our precious Maddy. We miss her smile, we miss her laugh, we miss her hugs and kisses...  We  find ourselves still wondering how this happened.  It still just doesn't seem real- we are still waiting for her to walk through the door!

Today, Maddy would have turned 10 years old. We had a little party for her here on Earth and we hope she had a HUGE celebration in Heaven!  It has been a tough few days but we are thankful for all of our family and friends for your continued support!

Relay for Life

Saturday will mark the five month anniversary of Maddy's death.  I guess it is fitting that we will be Celebrating, Remembering, and Fighting Back at the Fulton County Relay for Life on Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8.  Maddy loved Relay for Life.  She had told Mrs. Buehrer and Miss Heckel earlier that she was going to go to every meeting with them this year.  She was also determined to walk the 5K this year!  While Maddy is not able to be with us physically, her spirit is alive in all of us.  The ABC 4 Maddy team is stronger than ever and determined to honor her memory!

We hope to see you all there!!!!

Rob Froman, who read a poem he had written about Maddy at her memorial service, recently did a video for the Children's Miracle Network.  In it, he remembers Maddy!  It is a great reminder of why we need to continue this fight against CANCER!

Here is the link- you may have to cut and paste.

http://youtu.be/vOCnttAUGdg

Three Months

It will be three months tomorrow since Maddy passed away, but it feels like an eternity.  I wish I could say that it was getting easier, but I would not be telling the truth.  While we are able to make it through each day, I still fall asleep every night thinking of Maddy and wondering how this happened and it is the first thought in my head when I wake up each morning.  Today, I went through our office trying to sort through some piles that had been building.  Our office had been Maddy's classroom for the last three years- it broke my heart to go through her basket of school stuff.  I had to just leave her desk for another day.  I don't know if I will ever be ready to go through her bedroom.

On a brighter note, we have been told that there are now 6 potential bone marrow matches from the Bone Marrow Drive.  This gives us a little comfort knowing that others may be saved.

Finally, the ABC 4 Maddy Relay for Life team is selling memorial t-shirts until April 15th.   If interested, you can turn in your orders to Archbold Elementary School or let us know and we will get the order placed for you.

Number 2

Yesterday, we found out that Beverly Anne, a cousin, who "Got Swabbed" at the Bone Marrow Drive done in honor of Maddy was contacted as a potential bone marrow match for a patient with leukemia.  This makes number 2 that we know of so far!

Faith

We miss Maddy so much.  Our house just seems to be so quiet without her.

It takes a lot of energy to get through each day, but somehow God provides us with what we need to make it through.

Today, we found out that someone from Archbold who "Got Swabbed" at the Bone Marrow Drive done in honor of Maddy was contacted as a potential bone marrow match.  It is things like this that renew our Faith and give us some comfort knowing that something good has come out of all this.



P.S.

On March 18, 2013, Terry Henricks is hosting a St. Baldrick's event again.  The money raised through the St. Baldrick's Foundation goes directly the childhood cancer research.  You can check it out at:

http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/4276/2013

A Special Person

We have a lot of special people in our lives who have continued to support us in our time of need these past few weeks, but one person who has been amazing and has shown us HOPE, FAITH, and COURAGE through these tough days has been Julia-  Maddy's big sis and best friend.   It seems odd, but Julia has consoled us more than we have had to console her.  She is BRAVE and STRONG!  We are so blessed to have her in our lives!

Just last week, Mrs. Hurst gave us a few more of Maddy's school papers.  In them was a paragraph that Maddy wrote back in August.  It seems so appropriate to share:

A Special Person

by:  Maddy Lambert

     My older sister Julia is very special.  I can tell her anything.  She also plays with me.  It is so much fun. I like it when she helps me with things.  Julia does a lot of things for me.  My older sister Julia is AWESOME!