Anna's Angel Fund

$500  Help With One Last Wish

Seeing your child suffer is the hardest thing I can imagine as a mother.  But watching another family that we love trying to navigate their way through the process of losing their only child is also devastating.

Anna was diagnosed on June 9, 2003 and was immediately admitted to the hospital.  Within two days, she was on the operating table.  But the day before her surgery, Anna’s surgeon took us down the hall to meet another family who had been through the exact same surgery just a few days before.  This sweet family was huddled together in their 2 1/2 yr. old daughter’s hospital room.  They were the first people we met in this new world of pediatric cancer, and we have kept up with them since that day.  Our families were so similar.  We both had only one precious child, a daughter.  And they were both just beginning the fight for their lives.

Fast forward 6 years…their little girl is a beautiful 9 yr. old now.  But her story has taken a crushing turn.  She has relapsed and her life is slipping away.  It’s only been a couple of months, and her cancer has taken an obvious toll on her little body.  She can’t walk without help, has trouble getting food on her fork, and an even greater challenge to get the food to her mouth.  In order to control the pain in her head, she’s on massive doses of a steroid which has packed 20 lbs on her little frame and wreaked havoc with her emotions.  We all pray for a miracle.  Other than that, her only hope is an experimental treatment at St. Jude’s in Tennessee.  But St. Jude’s has already filled all the places for children in the study, and she is the third child on the waiting list.  She doesn’t have time to wait.  And so they also pray that they will have time to raise enough money to grant her last wish – a trip to Disney World.

Anna would gladly send them on that trip if she could.  She is sending $500, but will only be able to do more if our angels have the resources to donate.  This little girl is so precious to us, and yet  her story is not unique.  There are so many other children we have only heard about whose pain and needs are just as critical.  We pray that you will be able to help us care for them.

We’ve been a little “under the weather” and although the work goes on, we haven’t been able to post for a while.  So we’ll take time now to catch you up on some of the little pieces of the pediatric cancer world that you have allowed Anna to change.

First, two little girls, fighting for their lives, without a mom or dad…how unthinkable.  Each has just completed a bone marrow transplant which takes them as close to death as possible, in order to give them a chance at life.  But both are fighters, and by the grace of God they have the will to fight through the pain and sadness that greets them with every new day.  Their illnesses are like a monster, constantly threatening to steal their happiness, their peace, even their lives.  And no matter what their diagnosis or the outcome, to some extent, it always succeeds.

$90 Medical Supplies, $250 Kroger gift card, $250 QuikTrip gas card

Sweet little girl from Columbus, GA who just completed her transplant.  Because her mother passed away, her precious grandmother now cares for her.  The social worker said this grandmother is “absolutely the sweetest woman I’ve met in a while.”   Since being released from the hospital, they’ve been living at the Ronald McDonald House and will stay there until she’s allowed to go home.  They have very little money to live on and Anna was asked by their social worker if she could help them with food and gas expenses.

$250 Kroger, $250 QuikTrip gas card

13 year old girl, fighting Neuroblastoma.  Although she has also just completed a bone marrow transplant, for the next six weeks she will have daily radiation treatments.  Once she completes her radiation, she will have to begin another experimental treatment.  This type of pediatric cancer is one of the hardest to beat.  It is relentless.  Because her mother is deceased she lives with an older sister.  Social worker requested assistance with the same expenses for them.

Other requests and gifts:

$502  Georgia Power

Single mother struggling to raise four young children by herself without any support from their father.  She has been working two jobs, however the number of hours she’s being given to work have dwindled quite a bit.  When Anna received this request, the family had two days to pay the balance on their power bill, or their service would be disconnected.  Anna would not let that happen.

$289.57  Georgia Power

13 yr. old girl in treatment, has two siblings and divorced parents.  Her 3 yr. old brother is having surgery any day now (don’t know what his health issues are).  This family is from Africa and they receive no child support from their father.  They, too, were facing disconnection of their service, but Anna was able to step in and pay off their power bill.

$633.05  Banktrust

This little girl is fighting cancer and currently going through radiation.  Because her care is so demanding, her mother has been unable to work.  She is a single parent and, other than some support from a few family members, they have no income.  Their needs are tremendous and Anna was only able to make a dent in them.  She paid their mortgage, but just couldn’t afford to help with medication costs, power bill, or any of their other expenses.  We just pray that your help in keeping their home was enough.

$577.72  Best Buy

11 yr. old little boy with an inoperable diffuse intrinsic brain stem tumor.  The Make A Wish Foundation granted his wish, which was for a PlayStation2 and and XBox.  But soon after his wish was granted, someone broke into their home and stole his wish gifts.  This little boy’s social worker said his family is very poor and that he was devastated.  According to her, he has cried and cried, knowing that they will never be able to replace them.

But you could – and you did!  Anna was able to replace both, along with games for each.  Our angels rock.  Thank you so much for the joy you returned to the heart of this little boy!!!