Thursday, June 28, 2012

Will You Be My Voice?


Each of these kids lives in Utah!
Will you be their voice?



Please donate $10 today!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Blood donors desperately needed!

The blood supply in Utah (and the Midwest and Northwest, as well) is critically low! You can go here to read more: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=20794107&title=blood-donors-desperately-needed&s_cid=queue-16. All blood types are appreciated, but there is a specific need for types O-, O+, B-, and A-.


All of us Cancer Moms know firsthand that blood donations are literally lifesaving. Our cuties wouldn't be here today without them. We also can imagine just a little too well for comfort being the ones sitting in the hospital waiting for blood that isn't available. It is a terrifying feeling. Please make an appointment today to go give blood, if you can. If you are unable to donate blood consider volunteering a few hours at a blood drive or spreading the word about the need for donors.

And did you know that in many states, there are different blood donation banks that supply blood to different facilities? Here in Utah, the exclusive blood supplier of our cuties at Primary Children's Medical Center is ARUP Blood Services. (They are also the sole blood provider for Shriner's Children's Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Institute, South Jordan Health Center, and the University of Utah Hospital and Clinics.) You can go here to schedule an appointment for a donation. Or for a more general blood donation, you can go here to the American Red Cross.

Give blood and give life!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

How did you find out your child had cancer?

Your world can change in an instant.  Some things come without warning.  No one ever imagines that they'll hear the words, "your child has cancer."  For these moms, it was in the most unimaginable ways:

"I was coming home from a class at Weber State when my husband called me to say that our child had a mass in his brain." -Cindy P.

"I was lying next to her in a hospital bed." -Kristin T.

"My child was in an MRI which was supposed to be 30 minutes which turned into an hour with 'additional images'.  They sent me to opthalmology and said I should probably call my husband to meet me.  I knew the results were bad at that point." -Lisa K.

"I was in a hospital room with my son when the doctor came in and broke the news." -Becki L.

"After being sick for a week, our local clinic drew my son's blood and sent us to the hospital ER where a doctor walked in and blurted out, "your son has cancer."  I never suspected anything so serious, he only had earaches and a sore throat without any fever so it was a complete surprise to hear 'cancer'." -Angela R. 

"After seeing my son for a few seconds my Pediatrician sent us to Primary Children's where he said they would be waiting for us." -Crystal I.

"We were in the PICU at Primary's where our daughter was having respiratory difficulties and had lost movement in her legs when about a dozen people suddenly stormed our room and one of the Neurologists gave me the news." -Stephanie L. 

"The day she was diagnosed we were packing up a Uhaul and moving." -Cheryl R.

"I was teaching and my pediatrician called.  I was a wreck and had to have someone take over my class." - Jaysha E.

"I was standing in a checkout line at WalMart with a cart full of groceries when I got the call." -Jill H.

"I was at an appointment with a Dermatologist when she saw my 2 year old son and said, "Wow-he is pale!" which lead to a blood test to confirm a cancer diagnosis." -Jodi M.

"I was standing on my mom's front porch on a Sunday afternoon taking a phone call from our pediatrician." -Shawna W.

"After talking to a doctor I googled low red cells, high lymphocytes and leukemia came up....I knew then." -Amy J.

"I was in the ER at Primary Children's looking for answers before going on vacation the next day." -Mystee S.

"I was driving to Idaho for my nephew's funeral when I got the call that I needed to turn around and come straight to Primary Children's because my son had Leukemia." - Sadie S.

"I actually "found out" she had cancer before any doctor told me from a combination of googling her symptoms and the whisperings of the Spirit right before our doctor's appointment." -Briana H.

"I googled "my pale toddler" and when my husband asked what came up, I said "anemia or leukemia" and we looked at each other and just knew." -Megan G.

"I was in the hospital recovering from a C Section." -Kimberly B.

"We were settled into his hospital room and I was sitting in the rocking chair beside him when the 'team' of doctors came in to tell us it was cancer and the cancer was "everywhere that he has blood". -Elizabeth W.

"We got the call while we were at the movie, National Treasure Two." -Michelle S.

"I was in the car with my 3 kiddos on the way to pick up daddy who's car broke down." -Emily W.

"I was in an ER in Florida." -Nancy M.

"I was walking form the waiting room to the sedation recovery room when the anesthesiologist told me "there is something in there." -Sally Y.

"We found out when we were at home watching a movie with the kids goofing around." -Victoria A.

"I had just gotten back from taking our other daughter to school when my husband called to say the Dr. did an X-ray and had just told him "you are in for a life-changing event," this is Osteosarcoma." -Jessy J.

"We did tests and then the doctor came in and told us there was a 'mass' and that they were going to life flight our baby boy to Primary Children's." -Melanie G.

"The Doctor came out from doing my son's bone marrow aspirate and said, "please don't go home, I am pretty sure I have bad news.  Meet me back up in clinic in an hour." -Tammy B.

"I was sitting with my Pediatrician watching the Tech do an ultrasound on my son's belly to check for a hernia." -Laura S.

"We were in the recovery room after a sedated MRI waiting for our son to wake up when a Doctor took us into another room and told us the mass in his brain was indeed a brain tumor." -Tara M.

"We were at the ear and throat clinic when the doctor came in and used the word rhabdomyosarcoma." -Lorraine T.

"After spending all day in the ER with a horrific head and neck ache our daughter was admitted for what was thought to be meningitis.  An hour later we found out it was Acute Myeloid Leukemia." -Marie S. 

"I was standing in my kitchen cleaning up after lunch." -Leann C.

"After 10 months and many doctor visits we received a phone call to come to Primary Children's as soon as possible." -Yvonne D.

"We were told in the ICU it was Leukemia after our son was transported by ambulance to the children's hospital in Las Vegas." -Tabitha S.

"I was sitting with my husband and our daughter in the doctor's office when the word Osteosarcoma came out of his mouth." -Sue C.