RELAY FOR LIFE

We just got back a little while ago from the Relay For Life. We had a fun time. Jennifer raised $1,955!!! Martin, Wesley and I walked laps with the collage of Andrew on poster board that my niece made for his service, while waiting for Andrew’s other friends Cory, CJ, with parents Lori, Jess and little bro Cameron to show up.

We wore our Glan Croi t-shirts, Martin and I wore our ‘Suvivor’ metals. I wore Andrew’s that Nurse Dawn gave him and Martin wore the one Megan gave him, the 11 yr old that was in hospital with Andrew. More on her later.

It was a carnival atmosphere. The tents were all tv themes and they did a great job! Jennifer’s team was Gilligan’s Island. I was hoping to be able to get a photo opp with Cory at the “America’s Next Top Model” booth. He would sooooo be game for something like that! :-D LOL Oh well, maybe next time! I did get Wesley to lay in the taped out body on the ground at the CSI tent for a photo opp! LOL We will put up the pics soon. Jennifer got a pic of Andrew on the slide show.

On one of the laps we were walking Martin sez “Andrew is levitating over those 2 palm trees” He loves his levitating! Martin reminded me that Andrew is thrilled to be able to do ALL the things he knew he could do but couldn’t do on this dimension.

I was going to donate blood and register for the donor list but I can’t! That’s right! I can’t! One, I just got a tattoo in Dec and have to wait a year, and 2. if you lived in the UK for 3 months or more during 1992 to now you can’t donate! We lived there for 6 months from 7/92-2/93. I’ve donated before! I’ll check again when my tattoo probation is up. Crazy huh?

When I told her why I wanted to donate and showed her the poster of Andrew, & talked about him, she hugged me a couple of times.

The ceremony was a great tribute to those who have transitioned. They played a Josh Groben song and Andrew loved Gosh Groben. Andrew was one of the very few kids that were shown. When his pic came up our group cheered, hoot and hollered! His pic was the only one who got the cheer! :-) Then Martin and I hugged each other and cried. Andrew’s friend, CJ rubbed my back. Of course Andrew made us laugh. I noticed the last name of the person before him. Most of you may not get it, Wesley got it. The last name of the person right before him was Johnson! That name ALWAYS made Andrew laugh! Don’t ask! No one noticed it but me. Martin and I are hugging and crying and I tell him this and he starts laughing. So we’re standing there like 2 dorks with tears running down our face laughing hanging on to each other! Typical! :-D

After that, they had a Survivor and ‘Care Giver’ lap. I put on Andrew’s sneakers, I was already wearing his over worn, stiff socks, :-) and Martin and I walked holding the poster of Andrew high. Then Wesley joined us. As we made our way around the track, people clapped as they stood on the side lines.

I talked to Jennifer about possibly being able to speak at one of these events about being a Survivor of someone who has transitioned. I want to talk about Andrew and his amazing attitude about life that he always had & carried on with when he was in hospital. She introduced me to the woman that could make it happen and she is interested! A chance to speak about Andrew and inspire a large group of people like that????? Oh yea! Right up my alley! I’M IN!

I was hoping Megan could come and walk the Survivor lap because she had been doing so well & was home. I believe I told you about her. She had her transplant the day after her 11 b-day in Dec. She said she was going to make it for her and Andrew! She is a 45 yo in an 11 yr old body! LOL

I got the call today from another mother from the hospital I’ve stayed in contact with, that things are not going well for Megan. I knew last week from Megan’s grandmother that she’s had her 4th relapse & they were planning another transplant.

I found out today that this is not the case. There is nothing more they can do for her because legally they can’t do anymore chemo or radiation on her because she only has a 1% chance of surviving that alone. So they are setting up home hospice for her and only give her 3 months. I am telling you this so that you can keep Megan and her family in your prayers. Megan is still answering the phone and well…ahhhh….ummm…all I can say is that she is just full of piss and vinegar! LOL She is something else! NOTHING gets in this child’s way! She is amazing. She had no problem kicking people out of her hospital room! Dr’s, nurses, family! If they bugged her they got the boot! LOL LOL You know, I still believe she could beat this! I wouldn’t put nothing past her! :-)

Once the family is settled they will have visitors over to see Megan. We are hoping we can be of some help for the family as they go through this process however it may go.

This isn’t easy for me. I mean, we have NEVER had to deal with anything this big before and now? Well, now it’s been a major part of our life. Now to know another child who may not make it, it’s a bit overwhelming! Fifteen kids at ACH just on Andrew’s floor, have transitioned since Andrew ascended! That is insane to me! My life NEVER revolved around illness or hospitals! It never effected me. Old people cross! Not kids from illness! But cancer does not care how old you are or how amazing and healthy you are! Now it’s my son who has been effected, who has been healthy his whole entire life & is now gone from here! It’s just insanity! It’s still surreal to me.

But we had a good time at the relay and I got to talk about Andrew and show him off in his poster. Never thought I’d have to introduce my son to people with a poster. So NOT fair! It SUCKS!
But, IT’S ALL GOOD!