Hana Allen

We have been getting regular updates from Heather on her daughter Hana. It appears that things are going much better and Hana is doing very well. They were released from the Ronald McDonald House after they performed a surgery to remove Hana's ureter catheters which apparently were causing both the leak and the bladder spasms. It wasn't a scheduled thing but a frustrated mom who is concerned about her child's pain and discomfort moved mountains.
Thankfully the Dr.'s listened to her and they got this child in a place where she isn't miserable.
The next surgery is scheduled for Dec.1, 2009 and at this time will remove the rest of the tubes from Hana, do a minor fix up job on something and then HOPEFULLY after healing up Hana can go home. The Allen's have met a lot of really wonderful folks at RMH and the hospital and thankfully family members have been able to go to Ohio to help Heather out. Her hubby was there for the first couple of weeks, then Heather's sister came for several weeks and now their eldest son is there helping out. Hana is in much better spirits now that she isn't being plagued by those aweful spasms. Because of the Allen's, my next Organization of the week will be Ronald McDonald House (after I do some research!) even though we didn't use them it is apparent that they are a blessing to families who are dealing with very ill children and bring relief to their families in the form of a safe and often less expensive place to stay with a much nicer atmosphere than a hospital.

Organization of the Week - Baskets of Hope.

Another wonderful organization that blesses children with Cancer. The third time we were in the hospital, while Alyssa was sleeping of her 2nd round of Chemo, I stepped out for a bite to eat and came back to an ENORMOUS basket of goodies: books, music, CD player, toys, candy, a teddy bear, hats, and more. Alyssa was asleep otherwise Astro the Isotopes mascot would have come and visited as well. Anyway, I think that this organization is great. They want to bless the children and their families, to "nourish them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually". They pray for these children as well. This organization is my pick for this week's Organization of the week
Thank you guys for blessing Alyssa with one of your great baskets of Hope during a really hard time for us.
If you desire to be a part of this ministry in any way you may visit their website at www.basketofhope.org or call their office in Albuquerque Marge Davis at 828-0172o or email her at mdavis@basketofhope.org.

Update on a past Organization of the Week.

Not too long ago I featured Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as our Organization of the week.
The folks from this Organization are awesome and we are getting a chance to help them out.
I was asked to be a team captain for their Light the Night walk/Fundraiser. I agreed.
IF anyone is interested in walking with us - The MORE THE MERRIER!!! IF anyone is interested in donating to them please visit our team website. WE are walking to honor Alyssa and she is going with us as our honored member. Alyssa has named our team Team Blue Skies.
our website is http://pages.lightthenight.org/nm/Albuquer09/TeamBlueSkies .
I'd like to share a little statistic with you all . In 1960 the cure rate for children diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma like Alyssa was only 5%. In 2000 the cure rate for children diagnosed with Hodgkin's was 96%. WE personally would love to see the cure rate be 100%. We would rather not see one single child die from Lymphoma. The cure rate change is very good for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Leukemia as well but we'd also like to see these be 100% as well.
NO parent should have to loose a child to these diseases!!!! We are so blessed to still have Alyssa!!! Please, if your heart is in it donate to this organization so they can find a cure for Hodgkin's and all of the Blood Cancers. WE would appreciate your sponsorship for this walk.

Organization of the Week - Cancer Services of NM

The Cancer Services of NM recently put on a zoo night for kids with Cancer. This was our first introduction to this group and we had a roarin' good time at Zoo Night. It was in the Evening and the only folks there were the cancer patients and their families. They fed us dinner, allowed us time to walk around the zoo, had a drawing for some GREAT prizes

Mr. Polar Bear is sulking because NO one wanted to paint his face!!!
And he's not invited to the next event put on by this wonderful Organization: The Family Cancer Retreat in Glorietta , NM. OH, and he didn't get a goodie bag or free pizza from Papa John's, one of the Corporate Sponsors: BTW - this is a great place to thank all the Corporate Sponsors for caring about kids with cancer to sponsor events such as this one which blesses NM families dealing with the trials of having a child with cancer - Thank you Gap Inc, Papa John's, NW Optimists, Isotopes, Graphic Connection, Creamland, Advanced Communication & Electronics, Everest Digital Scanning, KRST 92.3, CheatCodes.com, and the Printer's press. You all are AWESOME!!!!


Beautiful Peacock was strutting his stuff at zoo night as well.
Alyssa strutted like a pea cock after winning a brand new Nintendo DS in the door prize drawing. Despite the humidity it was a lovely relaxing evening at the zoo. I hadn't been in a long time so I was kind of bummed that I didn't have time to walk around to all the exhibits. I guess that means that we will have to put that AWESOME family membership to use more often from my mom's boss - Thank you Again Maggie for that AWESOME gift!!!! And Thank you Cancer Services of NM for all you do!!!! If anyone wants to Donate to this worthy organization - you can go to their website at www.cancerservicesnm.org

Organization of the Week: Beads of Courage.

Beads of Courage is a program we were just recently introduced to by my cousin who knows the President and Founder - Jean Baruch, RN, BSN. This organization's mission is to provide innovative, arts-in-medicine supportive care programs for children coping with serious illness, their families and the clinicians who care for them. They use art based programs to help children cope with their illness and decrease advers outcomes such as depression, anxiety and distress. Alyssa is the first child in NM to receive beads of courage since my cousin put her in the program. here are the first set of beads she received for all her medical treatments, surgeries etc in March and April. WE need to fill out the forms for May and soon June also. She can bead her own necklaces to tell her story of her diagnosis, treatment and survival of cancer. There are other programs thru Beads of Courage also including Creative Courage Journal Program, heARTful Reflection workshop program, Beads of Courage sibling, Touch for STrengh, Compassion and Courage Bereavement, BEad Caring, and Beads of Courage Camp Bead. Too Cool. I heard from my cousin today that Beads of Courage will be available at UNMH soon and it is NOT just for kids with cancer - it is for kids with any serious illness. Mom is jealous - I love beads and she received a package of beautiful glass beads and other beads creating some serious bead envy here (thou shalt not covet thy daughter's beads!!!!!)
If you want to learn more about Beads of Courage you can visit their lovely website at
www.beadsofcourage.org. or contact Jean Baruch at jbaruch@beadsofcourage.org for more information on donating or helping out with programs or if you are a bead artist what you can do to help!

Organization of the Week - Children's Cancer Fund of NM

This week we are featuring the Children's Cancer Fund of NM as our chosen organization - Wow! We got a great response about last weeks organization so I hope this group garners just as much of a response! Our first contact with this group was through the Pediatric Oncology Clinic at UNM. We were there for our first visit and feeling WAY overwhelmed - just getting ready to check into the hospital for our first stay and we were given an envelope with food vouchers for the hospital cafeteria, Subway and a Lobo Card. This happened everytime we went to the hospital for treatment and after every visit Alyssa was given the choice of a prize out of the prize box, Hastings or ToysRUs Gift Card or Bravery Bucks. Of course Hastings or the $10 Bravery Bucks have been her choice every time. This Organization also offers kids and their families snacks and drinks, food vouchers, travel expenses, lodging assistance, Car repair and maintenance assistance, grocery/gas/cabfare gift cards, zoo and aquarium passes, funeral expense help, special equipment and a playroom at the hospital.
To raise money for all of this help they give to families, they put on a ProAm Tournament (Golf) and Gala. It is called the Erin Trujeque Memorial ProAm Golf Tourney in honor of a youngster who died from Cancer but whose life was touched by this group and who loved to golf.
If you want to donate or get involved with the Children's Cancer Fund of NM please go to their website http://www.ccfnm.org or give the executive director Mary Ellen Kurucz a call at 505 -243-3618 . We adore Mary Ellen so let her know we sent you her way!!!! She is one of the Angels we have encountered during this time. Mary Ellen, if you see this - Thank you so much for EVERYTHING - not only from us but from all the kids and families who are touched by you and your organization - Keep up the good work.

Organization of the Week - Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

This week's organization is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Their main goal is the cure of blood cancers. This organization is awesome. They have tons of information for folks who are dealing with all of the blood cancers as well as support groups and free disease information. They do lots of fundraisers and help families and people who are going thru these cancers with copay assistance etc. They also have a very unique fundraising opportunity for folks who love to run, walk, hike, bike etc. They train marathon runners, walkers, bikers and hikers and those folks get pledges and raise money at some of the largest marathons in America for the Society.
This past weekend a walker went to San Diego and did a marathon with Alyssa's name on her Jersey. We are incredibly honored by this and want to thank Nancy Jay for doing this on Alyssa and all of those folks who are dealing with Blood Cancers. WE also want to Thank the office staff of the New Mexico/El Paso Branch of LLS for their compassion and support of our family during our dealings with them. If you need any more information on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society their web address is http://www.lls.org/ and the phone number to the local chapter is 505-872-0141. If you are interested in walking, running, biking, hiking to raise money for the LLS please give them a call - I know they'd love to talk to you! They have a lot of other neat fundraisers also so give them a call about any of those: I know there is one involving CHOCOLATE for all you chocoholics out there and one called Light the Night which we are going to try very hard to take part in. Also their Man/Woman of the Year program is a neat fundraiser as well.