If you know me, you know that I have a real passion for helping children with cancer. It has been my goal in life since I was 12 years old when my best friend, Bonnie Purdy (Tampa, FL) found a tumor in her leg and despite chemo and other treatments was taken by this awful disease. I watched a beautiful young girl lose her strength, her hair and her friends. As much as I tried to stay close to her, she was in and out of the hospital and mostly wanted to be around other people who had cancer and distanced herself from her pre-cancer friends. It was a rude awakening for me. I thought that only old people died from cancer, not kids.

In 2001, I was introduced to the most wonderful place in the world.. Camp Happy Days. My first year of camp.. I had two teenage campers, Amber Voss and Brittany Smith. I have watched both of these amazing girls grow into beautiful women, all while going in and out of the hospital for surgeries and fighting to stay cancer-free.

My second year at camp.. I was a counselor for Amber and Brittany again.. and added Nicole Rogers. Nicole had been diagnosed with cancer 6 times.. and beat it every time. It took her legs, part of her collarbone and left her in a wheelchair. While I was her counselor, it came back for the 7th time and was in her stomach. Doctors told her she had 7-9 months to live. That was probably some of the most fun months of my life. Nicole and I would spend weekends together going to the movies, shopping and amusement parks. She was 15 and old enough to get her permit, so I helped her learn how to drive using her hands only. It was very scary.. whipping around the corners with her and praying that the car would come to a stop.. but, it was awesome. Nicole died 2 days after she turned 16. My heart broke.. badly... and I wondered if I could ever love another child with cancer knowing what the outcome could be.

Well.. I couldn't stay away and I was back the next year to a brand new camper.. my little Amber.. Amber Reedy.. My 3rd camper to come to me with not one hair on her head. Amber is now 5-years cancer-free and I am so proud of her, but we watched her best friend Reese die of the disease and another camper that was very close to my heart, Taylor "Tater Tot" McKinney. 

The hurt of losing little friends is awful, but it doesn't compare to the love they put in my heart and how they make me a better person. I guess the saying is true.. it is better to have loved and lost.. then to never love at all. My fellow camp counselors at Happy Days are some of my very best friends in life. You can't find people with bigger hearts. They give all they have to help these kids.

I'm putting my heart back in the game.. after having 3 years off (with Alex). I hope that you will throw $10 or more behind me to help pay the way for these children to attend camp. It's a truly magical experience.