As many of you know my Goddaughter Eden was diagnosed with a rare pediatric cancer called neuroblastoma. After a courageous three year fight she answered her eternal call from God this past February. Eden was truly the most amazing little girl. She went through major surgeries, numerous rounds of chemo, and radiation, always gracious and making everyone around her smile and laugh.
In this picture we were being silly and eating play dough. This was taken shortly after she was diagnosed. We had many more fun times together, mostly at the hospital, reading books, making crafts or telling gross stories about my three boys. On her 9th birthday last August , Joey and I jumped with her for hours in the bouncy at her house. This is how I want to remember Eden, not by all the times I saw her suffering in grave pain, or not even able to walk on her own.
The loss of Eden has had a tremendous impact on my life in many ways. Most importantly I do not take my family, friends and health for granted. I make time for them, because you don't know when that time may end. I cherish every day here on this earth. My sadness and anger has started to subside, but my commitment to fight this devastating disease will not.
The concept for this fundraiser came from Eden's favorite day of the year. She loved Halloween and she loved the color orange. I'll never forget the elaborate traps set up around the house to capture a ghost. Of course she would never harm it once caught, because she wouldn't even harm a little ant. But we sure had fun in the morning looking for all the clues and half eaten food that the ghosts (Paul and Nina) left around the house.
What better way to get into the spirit of Halloween then dying your hair orange. Well, Tom, Ryan, Erik and Joey are, I'm getting orange extensions. My hope is that people will ask us why, and we can tell them what "HallowEden" is all about!
Join us in supporting a non-profit foundation called Magic Water. This was started by a group of parents whose children were fighting neuroblastoma. Paul and Nina (Eden's parents) are now involved too, volunteering their time. MagicWater works with innovative cancer researchers and oncologists to break down the market and regulatory barriers that prevent potentially life-saving, proven drugs from being used in children fighting this disease. There is no known cure for relapsed neuroblastoma and the drug companies have little interest in seeking new therapies, as there are not enough kids with it to justify the investment. These children can not wait for new therapies to emerge, they simply do not have the luxury of time on their side. One of the efforts that MagicWater is focusing on is personalized medicine. This means that each child is unique and responds differently to therapies. They are actually taking an individual child's disease, running it through complex testing to identify specific disease characteristics, and using this critical information for selection of therapy.
Please help us fund these studies. You will be helping a groundbreaking study that has the potential to save countless children's lives. The estimated cost per child for personalized medicine is $16,000. We want to initially raise funds for ten children, but hopefully we can raise much more.
All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. 100% of the money raised goes directly to this research, this means nothing goes to salaries or marketing! Please visit www.magicwater.org if you'd like to learn more.
Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support our fundraising efforts.
Many thanks for your support. By making a donation and sponsoring me you can make a difference and help in our fight to cure this disease. And don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!
E-den: (ed'n) n. 1. A state of bliss 2. Paradise 3. A state of ultimate happiness 4. A sweet little girl who lost her battle with cancer
I love you Eden and miss you so much, Aunt Bonnie