About the origin of Sydney's Angel Army...
In March, 2005, our oldest daughter, Sydney Claire, was diagnosed with a severe septic infection which nearly took her from us forever.  Multiple organ failure...  Two cardiac arrests totaling 36 minutes without a pulse...  Five days on ECMO, a specialized machine to support ailing cardiac and lung function...  A small stroke, as well as massive brain damage from lack of oxygen...  More than two weeks in the ICU and on dialysis...  Learning to swallow again...  Learning to hold her head up...   But our little fighter would not give up!  Five weeks after her cardiac arrests, we took her home!  Over the last four and a half years, Sydney has fought long and hard to come back to us.  She has regained all her cognitive abilities and is doing brilliantly in five-year-old kindergarten!  She continues to work on standing and walking, and has made great progress this year.  She even got to walk down the aisle as a flower girl in her pediatrician's wedding!  This amazing healing journey simply would not be possible without Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.  The phenomenal care Sydney received saved her life. 

In the trenches for 2009...
We know how tough it is to make ends meet in this terrible economy.  There's only so much any of us can give to others when it's a struggle to provide for your own family.  You want to know that your pledge will make a real impact.  We want you to know that every single dollar pledged here supports the hospital 100% -- no fees, no adminstrative costs.  Just support where it's needed most.  So here's how you can help.  Once again, our Angel Army operation this year will support the Child Life area at Children's Hospital, which provides play areas, toys, music, movies, and other friendly offerings to make a visit to the hospital less scary for patients and siblings alike (not to mention the parents!).  For as little as $10, Child Life can buy a video that a little girl like Sydney can watch in the ER to relax instead of needing an $80 dose of a sedative and four more hours to process it through her system.  Less time in the ER means less fear and shorter wait times for sick kids and their families.  Talk about bang for your buck!!!  Everybody benefits!!

This year, the Briggs & Al's Run & Walk is even more special for us because we hope Sydney will be WALKING with us !!!  DID YOU CATCH THAT?!  Our goal is for Sydney to head out in her walker and lead her team down Wisconsin Avenue for the first time!  Mark your calendar for October 10, 2009.  This is a huge milestone for our fifth year walking in the Briggs & Al's Run & Walk, and we can not think of a better way to celebrate a little miracle whom the textbooks say should not be here!

We ask you to pledge your support to the home of miracles that is Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.  Know that 100% of your gift goes directly to the hospital, making more healing miracles possible.  Though each participant pays a registration fee for the walk, it's your pledge that makes miracles happen.  Please help us make a difference in the life of a child just like Sydney.

Donating on this website is easy to do and completely secure.  We are notified when any pledge is made and are grateful for every level of support.

We support the Briggs & Al's Run & Walk because there are just not enough words of thanks for all that Children's Hospital has given us and so many other families.  Please pledge your support today.  Tell your friends and family to pledge.  Give them the address for this page.  Make it possible for all children who need stellar medical care to receive it at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

To learn more about Sydney's illness and recovery, watch our five-minute movie, "Sydney's Story" or visit her Caring Bridge site.  You'll find photos old and new, as well as our journal logging the healing experience.  It has been a long and winding road for us, and it's a journey only made possible by Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.  If you have any questions about Sydney, her progress, or to learn more about how you can help our team and Children's Hospital, send an email to AngelArmy2009@wi.rr.com.

               Thank you for making the most generous pledge you can.

     WELCOME TO THE ARMY, SOLDIER!