I spent some time this morning and signed my kids up for different organizations that will help them. It's so wonderful that there are so many different organizations out there that want to help our family in different ways.
Most of you already know that we're members of Hope Kids. Hope Kids is an amazing organization that gives family's fun outings to do on a regular basis. They told me that Justin and I can use it for Date Night, Alaina and Allison could go to an activity just to get out. We could do Daddy Daughter Dates, or Mommy Son Dates, or the whole family. However we want to mix it up. It's for the whole family, because cancer affects us all. My sweet friend has a son who is fed through a tube. He has a lot of physiological issues that prevent him from eating normally, and also his lungs aspirate often, putting him at risk for pneumonia. She is also a member of Hope Kids, and we decided the other night that we could also use it for a girls night out. I totally love Hope Kids. A lot.
Today, I signed Mikey, Allison and Alaina up for Supersibs. Through Supersibs, my kids will get special packages in the mail. They will be recognized for what Matthew's cancer has put them through. I loved this quote from their website:
The brothers and sisters of children with cancer are truly the “shadow survivors”. Though they do not experience cancer directly, they are impacted in ways that drastically change their lives. Their struggle has been largely unrecognized and unsupported – grief from the loss of childhood as they knew it, loss of routine, affected friendships, a new definition of “normal”.
Bravo, Supersibs. I couldn't have said it better myself. I can't wait to see what they send to my 3 little warriors.
The most exciting phone call I made, though, today was to Make A Wish. Matthew is signed up now to Make A Wish, and they'll grant it. It's a really big deal. He is thinking he wants to wish for a trip to Disney World (to meet Mickey Mouse on the beach =)), but we'll see what happens when he understands his options a little bit better. In the meantime, they treat the kids like royalty. They have parties a few times a year, and they do all sorts of things to honor them. He gets to make his wish in the Wishing Place, which is a building designed to make the act of making his wish as magical as possible. The spaces inside are filled with stars, and colors, and child-like magical settings. To read more about it, click here. On the left side of that page, you can see more options to see what there is inside.
Each child who makes a wish leaves a star behind. It's a beautiful legacy binding us together as families who have something awful, yet powerful in common. I'm fighting tears just thinking about it. I can't wait for him to experience all that Make A Wish has to offer.
One thing is for sure, we needed a little bit of uplifting this week. I'm so glad these things are out there to help us. You really don't understand how much this kind of a daily grind can wear on you until you're in the thick of it. These kinds of things are the best way to blow off some steam! I can't wait to see what Matthew's wish is!
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