This weekend I was spreading around my post on Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I added my post to one “link-up” which asked for your favorite post of the week.
I was then supposed to read and comment on at least 3 other posts. Sometimes you can tell by the thumbnail photo what the topic will be. Other’s are more ambiguous. They have posts on DIY projects, recipes, funny stories, crafts, etc.
This particular link-up had over 200 posts and I clicked on the first one based on the fact that the cute girl in the photo looked like my daughter and I didn’t really feel like reading a post about a DIY project I would never start or a craft I would never do with my kids.
I opened it up and immediately had a few little leaks under my eyelids.
It was a story about Jessie, a 12 year old girl diagnosed with DIPG.
The same cancer as my cousin. The same topic as the post I had just added.
I realize that it is Childhood Cancer Awareness month so the chances of happening upon a post like this is more likely. But for me it is just a sign; that all my posts on childhood cancer are important, that making people aware of the need for additional funding and support is necessary.
The story of Jessie is amazing because while she was going through treatment FOR TERMINAL CANCER, she was more concerned about the other kids that were in the hospital that were unable to go home at the end of the day.
While fighting TERMINAL CANCER, she asked her parents what she could do to help the other kids.
How can you not get a little weepy over that?
Jessie lost her fight after 10 months and 2 days, but during that time she started something amazing, which her family continues today.
She started “Joy Jars”- jars with treats and toys for kids that are fighting cancer and are in the hospital.
To date over 80,000 Joy Jars have been sent to kids in the hospital, and she personally sent 3,000 before she passed away.
Since 2011 over $3,000,000 has been raised for the Jessie Rees Foundation to help provide care for kids fighting cancer.
Their foundation is not raising money for a cure- they are leaving that to other organizations.
They are focused on caring for kids going through treatment NOW.
We are coming up on Thanksgiving and Christmas soon, and what a great way to teach kids about the power of giving. You can sign up to support Joy Jars in a lot of different ways. You can check out the Jessie Rees Foundation website HERE on how to do that.
If you would like to donate to an organization that is raising money for a cure for DIPG, go to http://www.evanscrew.org.
Have a great crazy day!
My Special Kind of Crazy 