Another Fundraising Swap - Next Sunday!

Next Sunday (August 28th) I am hosting another one of my fundraising swaps!  Anyone who wants to join in is welcome to attend, just contact me for complete details.  This one is swapping out kid's clothing and toys, with the hopes of helping each of you finish out your back to school shopping.

If you can't attend, but want to donate outgrown clothes or toys, I would be happy to connect with you during this next week to take any boxes or bags of stuff.

If you can't attend, but want to support the cause by making a monetary donation, please go to http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL11/mbledsoe_LTN to contribute.  I am almost halfway to my goal of raising $10,000 this year to fight cancer and appreciate the generosity of friends and family (and a few strangers) who are helping me to meet the goal.

Be the Match

In July, I got an e-mail acknowledging my anniversary from joining the National Bone Marrow registry.  In 2008, as Tyler was just beginning his path towards a bone marrow transplant, I went to my local blood bank and swabbed a Qtip from their registration kit around my mouth.  With a small donation ($47) and that Qtip, I promised to honor my commitment to donate my bone marrow to a person in need.

I have not been asked to donate, but hundreds of e-mails/letters are sent out every day to potential matches.  Even with all of that, there aren't quite enough of us on the list.  There is an especially great need for people with varied ethnic backgrounds, as the closer your heritage matches the person in need, the more likely you are to match their HLA combination.

With a few friends expecting little babies this year, I also want to mention that you can donate cord blood from your baby's birth.  Storing cord blood specifically for your own child's needs can be expensive, but donating it to the public bank increases the likelihood that you will be able help someone in need!

If you haven't joined the bone marrow registry, please think about doing so this month in memory of Tyler.  It is easy and you could give the gift of life to someone battling cancer!  Go to the Be the Match for complete details!

Golf Memories

Just a quick heads up...  Scott (Tyler's father) is organizing a golf tournament in Tyler's memory.  He has the complete details, but the date is Thursday, August 11th for those of you that want to participate.  Call Scott to reserve your spot.  If you need Scott's phone number, feel free to e-mail me or comment on the blog.

I hope that some of you can go swing a club in the tournament.

Light the Night Kick Off Cruise

Because Tyler is one of the honored patients this year, I was invited to share our story at the Light the Night kickoff cruise on Saturday, July 23rd.  It has been special to share our story with others who may not know the path we have taken, and hopefully my words have had an impact on someone and Tyler's spirit will continue to live on.

The cruise was scheduled for a day that turned out to be one of the most beautiful of the year!  We sailed around the Puget Sound on one of the Argosy ships.  I was joined by some other Team Firefly members who wanted to join in the fun and we all enjoyed the trip.

Our team was honored as the top fundraising team so far this year.  We've raised over $5000!  They actually read off the names of all of the Seattle area participants that have already raised over $100 and I was so thrilled to hear that 9 of our 45 team members have already become Champions for the Cure this year!  In fact, at dinner tonight, one of my friends said that she couldn't believe how easy it was to hit the $100 mark. She donated a little bit herself and then sent out one e-mail to a few friends.

Congratulations to our $100 Plus club members:
- Glenna and Jeff Stone: $377.98
- Charlotte Frank: $287.98
- Bonnie Rydman: $202.98
- Kirstine Whisler: $202.98
- Cabryn Taylor: $102.98
- Ceci Rozendaal: $102.98
- Pam Smith-Graham: $102.98
- Celeste McArthur: $102.98
- Kari Laib: $102.98
 
Thanks so much to each of you that have joined the team and started your fundraising!  I look forward to seeing as many people as I can at this year's walk.

The Exciting Light the Night news!

Recently, I was told that the local Leukemia and Lymphoma Society office plans to create an award to be given to the top fundraising team at the Seattle Light the Night walk AND they want to name the award after Tyler!  I would love for Team Firefly to be the first recipients of this award, so I ask that you join our team in fundraising this year if possible.

To see Tyler's Honored Patient story, you can go to:

http://image.lls-email.org/lib/fef915707d600d/m/1/Tyler+-+Story.pdf

Smiles out of my Camera

I wanted to download some pictures from my camera onto my computer today and was pleasantly surprised to find some of Tyler from our trips to Houston.  Since they made me smile, I thought I would share with you too.  He was a wonderful goofy man that filled my days with laughter, despite the tough circumstances he faced!

Attacking his breakfast in the cafeteria at MD Anderson in Houston.

 Notice the 2010 Light the Night t-shirt that he is wearing...  We were in Houston the week before and week after LTN last year, trying to get on the trial.  He finally made it on the week after the walk.  Maybe that is why he is smiling in this photo?

Tyler had a great deal of sensitivity to bright lights after his bout with shingles last summer, so he wore all sorts of hideous sunglasses to protect his eyes.  Here he is showing on his beverages at a mexican restaurant we went to in Houston. I actually think it might have been our last day there, but this picture really makes me remember how great his attitude was and how much fun we had together!

Doing More with Less

According to this article in a Washington State newspaper, our blood banks must do more with less in the summer months. They write that our blood bank collects about 20% less blood over the summer, but needs about 20% more to meet the needs of local patients.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110705/OPINION01/707059999

Can you give blood today to help?  I actually did my best to give blood after work today (which involved heavy duty water drinking throughout the day), but found that the local donation site had closed by the time I got off work.  I'll try again in the next week and hope that you will join me.

6 months gone

It's hard for me to believe that 6 months have passed since Tyler lost his battle with leukemia.  He lives on in the stories we tell and the memories that we treasure.  Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with many of Tyler's childhood friends and was so thankful to hear them telling jokes about his cross country running prowess.  Apparently, Paul actually beat Tyler in a race and made sure to invite the media to the event.

Life certainly changes as time continues to march on, but I am doing well.  I am a little worried that I won't be able to get enough time in on the soccer field this summer, as my teams aren't playing enough or on the right nights.  :)  I am thankful for the continued friendship of the many friends that I made through Tyler, as well as the new friends that I am making now.  It is strange to restart your life again.

I read an amazing story several months ago about a woman who had lost her grandmother, an avid button collector.  From time to time she would find a button in a completely random place like the bathroom sink.  I thought that was an amazing story and, after much thought, I decided to give Tyler a song that he really loved and consistently made me think of him.  From time to time, I hear his song on the radio and remember that he loves me still. I was quite moved when his song played just before the craft swap a couple of weeks ago.  It felt like he was telling me that he was happy that I doing this fundraising (or maybe just happy that I was giving away some craft supplies).

Thanks to the many people who prayed for me and encouraged me, especially in the first few months when the pain was so much more sharp.

Giving Back

Earlier this spring, I was invited to participate in the Light the Night Executive Committee for the Seattle walk.  I was very honored to be invited to join with the LLS team in making this year's walk the best yet!

To kick off the 2011 Light the Night season, I was asked to speak at a Light the Night breakfast that they sponsored last Thursday.  I shared a little bit about our story and the battle that Tyler fought, along with why I am passionate about walking again this year.  LLS uses the money we raise to fund the best and brightest researchers in the world to FIND A CURE TO CANCER, so this year I am walking in the hopes that I can save someone else from losing their husband to a blood cancer. 

If you haven't had the opportunity to join us at a Light the Night walk, I hope you will think about it this year.  The walk is a truly beautiful and uplifting event.  You see both survivors and supporters joining together to fight cancer and honor the battles that are being fought every day.  People of all ages have made it around Greenlake with us.  In fact, last year we had team members aged 1 - 91!

Mark your calendars now for September 24th!  Tyler's is one of this year's honored patients, so it will be an extra special walk for everyone on our team.  If we are one of the top fundraising teams again this year, we will have an even bigger tent for our team and other extra perks!

In addition, I have some exciting news to share that will make you want to help me in making Team Firefly the #1 team for the second year in a row.  I've got plenty of ideas for how to raise money through donations and events, and just need a few good people to help carry out the ideas!  Stay tuned for my exciting news in a future post...

To join our team, you can go to http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL11/mbledsoe_LTN and click on "Walk with Us" at the top of the page.  We had 29 team members at last count, so I am hoping that we get a few more friends and family members to join us.

Feeling Crafty?

Next Sunday is the next in my series of fundraising swaps.  We will be raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society while trading around crafting supplies.  The swaps are fun and a great way to either clean out your house or pick up some great new supplies.  If you would like to participate, just contact me for complete details. 

Any craft supplies can be donated this week and anyone that wants to shop for new craft supplies can stop by next Sunday to see what is available.

See you then!