When my daughter Annie envisioned the idea for Gold In September, she saw a world that turned pink in October and stopped shaving in November in the spirit of raising awareness. She had a vision that one day, the same would be true with the color gold for kids. It was a simple goal: awareness. As we settle into Childhood …
I Spy . . . Hope
Last week I was humbled to be one of the keynote speakers at Pediatrics 2040 (Peds2040). The event was the annual meeting of the international Society for Pediatric Innovation or iSPI. Below is the transcript from my presentation. It provides the culmination of my journey as well as Gold In September’s vision as we continue to innovate, collaborate, and grow GOLDEN awareness and funding …
Struggling to Fit In – The Plight of AYA Cancer Patients
Since 2005, when my son Jack was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, I have stood on the platform of awareness and research to help find and fund cures for childhood cancer. It is a platform my family certainly didn’t willingly ask to stand on . . . but as my late husband John so thoughtfully said time and time again, “if not …
Cataclysmic Attachment Trauma
When a family is impacted by a childhood cancer diagnosis, the lifelong consequences are profound regardless of outcome. As a parent whose child lost this battle, healing is a daily and often overwhelming struggle. And let us not forget about the other side to this struggle for the parents whose children survive. There is no simply ‘moving on’ following the …
The Cost of Being a Survivor
Survivor(n): a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks. The ultimate goal of every family enduring a childhood cancer diagnosis is survival. No brainer, right? Every parent who has a child battling cancer longs for nothing more than to proclaim their child is one of the 80% who survived this horrible disease and …
The Power of Collaboration – Lessons Learned at CAC2
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Living In the Moments of Life’s Transitions
“A lot can be told from what happens in between the main moments.” – Annie Leibovitz June is upon us…and with it comes a flurry of activity. Children move on from one grade to the next, graduation ceremonies usher in the next phase for young adults, marriages mark new chapters for couples in love, and this month brings with it …
Celebrating the Both/And this Memorial Day
“… for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” William Shakespeare This coming Monday our nation will celebrate Memorial Day. This day has become synonymous with family picnics and time off. But for the families missing a loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, the day must be both a welcome day of remembrance and a …
Celebrating Motherhood
Sometimes the strength of motherhood is stronger than natural laws. – Barbara Kingsolver This Sunday we celebrate motherhood. For some it is a day of great joy and happiness and for others, those who have lost a child or those who are longing to become a mother, it can be very difficult. No matter your story, each of us here …
The Things and Memories We Pack
In June of 2005 my husband John and our two children, Jack and Annie, moved into our brand-new home in Hartland, Wisconsin. It was the home in which we had planned to raise and expand our family creating decades of happy memories. I had visions of pulling lovingly cared for things out of the basement to be shared with grandchildren …