Bald Little Heads

I've shared before that a little girl dear to our hearts is battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)-and kicking it's a*# I must say.

After a rough start (over half of the school year) she's returned to her regular class.

When we were talking with Carl about how he might be able to help her feel better about coming back, we talked about shaving his head so she wouldn't be the only smooth little noggin in the class.

He thought about it for days.

And he made sure that it would grow back

before he decided that was what he really wanted to do.

It was pretty amazing.

His teacher and a few buddies shaved their heads in class fresh for our little friends return.

Charlie was adamantly opposed.

He was worried that his brother would remain permanently bald.

As Mark was shaving away,

Charlie lamented from the corner that he would be hideous, creepy.

But he isn't.

He started with a mohawk, just for fun.

And now his fresh bald little head.

And the kicker, is that Charlie requested to go bald too.

Bald IS beautiful!

Last night we shaved Charlie's hair off.

I'll try to get a picture of the two together tonight to add here.

It feels nice to know that your kids truly care about others.

That they take a moment to put themselves in others shoes, and try to consider what might help them to feel better.

Our little friend's parents will be participating in the Big Climb in Seattle March 24th.  Sam's team is in the top 10 for fundraising- Team Sam I Am, if anyone is able to add to that donation I know all families battling blood cancers would appreciate it.

Inspiration

I recently learned that a young lady I've known since before she was even born, was diagnosed with ALL, a form of leukemia. 

She's the first person I know who has been diagnosed with this disease, that I think we all grew up dreading. 

She's a wonderful kid.  

Not to mention that I feel very confident she possesses more intelligence at the age of eight than I ever will. 

So advanced, that she must have been just 4-6 months old when I remember her raising her little arm addressing the world.  "Hi" she'd say whenever anyone walked into the room.  She was talking to people way before most little people are intelligibly verbal.

All you have to do is watch her and it's obvious that she is taking in every bit of her surroundings and figuring out how things work.

She's such a wonderfully inquisitive girl.

And I have no doubt that if she puts her mind to it, she'll find the cure for this awful blood cancer that she has to battle today.

Yesterday, I learned that she will lose her hair as part of her treatment and it inspired me to cut off 12 inches of my hair to donate.  

By 9am it was gone and in the mail by 2pm.

Long hair:

New short hair:

Selfies really are tough for me...  As are pictures of myself.

But you get the picture, right?

When you have to watch someone you care about go through something as awful as battling cancer, you find the little things you can do to help.

I've probably composed 10 cards to her and her family.

Not a single one written or sent.

I've thought of a few different meals I might make and bring to them.

But haven't followed through.

Partly because I'm swamped keeping up with everything going on in our lives.  Partly because I know they must overwhelmed with the outpouring of gifts and well wishes.  I don't want to overwhelm them in any way.

But I do want them to know that they are present in my thoughts, daily.

I'm praying for their sweet girl.  I'm pulling for her victory.  And I know that she's got to be the fiercest warrior cancer has ever seen.

I'm just so sorry she has to go through any of it yet, glad that she has such a full and strong community rallying for her.

I hope that my tiny little gift of hair will help someone out there to feel better about them self as they wage their own war on cancer.

Wishing everyone the gift of health and happy long lives.