Anna's Angel Fund Update: July 2006

Anna's Angel Fund Update: July 2006

As I write this update, we're approaching Anna's next MRI. And, as always, we find ourselves reflecting on and giving thanks for, the precious days we've been given with her since her last one. At the same time we are, again, filled with gratitude for you. These past few months have been a little tough for our family as we continue to struggle with this new "normal" life, and all that it brings. But, your generosity to Anna's Angel Fund gives us frequent opportunities to step outside our own lives and remember just how blessed we are to have Anna's precious life. There are no words to even begin to express how much that means to us.

Since our last update, your gifts have gone almost exclusively to families who have children with terminal cancer. This wasn't a conscious decision, but rather these were just the families who were placed in our path. For the last five months, they became our primary mission. And you gave us the means to show them the love of God in action. Having complete strangers care enough to do something to ease their unimaginable pain was such a special gift to them. Thank you so much.

These children, many of them knowing that their lives here are coming to a close, continue to have hope, amazing faith, and hearts filled with dreams for themselves and the people they love. Most of them are so at peace with their futures. Time after time, nurses and parents have told us stories of their children seeing angels coming to escort them to Heaven. But, so many of them are already acquainted with a different kind of angel while they are still fighting, because their lives have been touched by yours. They know you are there without ever having to see you. They feel your love and support and, as they reap the benefits of your generosity, they are aware that they are being wrapped up in the love of Anna's Angels.

Look at what you, our angels, have done…

$356.22 Target
This was for a little boy who had been in the hospital for eight months straight, battling his cancer and all that goes with it. His DVD player was broken and his social worker felt that he certainly deserved a little entertainment. We agreed! We bought him a 7" DVD player and seven movies, including Toy Story 2, Racing Stripes, Sponge Bob and Wallace and Grommit. $224.80 Best Buy - Teenage boy who was in the Cardiac Stepdown Unit because of the effects of the chemo on his heart function. This family probably felt like the world was caving in on them when they found out their child had cancer. Now, as a result of the treatments, he has a serious heart problem, too. It seemed that the best thing we could do for this boy was alleviate his boredom. We bought him four movies and five new PlayStation2 games.

$517.50 Target and Lane Bryant
This money was spent on a 14 year old girl who had just been told that there was no further medical treatment for her cancer. Somehow, this young girl had remained upbeat and positive though, and was even excited about her Make A Wish trip that had suddenly been made a rush, because of her prognosis. She was so focused on how much fun she was going to have and thrilled about spending time with her family. Her "Wish" trip was a cruise and her entire family was going. This family had no way of buying clothes for her trip and her social worker asked if we might be able to provide them. We knew our angels could! Like most teenage girls she loved clothes, and we found the most perfect outfits for her trip! We also sent her flip-flops, tote bags, sunscreen, disposable cameras, and a photo album that will be so very precious to her family when she is gone.

$165 MARTA Card
Bought for a teenager who is trying to finish high school while being treated for Lymphoma. She lives here in Atlanta with her grandmother (her mother lives in New York). She lives in a very unsupportive environment from both an emotional and financial standpoint. Our admiration for this girl is beyond words. She is determined to finish high school, while battling cancer. However, she has to take MARTA (public transportation) to get there and no one is willing to pay for her transportation... except for our angels! We paid for a MARTA card for three months. If she needs help after that, we've asked her social worker not to hesitate to let us know. As long as she is still fighting, she now knows there will be angels supporting her.

$150 Amazon Gift Card
This was provided for a 14 year old boy with multiple tumors. He has been in the hospital since his diagnosis in April and is struggling with depression. His mother is a single parent and, until his diagnosis, she worked two jobs to make ends meet. But since April, she has been unable to work because of the time she has to spend at the hospital with him. His 15th birthday was in July and she had no way to buy him a gift. So you bought it for her to give him!! She gave him an Amazon gift card that he could use to pick out whatever he wanted online.

Total $1428.12 Georgia Aquarium, two motel rooms, Chili's
(Yes, this is a BIG one! Also, such a special one…) $621.50 Georgia Aquarium Tickets (Group Rate), $107.25 Georgia Aquarium Tickets (separate for one family), $55.62 one family meal at Chili's, 122.08 Motel Room for one night, $90.25 Motel Room for one night (for a second family), $326.41 Café Aquaria, $105.01 Family Photos at Aquarium

We're always meeting or learning about new families who are under tremendous stress as they anticipate losing their children, and as they struggle to manage the financial problems created by mounting hospital bills. Because of your awesome generosity, seven families - all of whom expect to lose a child to cancer in the very near future - went and were able to enjoy the aquarium together. Their visit began with a family photo. Then your donations also treated them to lunch at Café Aquaria and each child got $15 to spend in the gift shop!

One family was unable to join the others at the last minute due to a medical procedure their child had to have. In spite of car trouble and a four hour drive to Atlanta, these parents were determined to give their children an opportunity to have fun. We were told that this mother cried as she was offered this trip because the stress on all of them, including the children, had just been unbearable. They drove to Atlanta on a different day to take advantage of our offer, even though they finally had a week off from treatment and from making that drive. The Angel Fund treated them to dinner at Chili's when they arrived and your donations also paid for a motel room for the night.

Here's a summary of the children/families that went to the aquarium:

1) 6 year old boy diagnosed in March, 2003 with a brain stem glioma; he is the 2nd of 4 children, tumor recently began to grow rapidly. Mother, 31 yrs. old, now having heart problems, most likely due to her child's declining health.

2) 4 year old diagnosed in March, 2006 with PNET tumor; serious complications and has been in hospital since diagnosis. Father's income is minimal; mother stays with child constantly.

3) 18 year old diagnosed with low grade glioma/NF1 in January, 2006; recently taken off treatment because tumors are continuing to grow. Doctors say there is nothing more, experimental or traditional, they can do for this child. This family has very limited income and just wants to make their child comfortable and happy for as long as possible.

4) 3 year old diagnosed with medulloblastoma in February, 2006. This family desperately wanted to find support through meeting other families in similar situations and this was a perfect opportunity for that.

5) 8 year old with brain stem glioma, diagnosed in April, 2006; currently being followed for tumor progression. This family travels to Atlanta weekly (3 hours) for follow-up visits with doctors, but for the last several weeks the child has been in Pediatric Intensive Care unit. We were thrilled that he was well enough to get out for a day of fun to go to the aquarium. This child and mother have been separated from dad and the other two children for quite a while now, so it was a wonderful reunion for this family.

6) 14 year old boy with an optic glioma, diagnosed in August, 2005. This family has struggled so much, emotionally and financially, since his diagnosis. Their son has multiple tumors up and down his spine, which makes it difficult for him to do anything. They live about two and a half hours from Atlanta but were excited about making the trip. (They were reimbursed for their gas and you also paid for their hotel expenses for a night.)

7) 8 year old girl with a medulloblastoma, diagnosed in August, 2004. Our friends at the Brain Tumor Fdn. For Children said this little girl had been through so very much. Her mother is a single parent, raising two children. She is doing her best to keep her job but misses quite a bit of work due to her daughter's cancer treatments and hospitalizations.

$214.60 Paid for a U-Haul, mileage, and overnight postage
This family had their own very small business. When their 15 year old son was diagnosed with Leukemia, he was in intensive care for a while and they got way behind on their finances. When we heard about their situation, the family was being evicted from their home and had to be out in three days. It was too late to help them keep their home, but with your help we were at least able to provide them with a way to move out and start over. Their son had no insurance and social workers were working to help get him covered by Medicaid. In the meantime, he has had multiple, serious, complications requiring very expensive medications. As I write this, he has developed a blood clot and is starting a regimen of Lovenox injections twice a day which we understand costs about $600 a week. It sounds like the drug company is being wonderful though and is going assist the family with getting him this medication. But this family's trials continue.

$300 Rent
Paid rent for a single mom of two boys. Her 3 year old son has been diagnosed with cancer. In addition to the emotional trauma this mom is experiencing due to her son's diagnosis, she has also been a victim of domestic violence for some time. She is beginning to take control of that part of her life and has moved out of her home. She will be renting a room from friends and you have paid the first month's rent! Hopefully, with the resources the social workers have, this mom will become more emotionally healthy and better able to make this journey with her very sick 3 year old, and with her other son, too.

$2500 Filbrandt Family Funeral Home
This check helped parents pay for their 9 year old son's funeral expenses. (Paid $2500 of their $5000 total bill. At the time, we didn't have enough to pay the entire balance.) He passed away on Feb. 19th this year from Relapsed Refractory ALL, a form of Leukemia. This was a very low income family to begin with, and finances were a huge stressor throughout his illness. He had three brothers and sisters. We heard that lots of grateful tears were shed when this check arrived. (Your wings were sparkling that day…)

$225 Rent
Paid rent for the family of a 9 year old boy who was diagnosed with Leukemia in March. His dad is a truck driver and has missed a lot of work since his son's diagnosis and they are really struggling to pay bills. About a week after you paid this rent for them, this boy went through a bone marrow transplant, with his brother being the donor. He has had a very tough time and his dad (God bless him) says he just can't leave his son right now.

$300 Rent
This family is trying to get government assistance but they have only recently become American citizens. Their social worker says they have all the necessary paperwork to prove their citizenship, but the process of getting approval and financial aid is a very slow one. They have become bitter and angry over their child's cancer and their financial issues, and they very much needed to feel the unconditional love and care of strangers.

$1879.53 Car Repairs
We didn't think we would get to pay this one in full, but we did! We were very excited! This was for the family of a little girl who has Leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant about three years ago. She is still having major complications though and her mom has lost her job, and therefore, her insurance. Their car has been broken down for a very long time and they've been trying to handle her medical problems at home. They live about three hours away from Atlanta so when she does have an emergency, they take a Medicaid van to their local hospital. But she really needs the care of her pediatric specialists at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta when she has emergencies. Her condition was deteriorating because of that and her social worker contacted us to see if we could contribute anything toward the car repairs. Thanks to you, we were able to send a check for the entire amount!! Can you imagine the relief that mom must have felt knowing she could bring her child to Atlanta, where she would have her best chance at life?!

$90.95 Old Navy, $118.58 Target, $200 Publix, and $20 in quarters
This is a teenage boy who had a bone marrow transplant and has been released from the hospital. He is now staying close by at a hotel. (Patients released after transplants are still considered to be very medically fragile and are required to stay in town for a while to be monitored.) This single mom has been unable to work for several months because of her son's illness and they were struggling just to eat and wash clothes. We bought clothing for both of them and a Kroger gift card to help with food expenses. We also gave them two rolls of quarters for washing clothes at a laundromat.

$280 Cash, $200 QuikTrip This was for to replace badly worn tires on a family's car and to help them with gas expenses, both much-needed for getting to the hospital for treatments. Tires were made available at a wholesale price for them.

$545.93 Wal-Mart
Teenage boy who recently relapsed and also had some terribly traumatic things going on in his home life. As a result, he had confided in someone at the hospital that he was having some suicidal thoughts. He spends a lot of time in the hospital and needed something fun to do, whether at home or inpatient. Until recently, he had never had a video game system or anything like it. But, the one he'd just gotten had been stolen. So, Anna picked out a PlayStation Portable Starter Bundle for him, and three additional games to go with it.

$277.57 Sports Authority
AFLAC had offered to take this teenage boy on a ski trip to Colorado but he didn't have any ski supplies. We bought a warm jacket, 2 pairs of ski pants, goggles, gloves, and three pairs of thermal socks.

$186.47 Target
This one year old little girl was newly diagnosed with AML (a form of Leukemia). She has a very sweet 20 year old mom, and the two of them will be in the hospital for many, long hospitalizations of a month or more at a time. Dad is in jail so they will have no financial support. Her social worker asked if we could please give them a little help with basic needs for the hospital. For the little girl, Anna picked out nightgowns, play clothes, socks, house shoes, 2 pairs of tennis shoes, diapers and wipes. For mom, we bought pajamas, a robe, sweatpants and t-shirts (it's always cold in the hospital), socks, house shoes, and toiletries.

$500 Rent
Patient is a 9 year old girl, being treated for a brain tumor. Her father had just lost his business after being diagnosed with terminal cancer (lymphoma) himself. We got a call from one of our friends at the Brain Tumor Fdn. for Children about this family. She told us that this child's mom was trying very hard to support them, but that they were two months behind in their rent. She asked if we could help. Thanks to you - again - we could. The check was mailed that day.

$201.61 Babies R Us, $250 Gift Card Kroger
4 month old baby girl with Leukemia, born to an 18 year old single mother. Not much family support and very much in need of basic baby items and money for food. Social workers had educated her on the importance of breast feeding her baby, but the mother herself wasn't getting the proper nutrition to continue breast feeding. Requests for baby things are our favorites, so we particularly enjoyed spoiling this little girl! Anna picked out so many precious things that she needed, and with the grocery store gift card we're hoping that this mother will begin to eat a little better, too.

$100 Kroger (4 $25 Gift Cards)
We don't know specifically who will benefit from these. One of the social workers in the AFLAC Cancer Center asked us if we would provide them for her to give to some of the families she is working with there.

$ 59.88 Best Buy, $75 Target
A 12 year old boy, diagnosed with Leukemia. He has been in the hospital for five months, suffering multiple complications since his diagnosis. The hardest issue for him has been a terrible case of cellulitis (a skin infection), keeping him in a constant state of pain. We got him a few games and movies that he'd asked for, but also thought he might enjoy spending a Target gift card himself, online from the hospital.

$800 Rent ($725 + $75 late fee)
8 year old with Leukemia who just had his bone marrow transplant. The mother cannot work because of the demands of his care. These parents have refused help many times, but at this point they had no choice but to accept it. Their child is so critical that they have a hard time leaving him and have started paying someone to watch their other children. They are struggling financially because mom cannot work now and, although dad works very hard, his salary alone is not enough.

$168.74 Target
We got an urgent message about this boy who was being flown from south Georgia to Atlanta, via an Angel Flight, for treatment. He was being treated for a brain tumor called a hemangioblastoma. Because they were forced to leave home so quickly, they didn't have time to pack anything, and upon arriving he was admitted to the hospital. As sick as he was, the child didn't seem to care that he had no clothes, but was thrilled at the thought of someone sending him Cheetos and Fruit Roll-Ups! Mom, of course, was more concerned about not having a change of clothes. Her only request was for a sweater because it was so cold in the hospital. But, she also got enough clothing for a few days and some detergent, just in case there was an unexpected delay in getting her own things from home. She also asked if she might be able to get a bus ticket later to go home and check on her other children. She is a single mother of three (or four?) children. We will happily provide that bus ticket when she needs it, if we can.

Nothing means more to Anna than helping make a difference in the lives of the kids whose journeys she so completely understands. Thank you so much for all you have done to help us keep Anna's Angel Fund alive. Because of the opportunities you give us to meet these families, every day that we wake up and we still have each other to hold, we remember that we are blessed.

With grateful hearts,

Lisa, Larry and Anna

"We cannot do great things on this earth, only small things with great love." Mother Teresa

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		*Anna's Angel Fund Update: July 2006* As I write this update, we're approaching Anna's next MRI. And, as always, we find ourselves reflecting on and giving thanks for, the precious days we've been given with her since her last one. At the same time we are, again, filled with gratitude for you. These past few months have been a little tough for our family as we continue to struggle with this new "normal" life, and all that it brings. But, your generosity to Anna's Angel Fund gives us frequent opportunities to step outside our own lives and remember just how blessed we are to have Anna's precious life. There are no words to even begin to express how much that means to us. Since our last update, your gifts have gone almost exclusively to families who have children with terminal cancer. This wasn't a conscious decision, but rather these were just the families who were placed in our path. For the last five months, they became our primary mission. And you gave us the means to show them the love of God in action. Having complete strangers care enough to do something to ease their unimaginable pain was such a special gift to them. Thank you so much. These children, many of them knowing that their lives here are coming to a close, continue to have hope, amazing faith, and hearts filled with dreams for themselves and the people they love. Most of them are so at peace with their futures. Time after time, nurses and parents have told us stories of their children seeing angels coming to escort them to Heaven. But, so many of them are already acquainted with a different kind of angel while they are still fighting, because their lives have been touched by yours. They know you are there without ever having to see you. They feel your love and support and, as they reap the benefits of your generosity, they are aware that they are being wrapped up in the love of Anna's Angels. Look at what you, our angels, have done… $356.22 Target This was for a little boy who had been in the hospital for eight months straight, battling his cancer and all that goes with it. His DVD player was broken and his social worker felt that he certainly deserved a little entertainment. We agreed! We bought him a 7" DVD player and seven movies, including Toy Story 2, Racing Stripes, Sponge Bob and Wallace and Grommit. $224.80 Best Buy - Teenage boy who was in the Cardiac Stepdown Unit because of the effects of the chemo on his heart function. This family probably felt like the world was caving in on them when they found out their child had cancer. Now, as a result of the treatments, he has a serious heart problem, too. It seemed that the best thing we could do for this boy was alleviate his boredom. We bought him four movies and five new PlayStation2 games. $517.50 Target and Lane Bryant This money was spent on a 14 year old girl who had just been told that there was no further medical treatment for her cancer. Somehow, this young girl had remained upbeat and positive though, and was even excited about her Make A Wish trip that had suddenly been made a rush, because of her prognosis. She was so focused on how much fun she was going to have and thrilled about spending time with her family. Her "Wish" trip was a cruise and her entire family was going. This family had no way of buying clothes for her trip and her social worker asked if we might be able to provide them. We knew our angels could! Like most teenage girls she loved clothes, and we found the most perfect outfits for her trip! We also sent her flip-flops, tote bags, sunscreen, disposable cameras, and a photo album that will be so very precious to her family when she is gone. $165 MARTA Card Bought for a teenager who is trying to finish high school while being treated for Lymphoma. She lives here in Atlanta with her grandmother (her mother lives in New York). She lives in a very unsupportive environment from both an emotional and financial standpoint. Our admiration for this girl is beyond words. She is determined to finish high school, while battling cancer. However, she has to take MARTA (public transportation) to get there and no one is willing to pay for her transportation... except for our angels! We paid for a MARTA card for three months. If she needs help after that, we've asked her social worker not to hesitate to let us know. As long as she is still fighting, she now knows there will be angels supporting her. $150 Amazon Gift Card This was provided for a 14 year old boy with multiple tumors. He has been in the hospital since his diagnosis in April and is struggling with depression. His mother is a single parent and, until his diagnosis, she worked two jobs to make ends meet. But since April, she has been unable to work because of the time she has to spend at the hospital with him. His 15th birthday was in July and she had no way to buy him a gift. So you bought it for her to give him!! She gave him an Amazon gift card that he could use to pick out whatever he wanted online. Total $1428.12 Georgia Aquarium, two motel rooms, Chili's (Yes, this is a BIG one! Also, such a special one…) $621.50 Georgia Aquarium Tickets (Group Rate), $107.25 Georgia Aquarium Tickets (separate for one family), $55.62 one family meal at Chili's, 122.08 Motel Room for one night, $90.25 Motel Room for one night (for a second family), $326.41 Café Aquaria, $105.01 Family Photos at Aquarium We're always meeting or learning about new families who are under tremendous stress as they anticipate losing their children, and as they struggle to manage the financial problems created by mounting hospital bills. Because of your awesome generosity, seven families - all of whom expect to lose a child to cancer in the very near future - went and were able to enjoy the aquarium together. Their visit began with a family photo. Then your donations also treated them to lunch at Café Aquaria and each child got $15 to spend in the gift shop! One family was unable to join the others at the last minute due to a medical procedure their child had to have. In spite of car trouble and a four hour drive to Atlanta, these parents were determined to give their children an opportunity to have fun. We were told that this mother cried as she was offered this trip because the stress on all of them, including the children, had just been unbearable. They drove to Atlanta on a different day to take advantage of our offer, even though they finally had a week off from treatment and from making that drive. The Angel Fund treated them to dinner at Chili's when they arrived and your donations also paid for a motel room for the night. Here's a summary of the children/families that went to the aquarium: 1) 6 year old boy diagnosed in March, 2003 with a brain stem glioma; he is the 2nd of 4 children, tumor recently began to grow rapidly. Mother, 31 yrs. old, now having heart problems, most likely due to her child's declining health. 2) 4 year old diagnosed in March, 2006 with PNET tumor; serious complications and has been in hospital since diagnosis. Father's income is minimal; mother stays with child constantly. 3) 18 year old diagnosed with low grade glioma/NF1 in January, 2006; recently taken off treatment because tumors are continuing to grow. Doctors say there is nothing more, experimental or traditional, they can do for this child. This family has very limited income and just wants to make their child comfortable and happy for as long as possible. 4) 3 year old diagnosed with medulloblastoma in February, 2006. This family desperately wanted to find support through meeting other families in similar situations and this was a perfect opportunity for that. 5) 8 year old with brain stem glioma, diagnosed in April, 2006; currently being followed for tumor progression. This family travels to Atlanta weekly (3 hours) for follow-up visits with doctors, but for the last several weeks the child has been in Pediatric Intensive Care unit. We were thrilled that he was well enough to get out for a day of fun to go to the aquarium. This child and mother have been separated from dad and the other two children for quite a while now, so it was a wonderful reunion for this family. 6) 14 year old boy with an optic glioma, diagnosed in August, 2005. This family has struggled so much, emotionally and financially, since his diagnosis. Their son has multiple tumors up and down his spine, which makes it difficult for him to do anything. They live about two and a half hours from Atlanta but were excited about making the trip. (They were reimbursed for their gas and you also paid for their hotel expenses for a night.) 7) 8 year old girl with a medulloblastoma, diagnosed in August, 2004. Our friends at the Brain Tumor Fdn. For Children said this little girl had been through so very much. Her mother is a single parent, raising two children. She is doing her best to keep her job but misses quite a bit of work due to her daughter's cancer treatments and hospitalizations. $214.60 Paid for a U-Haul, mileage, and overnight postage This family had their own very small business. When their 15 year old son was diagnosed with Leukemia, he was in intensive care for a while and they got way behind on their finances. When we heard about their situation, the family was being evicted from their home and had to be out in three days. It was too late to help them keep their home, but with your help we were at least able to provide them with a way to move out and start over. Their son had no insurance and social workers were working to help get him covered by Medicaid. In the meantime, he has had multiple, serious, complications requiring very expensive medications. As I write this, he has developed a blood clot and is starting a regimen of Lovenox injections twice a day which we understand costs about $600 a week. It sounds like the drug company is being wonderful though and is going assist the family with getting him this medication. But this family's trials continue. $300 Rent Paid rent for a single mom of two boys. Her 3 year old son has been diagnosed with cancer. In addition to the emotional trauma this mom is experiencing due to her son's diagnosis, she has also been a victim of domestic violence for some time. She is beginning to take control of that part of her life and has moved out of her home. She will be renting a room from friends and you have paid the first month's rent! Hopefully, with the resources the social workers have, this mom will become more emotionally healthy and better able to make this journey with her very sick 3 year old, and with her other son, too. $2500 Filbrandt Family Funeral Home This check helped parents pay for their 9 year old son's funeral expenses. (Paid $2500 of their $5000 total bill. At the time, we didn't have enough to pay the entire balance.) He passed away on Feb. 19th this year from Relapsed Refractory ALL, a form of Leukemia. This was a very low income family to begin with, and finances were a huge stressor throughout his illness. He had three brothers and sisters. We heard that lots of grateful tears were shed when this check arrived. (Your wings were sparkling that day…) $225 Rent Paid rent for the family of a 9 year old boy who was diagnosed with Leukemia in March. His dad is a truck driver and has missed a lot of work since his son's diagnosis and they are really struggling to pay bills. About a week after you paid this rent for them, this boy went through a bone marrow transplant, with his brother being the donor. He has had a very tough time and his dad (God bless him) says he just can't leave his son right now. $300 Rent This family is trying to get government assistance but they have only recently become American citizens. Their social worker says they have all the necessary paperwork to prove their citizenship, but the process of getting approval and financial aid is a very slow one. They have become bitter and angry over their child's cancer and their financial issues, and they very much needed to feel the unconditional love and care of strangers. $1879.53 Car Repairs We didn't think we would get to pay this one in full, but we did! We were very excited! This was for the family of a little girl who has Leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant about three years ago. She is still having major complications though and her mom has lost her job, and therefore, her insurance. Their car has been broken down for a very long time and they've been trying to handle her medical problems at home. They live about three hours away from Atlanta so when she does have an emergency, they take a Medicaid van to their local hospital. But she really needs the care of her pediatric specialists at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta when she has emergencies. Her condition was deteriorating because of that and her social worker contacted us to see if we could contribute anything toward the car repairs. Thanks to you, we were able to send a check for the entire amount!! Can you imagine the relief that mom must have felt knowing she could bring her child to Atlanta, where she would have her best chance at life?! $90.95 Old Navy, $118.58 Target, $200 Publix, and $20 in quarters This is a teenage boy who had a bone marrow transplant and has been released from the hospital. He is now staying close by at a hotel. (Patients released after transplants are still considered to be very medically fragile and are required to stay in town for a while to be monitored.) This single mom has been unable to work for several months because of her son's illness and they were struggling just to eat and wash clothes. We bought clothing for both of them and a Kroger gift card to help with food expenses. We also gave them two rolls of quarters for washing clothes at a laundromat. $280 Cash, $200 QuikTrip This was for to replace badly worn tires on a family's car and to help them with gas expenses, both much-needed for getting to the hospital for treatments. Tires were made available at a wholesale price for them. $545.93 Wal-Mart Teenage boy who recently relapsed and also had some terribly traumatic things going on in his home life. As a result, he had confided in someone at the hospital that he was having some suicidal thoughts. He spends a lot of time in the hospital and needed something fun to do, whether at home or inpatient. Until recently, he had never had a video game system or anything like it. But, the one he'd just gotten had been stolen. So, Anna picked out a PlayStation Portable Starter Bundle for him, and three additional games to go with it. $277.57 Sports Authority AFLAC had offered to take this teenage boy on a ski trip to Colorado but he didn't have any ski supplies. We bought a warm jacket, 2 pairs of ski pants, goggles, gloves, and three pairs of thermal socks. $186.47 Target This one year old little girl was newly diagnosed with AML (a form of Leukemia). She has a very sweet 20 year old mom, and the two of them will be in the hospital for many, long hospitalizations of a month or more at a time. Dad is in jail so they will have no financial support. Her social worker asked if we could please give them a little help with basic needs for the hospital. For the little girl, Anna picked out nightgowns, play clothes, socks, house shoes, 2 pairs of tennis shoes, diapers and wipes. For mom, we bought pajamas, a robe, sweatpants and t-shirts (it's always cold in the hospital), socks, house shoes, and toiletries. $500 Rent Patient is a 9 year old girl, being treated for a brain tumor. Her father had just lost his business after being diagnosed with terminal cancer (lymphoma) himself. We got a call from one of our friends at the Brain Tumor Fdn. for Children about this family. She told us that this child's mom was trying very hard to support them, but that they were two months behind in their rent. She asked if we could help. Thanks to you - again - we could. The check was mailed that day. $201.61 Babies R Us, $250 Gift Card Kroger 4 month old baby girl with Leukemia, born to an 18 year old single mother. Not much family support and very much in need of basic baby items and money for food. Social workers had educated her on the importance of breast feeding her baby, but the mother herself wasn't getting the proper nutrition to continue breast feeding. Requests for baby things are our favorites, so we particularly enjoyed spoiling this little girl! Anna picked out so many precious things that she needed, and with the grocery store gift card we're hoping that this mother will begin to eat a little better, too. $100 Kroger (4 $25 Gift Cards) We don't know specifically who will benefit from these. One of the social workers in the AFLAC Cancer Center asked us if we would provide them for her to give to some of the families she is working with there. $ 59.88 Best Buy, $75 Target A 12 year old boy, diagnosed with Leukemia. He has been in the hospital for five months, suffering multiple complications since his diagnosis. The hardest issue for him has been a terrible case of cellulitis (a skin infection), keeping him in a constant state of pain. We got him a few games and movies that he'd asked for, but also thought he might enjoy spending a Target gift card himself, online from the hospital. $800 Rent ($725 + $75 late fee) 8 year old with Leukemia who just had his bone marrow transplant. The mother cannot work because of the demands of his care. These parents have refused help many times, but at this point they had no choice but to accept it. Their child is so critical that they have a hard time leaving him and have started paying someone to watch their other children. They are struggling financially because mom cannot work now and, although dad works very hard, his salary alone is not enough. $168.74 Target We got an urgent message about this boy who was being flown from south Georgia to Atlanta, via an Angel Flight, for treatment. He was being treated for a brain tumor called a hemangioblastoma. Because they were forced to leave home so quickly, they didn't have time to pack anything, and upon arriving he was admitted to the hospital. As sick as he was, the child didn't seem to care that he had no clothes, but was thrilled at the thought of someone sending him Cheetos and Fruit Roll-Ups! Mom, of course, was more concerned about not having a change of clothes. Her only request was for a sweater because it was so cold in the hospital. But, she also got enough clothing for a few days and some detergent, just in case there was an unexpected delay in getting her own things from home. She also asked if she might be able to get a bus ticket later to go home and check on her other children. She is a single mother of three (or four?) children. We will happily provide that bus ticket when she needs it, if we can. Nothing means more to Anna than helping make a difference in the lives of the kids whose journeys she so completely understands. Thank you so much for all you have done to help us keep Anna's Angel Fund alive. Because of the opportunities you give us to meet these families, every day that we wake up and we still have each other to hold, we remember that we are blessed. With grateful hearts, Lisa, Larry and Anna "We cannot do great things on this earth, only small things with great love." Mother Teresa Back to Updates Page


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