The Unsung Heroes!

Leukemia – a word that no mother should ever have to hear. Yet, this Mother’s Day weekend thousands of moms will be dealing with the effects that chemo, steroids and countless other medications have on a little body. And they’ll be most grateful for the day with their angels. I’m amazed at the strength it takes…absolutely amazed. The trials and tribulations that a child with Leukemia goes through are hard to imagine. But, more unimaginable has to be the love of a mother to that child. They have to be the silent warrior for their little one. They have to be the rock of the family. They have to be the one painting the rosy pictures while they quietly fall apart inside. Calhoun County held its 2008 Relay for Life event last night (into this morning) and we were once again able to boast success! We entered into this fundraising year with our sights set on $600,000 going toward Cancer funding and research! As of press time last night, we were sitting at $615,000 with donations still rolling in! I sit in awe of how it all comes together and I love the enthusiasm from all the teams that show up, camp out and raise money non-stop. It truly is a sight to behold! As great as all that is, however, the reason we’re there is for the survivors. The survivors are what it’s all about. To witness countless survivors approach the microphone and rattle off the number of years they have been a survivor is the most moving of experiences. And it drives home the fact that cancer funding and research are winning! Slowly but surely, we’re winning the battle against cancer! My best friends daughter is battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia right now and there is nothing easy about it. I was honored to meet so many caregivers to the survivors who were so willing to share their story of how they never expected to hear the words Cancer or Leukemia, yet they mustered the strength to be strong and supportive to those loved ones in need. As a mother myself, my heart goes out to those mommies dealing with these mountainous issues. I hope for them a restful Mother’s Day filled with warm feelings and happy thoughts.