As most of you have been following, in December, our niece Amelia was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia. 

Let me back up to last March, my husband and I were attending CKc’s Gold Gala. We were supporting the cause, but if we are going to be honest here, enjoying a fun, dressy evening out with friends. We put our bids in the silent auction, we grabbed our glass of wine, said our hellos to everyone and sat down for the presentation. As someone who has been touched time and time again by cancer in my immediate family and closest friends, including my father, who is currently battling post-surgery complications from esophageal cancer... I’m already very much on board with this organization, and had been “donating” towards it for several years. But sitting down and actually seeing this presentation moved me in a different way. I looked at my husband and said, I really want to do more. I texted my best friend, who is a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, and said, I’d like to be more involved. 

Fast forward to December 2020. Little did we know that our sweet niece, merely weeks after her 3rd birthday would be diagnosed and immediately start her treatment journey. Just like everything else in life, your heart strings can be tugged, but when it happens to your own family, it’s shocking and surreal. 
The helpless feeling to watch not only Amelia suffer through her symptoms, but to see it rock the world of her parents, Mike and Carrie, even with God full in our hearts, it’s easy to question why them? And how can we make this better? What can we do?

I’m not a medical researcher or a doctor, but what I can do is give support financially and spread the word, so that others can have the opportunity to help as well. The biggest blessing that has come out of this, has been the overwhelming amount of love and support Mike and Carrie have received, so I know there are so many people like myself wanting to do more.

Dedication 

In honor of Amelia Jane Cooley, our niece