Here is what Giving TUESDAY is all about:

MISSION STATEMENT:
#GivingTuesday is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support non-profit organizations.

Lovely. It truly is better to give than to receive.

And what better place to give on Giving Tuesday, than Miles for Tuesday. Go check out all the body moving goodness that is taking place to support the Wellness Center for the center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at The Children's Hospital Colorado. Make a donation, start a team, plan an event. All of the above. How are you going to log miles for Tuesday?

AND THEN THERE'S THIS:

This giving Tuesday, I have a special request. It's not directly related to Childhood cancer, but is is directly related to my heart. This is my friend Jen and her little beauties. Jen was a huge support while Tuesday was in treatment and she and her kiddos are steadfast supporters of Childhood cancer families and organizations. She is a single mama. Now a homeless single mama, after Hurricane Sandy destroyed their home and most of their belongings.

Were you thankful for a roof over your head this Thanksgiving?

Yes? Then pay it forward this Giving Tuesday. Perfect.
Here is your chance to directly help a family impacted by Sandy.

*All donations to whatchagonnado between now and Dec. 31st will go to the Smith family. Donations to families fighting childhood cancer will resume on Jan. 1, 2013.

I love the smirk.  Girl, I feel the same way.  Alexandra is preparing for a bone marrow transplant after relapsing with high risk A.L.L leukemia.  She just fininshed up 2 and a half years of chemo, so this is a major bummer.   Alexandra lives with her mom and brother in Colorado, but for the next few months she will be living in The BMT unit at Children's Hospital.  This is as rough as it gets.  No leaving.  No outside. No visiters but immediate family.  It will be hard work for this sweet little girl and hard work for her single mama, trying to juggle two kids in two different places.  You can't even imagine, right?  No.  

We are going to cover their rent.  As much of it as possible for as long as possible.  We need you to give.  As much as you can.  Because, you can.  Because even if it hurts a little, you can.  Because even if it stretches you a little to give, you still get to tuck your child in to her own bed at night.  If you've never donated before, please give.  If you have, please give.  It doesn't take much, it just takes many.  Go click on the big red donate button.

All money goes directly to the families we support.  Please help us help them.

To follow Alexandra's journey go to:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/princessjonte

whatchagonnado?

 The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

March 11th, Tuesday Whitt’s brother, dad, uncle, Nano, cousin, and many friends are going bald to bring awareness and an end to childhood cancer.  Please support Team Tuesday as they Brave the Shave!  You can join the fun at Fado Irish Pub in Denver, starting at noon.  Fair warning, it just might change your life.  

We applaud St. Baldrick’s for their commitment and dedication to finding a cure.

Donate in memory of your loved ones lost to cancer, or of course, in memory of our sweet Tuesday.  Give now.  Give big.  

We are needing more brave shavees.  To join Team Tuesday, go here.

When your child is diagnosed with cancer, you have little to no time to look in to your options.  In almost every instance, your child jumps immediately in to the treatment plan laid out by COG, or Children’s Oncology Group, that has become the latest standard of care for your kid’s particular cancer.  You hope and pray that this is the right choice for your kid, fully aware that you are not the expert.  Sometimes, this is not the best path.  Sometimes you as the parent, know that there are other, perhaps better alternative paths for your little patient.  This is the path that Jenna’s parents are taking with her.

Jenna was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma in April of 2008.  She followed COG protocol frontline treatment;  she still had active disease.  She went for treatment at Sloan-Kettering in NYC, a leading center for Neuroblastoma;  she still had active disease.  They started alternative treatments with a Naturopathic doctor, and although she still has active disease, she has enjoyed many months of routine family life, running in the sun, playing piano, camping, and starting Kindergarten at home.

This past December, Jenna presented with a new “bump” on her head.  It has been confirmed to be new growth neuroblastoma in the bone marrow of her skull, and so it’s time to turn up the fight.  Miraculously, Jenna continues to feel good and full of spunk.  Currently, the family is increasing Jenna's alternative care with appointments in Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Durango.  IV Vitamin C treatments have begun in Durango, along with many adjustments to her homeopathic and naturopathic medicines.  One hundred percent of the cost of these appointments and treatments are paid by the family.  One Hundred Percent.

We are honored to be able to help Jenna continue with her wonderful quality of life, while fighting back against this most evil disease.  Every dollar counts.  Every donation.  Give what you can, and then give a little more.

You can follow Jenna’s journey at CaringBridge / jennamiller / Welcome

whatchagonnado?

What a delightful group of Elves we were blessed with this Christmas!  They spoiled not only ONE, but TWO of our families.

Thank you, not only once, but twice, and million times more, to the Pinery Country Club Tennis Club.  You give the tennis term “love” a whole new meaning.  You’ve scored a ton of points in our book!

This little beauty is Danika.  She lives in Florida with her big sister and her mom and dad.  Danika lives near the Ocean, but it’s something she can not see.  Danika lost her sight, along with her innocence and countless other things, because of the Neuroblastoma that invades her body.

In her mom’s words, “The amount of disease in her little body is "impressive" as they say, however it remains unchanged, so we'll take 'inactive' cancer any day over the

alternative.”  This is the outcome of over a year of treatment, away from home and family, at MSKCC.

Please help us in getting sweet Danika and her sister a swingset for their yard.

“One of the biggest joys in Danika’s life is swinging in the baby swing at the park.  Since it’s not always the easiest thing for me to get both girls there (weather, schedule, etc.) and keep them safe, having a small set – one with a regular “big girl” swing and a baby swing and possibly a slide - in the backyard would be amazing.  Then I could give her this experience so much more than I can currently.”

It’s the least we can do!

Swing on, sweet girl!

Goal: $400  All money raised above the cost of the swing set will go to the Stanchi’s for travel expenses.   Dig deep!  Tis’ the season.

http://www.carepages.com/carepages/DanikaStanchi/updates/2778554

It took B.P. 3 months to cap the Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast, but it only took 3 school days for some kids in Douglas County School District to Put a Cap On Kids Cancer!  They raised a grand total of $1,215  Take that, cancer!

Way to go Renaissance Magnet School, Northeast Elementary and Mountain View Elementary!  Little people making a BIG difference!

If you are in the Neuroblastoma world, and thank God if you’re not, but if you are, you most likely know Justin Miller.  Justin and his family were the first cancer family to take us under their wing after Tuesday’s diagnosis.  They gave us the hope we needed to fight big.  Justin was riddled with disease, beat cancer down, relapsed 15 moths later and then beat it down again.  This is rare.  This has become the only life they remember.  Justin is off treatment for the second time, but this, by no stretch of the imagination, means that they are “done”.  One toe over the line in to this cancer world, and you will never be done.  There are always scans in your future, side effects from treatment, gripping fear in the back of your mind that the other shoe, may indeed, drop.  That is where our friends, the Millers, are currently residing.  Post treatment purgatory.

On Saturday, Justin and his mom will fly to New York, MSKCC, for scans and work ups.  This is where Justin has been receiving antibody therapy after relapsing in the brain.  They will be checking his rapidly decreasing vision in his one good eye.  They will be searching for the answer to his low platelet counts.  They will scan and test and poke and prod, and then they will wait.

Today we celebrate that Justin is cancer free, but we remember how hard and expensive this on going life remains for  the Millers.  Please make a donation for some “walking around money”, as Charley’s Gram would say.  Your gift will maybe buy Justin a toy to help take his mind off of scans.  It might buy his tired mama a coffee every morning of their stay.  Maybe they will use it to go out for a fun dinner, or see a show, or maybe they’ll blow it on candy and magazines at the airport.  It doesn’t matter.  Your gift will make this trip a little easier for them.  I hear all the time, what can I do?  This you can do.  It’s easy.  It matters.  Go give.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bunkyspage

*UPDATE     Justin is currently being treated at MSKCC for a second relapse.  Please consider donating to offset the huge cost of travel to and from New York City.  Note:  Beyond the Blackboard will give 10% back to whatchagonnado on wednesday, Dec. 8th.

If you’ve been waiting to give big, now is the time.  Our friends at The Miracle Party need a miracle.  The party is in 48 hours and they are thousands of dollars short.  If you want to see what they do for kids and their families, take a moment to watch this video.  Have a cry, and then go give big.  You can donate to whatchagonnado, or directly to Miracle Party.  Just donate.  Help them throw THE party of the year.  130 cancer families are counting on it.