St. Baldrick's is nation-wide fundraiser that raises a lot of money to fight all types of childhood cancers. For several years now a really tremendous group of close friends and family members (and in some cases friends of friends and family members) have been joining in the St. Baldrick's fun and shaving their heads to raise money in honor of Nathan. Our friend Matt started down the path and is the founder of this group of friends known as "Nathan's Network".
The ball is now rolling for 2010 St. Baldrick's fundraising. Contributions to any member of Nathan's Network (only two registered so far but it will grow) can be made here.
Here is a copy of Matt's email letter introducing Nathan's Network efforts for the year. As always, thank you all very much for your love and support and for continuing to fight these terrible diseases in honor and memory of Nathan.
St. Baldrick's of 2010 - Or why I'm going bald...
Hi everyone!I'm getting a late start here this year, it's been a crazy time for
St. Baldrick's in my area, but it's time to talk about head-shaving
fun!
As most of you know, this is the time of year (right around St.
Patrick's Day) where I raise money for childhood cancer research by
shaving my head. You all are either my past donors, or are friends of
mine who I am hoping will get involved this year.
If you have donated for me in the past, I can only say that I am
deeply gratified and honored to know you. If you haven't donated in
the past, check out my website at Baldrick's and read up on the event
and the organization. It's a super cause and it has raised tens of
millions of dollars for what is undeniably one of the most important
things we can do with our time and money. My page this year is:
https://www.stbaldricks.org/
A group of friends of mine are honoring my cousin, Nathan Gentry.
Nethan was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when he was 2 years old. He
lost his fight about 4 years later at age 7. You can read all about
Nathan and his journey here:
http://www.caringbridge.org/
For no other reason than for fun, you can check out a picture of the
crayon forest we built together:
http://msd.smugmug.com/Family/
All my donors will be invited to my shaving event... due to volatility
with the events this year, I don't know if my shaving will be in
Chicago or in Schaumburg this year, but I'll be sure to let everyone
know when it is, and I hope you can make it there on the day to see me
lose all my hair.
A little guidance for those who have not donated before: The standard
donation is $50, but I've been grateful to receive donations as low as
$1 and as high as $1050. My largest donor gets the added benefit of
taking the first swipe at my head with the shaver. Last year I raised
more than $3,000, and our Nathan's Network team raised over $20,000!!!
My employer matched contributions last year, so check with your
employer for matching contributions.
St. Baldrick's main website and 501c(3) letter are here:
http://www.stbaldricks.org
http://www.stbaldricks.org/
An unusually high percentage of books that Susan randomly picks up from the library tend to have some component of dealing with the death of a child or the ensuing grief. I just ran into the same thing. I picked up a John Irving book at the library, A Widow for One Year. I have read a few Irving books and his A Prayer For Owen Meany easily makes my "top five", so I just grabbed this one off the shelf. Alas, the first chapters are about a family in the aftermath of losing two teenage sons in a car accident and how the grief on top of an already unstable marriage is tearing the family apart.
I'm not sure that I'm going to finish it. When I manage to be detached while reading it I am enjoying it. But for the most part I do better when staying away from books and movies that tackle the whole child loss thing.
Update:
Perhaps I should just stay away from Irving from here on out. I found this quote on his Wikipedia page:
I write repeatedly — against my will — of those things I fear most happening. Losing a loved one, losing a parent, losing a child. I'm in terror of losing a child. It's never happened to me, but I am clearly compelled to write about it over and over again, and in a way I think, psychologically at least, this says more about me autobiographically as a novelist than the fact that Danny Angel goes to the Iowa Writers Workshop and has Kurt Vonnegut as a teacher, which I also did.
Me: You look like Cousin It with your hair all in your face.
Lauren: No I don't...And I'm not your cousin...And you don't have a cousin named Zit.
Today at church during the children sermon the kids were being asked if they had been on any trips. Julia raised her hand and answered Illinois. Then she added that she had also been on a road trip to Las Vegas. That drew quite a few laughs. Nothing like your daughter telling 900 people in church that you take her on road trips to Vegas!
I was headed to a concert in Denver on Tuesday. I had been psyched about this show for a long time and was in high spirits. I was cruising along singing along to loud music on the radio and headed up Lincoln when a memory washed over me out of the blue. It was of seeking out a car wash that could detail and clean the inside of our car so that it would be a safe environment for Nathan to travel in after several weeks in Denver for transplant. It was one of those very vivid memories. I could see in my mind's eye the bay I pulled the car into. I remember watching as the industrial strength vacuum was used to suck up every crushed piece of cheerio or cracker or old crusty McDonald's hamburger bun. If you would have asked me earlier in the day where the car wash was that we had the car detailed at before coming home after transplant, I couldn't have told you. About four or five blocks after being hit by the memory I cruised right past that car wash. It is funny the things you know and remember but don't even know you know or remember. And I couldn't have recalled that "knowledge" if I had tried.
The venue for the show was close to the old Children's Hospital in Denver. While seeking out parking I drove right by the apartments we stayed in during that time. After walking the few blocks to the theater in the cold drizzle I was more than ready for a few beers and some loud music.
Riding in the van the other day:
Me: You look cool in your sunglasses.
Lauren: No. I look *sassy*.
Me: Sassy, huh?
Lauren: Yes. And you are stylin'.
Last Sunday night Susan's choir at church performed a fantastic concert. It was an evening designed to worship God as the creator of all things. The song performances were only broken up by scripture readings from Genesis and during the performances images and clips of amazing natural beauty were projected onto the screens. I explained to Lauren that the music and the images were meant to celebrate the fact that God created everything, including all of the things being shown on the screen.
Lauren thought for a few minutes and then whispered in my ear, "It sure must have took him a long time to make all those things".
Amen.
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