12/07/2009
by Michael Wells Brady’s Christmas list… As I lay awake for hours I can’t help but think solely of my beautiful baby boy that is sleeping peacefully just a few feet away from me. Many people have asked what Brady would like for Christmas. We have come up with a wish list. 1. DONATE BLOOD AND PLASMA! I know it seems like a simple gesture, but it really does have a lot of meaning. I can not stress this enough. Every time the nurses hang a bag of donated blood for Brady, I literally cry and say out loud, “thank you to Brady’s anonymous volunteer donor.” Blood centers have an ongoing need for both blood and platelets. Platelets have a shorter shelf-life than blood, and are especially important for cancer patients. To find a donation site near you please go to: https://www.aabb.org/Content/Donate_Blood/Where_to_Donate/BloodBankLocatorMap.htm 2. SAVE A LIFE! Register to be a bone marrow donor. We do not know if Brady will need a transplant or not, but if he does, it would be wonderful to know that he has more than one person that matches, is still available, healthy, and willing to donate. If you become a donor, marrow cells are collected from the backside of your pelvic bone using a special syringe. Prior to having this one to two hour outpatient surgical procedure, you will receive local or general anesthesia so no pain is experienced during the marrow extraction. Donors can expect to feel discomfort in their lower back and may experience side effects from the anesthesia, such as nausea, sore throat or light headedness. The marrow completely regenerates itself within just a few short weeks. https://www.marrow.org/JOIN/Join_Now/join_now.html 3. CURE! Please help the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society find a cure for this horrible disease. Brittany Herits and her marathon team are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloma from taking more lives. She is completing this 13 mile marathon event in honor of Brady and all the other individuals who are battling blood cancers. Brittany says that these children “are the real heroes on our team!” Donations can be made at: [link removed*]. 4. PRESENTS! No, not for Brady! Brady would like to help Santa deliver toys to all the boys and girls with cancer. Please purchase a present and bring it to your local hospital to give to a child with cancer. Please tell the nurses what age range it is appropriate for as well as if it is for a boy or a girl. Remember, Brady has already been blessed with toys and would rather see the gift go to another child in need. Trust me, what you may consider to be a small gift will mean the world to a child and their family. 5. HUGS! Seriously, give someone a hug for Brady. It might spark them to hug someone and keep the chain of events rolling. Not the touchy feely kind of person? Then start with a handshake or a pat on the back! Warning: Affection is contagious! XO*The Hugs for Brady Foundation will ALWAYS be in support of other foundations who allow people to donate blood, platelets, plasma, or register to become a bone marrow donor. However, we no longer ask supporters to donate financially to ‘The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’ as their focus on childhood cancers does not coincide with our foundation’s mission.
“8 Years Later—Still No Cure for Pediatric Cancer” is a series of posts revisiting the journal kept by Sherrie and Michael Wells during the cancer diagnosis and treatment of their son, Brady Michael. Hopefully these entires will provide an understanding of the journey families face when dealing with these horrific diseases and of the important work the Hugs for Brady Foundation does.