All posts by Raishad Peoples

Faith, Hope, Love, Photo Gallery

Faith, Hope, Love 2016

While part of our mission is to help fund research for new treatments for childhood cancers and a large portion of our funding is allocated for this purpose, another big aspect of our mission is to provide Christian focused support for families impacted by this dreadful disease.

In 2016, we had our first ‘Faith, Hope, Love’ event for the childhood cancer community which featured Grammy Award Winning Christian singer/songwriter Laura Story for a night of encouragement and love. Laura shared her testimony and performed songs such as “Blessings” and “Perfect Peace”.

We had a separate children’s event with games, activities, and magic from our friend Turley the Magician! All guests were welcomed with a gift basket of goodies donated by local vendors such as Tranquility Day Spa, information from other local non-profits such as Healing Hearts Respite, and our very own Faith, Hope, Love coffee mug filled with Hershey kisses. Alex’s Army hosted this free event for the childhood cancer community and it truly was a night of Faith, Hope, and Love!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this night magical, special thanks to:

Laura Story, Inc.
Park Valley Church
Christy Jenkins Photography
Crumbles Bake Shop
Salsa Sweets
Tranquility Day Spa
Healing Hearts Respite

To our planning committee and volunteers

…and finally to all the families who were able to join us and help make it a night to remember!

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News

College basketball coaches to wear gold shoelaces in honor of Lacey Holsworth

College basketball coaches across the country will be switching up their shoelaces this week to honor one of Michigan State’s biggest fans.

Special gold shoelaces will be worn by coaches this week to honor Lacey Holsworth, the St. John’s native who formed a relationship with Adreian Payne and the Michigan State basketball team before passing away due to cancer in 2014.

The promotion is part of the Suits and Sneakers Week, in which coaches wear sneakers instead of dress shoes to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer and the American Cancer Society. Funds raised will also benefit Princess Lacey’s Legacy, a nonprofit foundation founded in her honor.

Wisconsin, South Carolina, Akron, La Salle, Dayton and Appalachian State have all announced that they will wear the laces during games this week.

Gold laces are also available to the general public through Shoe Carnival.

Original Article

Pediatric Cancer

That Dragon Cancer, Video Game

That Dragon, Cancer is a video game. The autobiographical game is based on the experience of a family raising their son Joel, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer at twelve months old, and though only given a short time to live, continued to survive for four more years before eventually succumbing to the cancer in March 2014. The game is designed to have the player experience the low and high moments of this period in the style of a point-and-click adventure game, using the medium’s interactivity and immersion to relate the tale in ways that a film cannot.

http://www.thatdragoncancer.com

Medical/Research, News

President Obama Puts Joe Biden in Charge of Curing Cancer

President Obama announced Tuesday in his final State of the Union that Vice President Joe Biden would spearhead an initiative to cure cancer.

“Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer,” Obama said, before noting that Biden has worked with Congress to add resources for the National Institutes of Health. “Tonight, I’m announcing a new national effort to get it done. And because he’s gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I’m putting Joe in charge of Mission Control. For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the family we can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.”

This comment got enormous applause, as the President turned to Biden and went off script, saying, “What do you say, Joe?” Biden gave him a thumbs up, to more applause. “Let’s make it happen,” President Obama said.

Vice President Biden lost his son, Beau Biden, 46, to brain cancer in 2015.

Original Article

News

How One Alaska Mom Is Bringing ‘A Little Magic’ To Kids With Cancer

With the generous support of people in her community and beyond, an Alaska mom is bringing a touch of magic to the lives of young cancer patients through beautiful and whimsical “princess” wigs, all made painstakingly by hand.

The story of these wigs began last year when Holly Christensen got news that her friend’s 3-year-old daughter, Lily, had been diagnosed with cancer. A former oncology nurse, Christensen says she was deeply grieved for the child.

“I knew having been a cancer nurse what she was about to go through,” the 31-year-old mom of three told KTVA.com.

There was, she knew, much suffering ahead for Lily, who was going to undergo chemotherapy. “She’s such a girly girl and loves princesses and [was] about to lose her long beautiful hair,” Christensen, who lives in Palmer, Alaska, told ABC News.

That’s when Christensen says she got the idea to create a special handmade wig for Lily: A Rapunzel-inspired braided style made out of very soft yellow yarn.

Chemotherapy can leave a child’s skin “very tender and sensitive,” making wearing traditional wigs uncomfortable, Christensen explained. The wig she created for Lily was made on an extra-soft crocheted beanie.

“I knew she would be going through a difficult time, and that no one would be able to take her suffering away,” Christensen told Babble. “I also knew that losing her long, curly blonde hair at not even 3 years old would be difficult for her, so I figured that the yarn wig could help bring a little magic and fun to a difficult time in her life.”

Lily is said to have immediately fallen in love with the wig. She would stroke the yarn, Christensen said, and would talk about a time when she would get her “real ‘Rapunzel’ hair” back. It made her “feel like the beautiful princess she is,” said the mom.

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