Welcome to Ann Webb's Fundraising Page
WE ARE STILL TAKING DONATIONS!
Donations will be open until 7:45 pm May 6, 2010! Welcome to my "Woman of the Year" fundraising page. Thank you for giving me the chance to share my family's story and help children like Tucker and my own son. Please visit our website at www.skinbyannwebb.com to find a complete listing of all of our fundraising events taking place over the next 10 weeks. Every dollar you donate counts towards a vote for me for "Woman of the Year". In addition, all proceeds in the month of April from my Skin Organics product line will go to LLS.
Here is our story. Celebrating Valentine's Day was always my favorite time of the year. However on Feb 14th, 2007 we did not celebrate. I woke up to a parent's worst nightmare. My son Jackson was 2 at the time. Five days prior he had contracted a virus that was going around his daycare. By the fifth day of fevers between 102-106, he could not walk. After a blood panel was screened, we were quarantined and told that he had to be taken by ambulance to the children's cancer unit to be tested for leukemia. "Leuk-what?" I thought. Neither of our families had ever dealt with cancer and I was not even familiar with the term.
At Brackenridge Hospital, we were taken to the green unit. I would later find out that that is where children with blood cancers live. Soon after arriving, we met Dr. Susan Lockhart. She came in to deliver the good and the bad news. The good news was that our first blood scans for cancer were negative. "Thank God," I thought, "this is a virus." Not exactly. The bad news: a high creatinine level was found in his kidneys and Dr. Lockhart believed that this was an early sign of leukemia. She was asking permission to put my tiny baby to sleep and do a bone marrow scan in the morning to get confirmation. My response: "Are you crazy? This could be a virus." Her response: "Ann; Jackson's white blood cell count was so low that it's truly amazing he lived through the night. He needs a blood transfusion right now. By the time most children get to me their blood is 85-95% infiltrated with cancer. I would not ask this of your family if I did not think this child had leukemia." Enough said. Jackson went into surgery the next morning. Soon after he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) . His blood was 37% infiltrated. One of the earliest cases detected. On our way into the hospital, we rode the elevator up with a woman who works with my husband. Her daughter had been battling cancer for many years. She said she would pray for us. Days later my son was starting chemotherapy and this lovely woman lost her daughter to cancer. It was then that I came to fully understand exactly how lucky my family was. As we journeyed into a 3 year treatment program, my gratitude multiplied. I experienced first hand the drive of doctors to find cures, the long hours of staff members who always found the patience to deal with hurting screaming children, and the love of so many volunteers focused on making our stay as comfortable as possible. Until you experience it firsthand, you wouldn't imagine how powerful the support system can be. It's nearly impossible not to want to be part of the cause. I knew immediately that I wanted to be more involved. However, with treatment schedules and daily life, it was easy to make up excuses as to why I was too busy. My wake-up call came one night when my family was driving home from dinner. A car was stranded on the side of the road near our home. We pulled over to help. As the stranded kids piled out of their car to thank us, one of the girls looked at my son and said, "You're Jackson Webb." She recognized him from the treatment center. She said her sister was being treated at the same time as Jackson. My first instinct was to ask how her sister was. She simply said with a polite smile, "She didn't make it." I was up every hour that night wondering why my child had been so lucky and why other children aren't spared. I knew that it was time to stop making excuses and get involved. Today, thanks to programs like LLS, 90% of children diagnosed with leukemia live. However, children are still dying and we can all make time to do more. Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I've always dreamed of becoming a motivational speaker. Never did I dream that I would be speaking to people on the early detection of childhood cancer. But I am more than happy to assume this lifetime role. Jackson and I will soon embark on our first speaking tour where we will speak to Texas school children about the "Pennies for Patients" program. Jackson will spiral footballs out into the crowd. As you can see, I have lots to say and I'm just getting started on this journey. I want to sincerely thank all of you for donating to this very important cause. Much Love, Ann Webb For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org.
To donate by mail, please make check payable to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail to:
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
c/o Ann Webb 9000 Clithea Cove Austin, TX 78759
I will also be holding a number of fundraising events that will be posted here. You will have the opportunity to leave a donation or bid on auction items at these events. I hope to see you there!
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