Last year, I became very attached to several children with cancer. After reading a forwarded facebook message about a little boy named Noah, who also wanted as many Christmas cards to open as possible. He just loved getting mail, and his mother knowing her son would not make it until December, also did Christmas early for him.
Within a couple weeks, the message spread literally all over the world, and they ended up getting MILLIONS of cards. Needless to say the power of networking is unmatched, and I really hope we can make this little girls (possible) last Christmas with her family, as special as can be.
She is a girly girl, princess, LETS make her feel like a REAL LIFE princess. Will you all help, and spread the word, so others can join in too.
LOVE to all of you, squeeze your little ones TIGHT, and hug them extra long.
You can read more about Arianna HERE, and also make a donation.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Stephanie McDonnell
Date: Sun, Jul 17, 2011 at 9:26 PM
Subject: Help for Arianna
Hey all!
I'm coming to every one of you with my heart in my stomach and my eyes full of tears. I'm reaching out to all of my favorite artisans, asking if you would be willing to donate a little something special for Arianna Rae Ramirez.
Arianna, an amazing five-year-old little girl, and her family have just found out that she has relapsed from cancer. (A five-year-old with brain cancer ... my mind can hardly wrap itself around the idea.) The Ramirez family is VERY close friends with my best friend, their daughters BFF's! Candace (my bff) is trying to make the days the Ramirez family has left together wonderful and memorable, setting up this surprise for them.
In July 2009, Arianna was diagnosed with Atypical Teratoid Tumor, aka AT/RT. It is the rarest form of cancer, accounting for the 1-2% of children who get brain cancer. It is very aggressive, and as of right now, doctors are telling the family it is time to start making as many memories with Arianna as possible. (It is words like that that send chills down my arms and make me want to grasp my babies as tight as I can.)
In November 2009, the Today Show ran a segment on Arianna, telling her story, talking about AT/RT, and St. Judes. You can view the video here:
http://www.azwebscapes.com/
The segment was taped while Arianna finished radiation treatment, just before starting chemo therapy. Doctors had declared her to be in remission in April 2010. The Ramirez family took Arianna to St. Judes the week of July 11, 2011 for days worth of testing. The tragic news came back on Thursday, July 14.
Arianna's favorite holiday is Christmas, so they are trying to surprise the Ramirez family with a Christmas in July. If you do not have time to make something, there are two registries open (which I did since I don't have my stitches out yet; I took my daughter and we picked out a fun Barbie toy!), one at Target and one at Toys 'R Us under the name "Christmas July" (first and last accordingly; it says the list was made for Arianna).
Arianna was dubbed "St. Judes Little Princess," has a love for anything frilly, princess-y, or just plain girly. Her and her three-year-old little sister are two peas in a pod, and love to do everything together!
Santa will be making a special delivery to the Ramirez family on Friday, July 22 at 6:30. I know this is very sudden. But the sad truth is, Arianna could be here today and gone tomorrow. Days are precious.
If you would like to send Arianna a little something, email me and I will get you the addresses where they can be sent.
Also, Candace really wants to be able to surprise the Ramirez family with a family vacation to Disneyland, so if you know of any flight attendants, pilots, or anyone who works for an airline and can provide stand-by tickets, please let me know so I can forward you over to her. She is also looking for donated tickets to the Disneyland theme park (2 adults & 2 children), and hotel stay. Anything at all would be a blessing. We really just want Arianna to have days full of smiles and pretty rainbows.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. God bless each and every one of you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.
From: Stephanie McDonnell
Date: Sun, Jul 17, 2011 at 9:26 PM
Subject: Help for Arianna
Hey all!
I'm coming to every one of you with my heart in my stomach and my eyes full of tears. I'm reaching out to all of my favorite artisans, asking if you would be willing to donate a little something special for Arianna Rae Ramirez.
Arianna, an amazing five-year-old little girl, and her family have just found out that she has relapsed from cancer. (A five-year-old with brain cancer ... my mind can hardly wrap itself around the idea.) The Ramirez family is VERY close friends with my best friend, their daughters BFF's! Candace (my bff) is trying to make the days the Ramirez family has left together wonderful and memorable, setting up this surprise for them.
In July 2009, Arianna was diagnosed with Atypical Teratoid Tumor, aka AT/RT. It is the rarest form of cancer, accounting for the 1-2% of children who get brain cancer. It is very aggressive, and as of right now, doctors are telling the family it is time to start making as many memories with Arianna as possible. (It is words like that that send chills down my arms and make me want to grasp my babies as tight as I can.)
In November 2009, the Today Show ran a segment on Arianna, telling her story, talking about AT/RT, and St. Judes. You can view the video here:
http://www.azwebscapes.com/
The segment was taped while Arianna finished radiation treatment, just before starting chemo therapy. Doctors had declared her to be in remission in April 2010. The Ramirez family took Arianna to St. Judes the week of July 11, 2011 for days worth of testing. The tragic news came back on Thursday, July 14.
Arianna's favorite holiday is Christmas, so they are trying to surprise the Ramirez family with a Christmas in July. If you do not have time to make something, there are two registries open (which I did since I don't have my stitches out yet; I took my daughter and we picked out a fun Barbie toy!), one at Target and one at Toys 'R Us under the name "Christmas July" (first and last accordingly; it says the list was made for Arianna).
Arianna was dubbed "St. Judes Little Princess," has a love for anything frilly, princess-y, or just plain girly. Her and her three-year-old little sister are two peas in a pod, and love to do everything together!
Santa will be making a special delivery to the Ramirez family on Friday, July 22 at 6:30. I know this is very sudden. But the sad truth is, Arianna could be here today and gone tomorrow. Days are precious.
If you would like to send Arianna a little something, email me and I will get you the addresses where they can be sent.
Also, Candace really wants to be able to surprise the Ramirez family with a family vacation to Disneyland, so if you know of any flight attendants, pilots, or anyone who works for an airline and can provide stand-by tickets, please let me know so I can forward you over to her. She is also looking for donated tickets to the Disneyland theme park (2 adults & 2 children), and hotel stay. Anything at all would be a blessing. We really just want Arianna to have days full of smiles and pretty rainbows.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. God bless each and every one of you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.
If I wasn't crying before when I sent that email out, I definitely am now. You are amazing Bella. The response has been overwhelming, bringing me to tears.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone has any questions or would like to make donations for Fridays Christmas, they can email me at stephanie.a.mcdonnell@gmail.com for address information.
I've posted a link back to this post on FB and Twitter.
ReplyDeletesuch heart wrenching. i have spread the message on my blog, facebook.
ReplyDelete22nd July is short notice for me to make something and send it across from india, but will try though i am not sure when it will actually reach her, praying for her to stay longer and enjoy as much life as possible. God bless.
Oh Bella, How nice of you to share the word! Prayers can lead to Miracles. May God bless her with along, happy and a healthy long life! Ameen!
ReplyDeleteI'll share the word too. I'm in India and I'll see what I can do.
Take care!
Thank you so much for posting this.
ReplyDeleteMy dad is really good friends with this family.
Arianna was doing well for a while, but tragically, the family just received news that the tumor has tripled its size.
PLEASE PRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!