Your connection to the Nobel Prize.

As you may know, the Kyrie Foundation's primary financial goal is to fund research for pediatric brain cancers. This goal has lead us to align with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation in North Carolina, which will bestow a $50,000 Kyrie Foundation grant to research deemed valuable to our cause, specifically PNETs, should proposals in this area be made.

After speaking with PBTF, we are supremely confident in their measures of accountability and progress, which is why it is no surprise really that a scientist that they supported in 2000 has gone on to win the 2007 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine! Mario Capecchi, Ph.D., of the University of Utah School of Medicine won this illustrious honor for developing "gene targeting" technology in mice.

The discoveries made by Capecchi and the other scientists are being applied to everything from basic research to the development of new therapies for a multitude of diseases, the Nobel Prize committee said.

"Gene targeting in mice has pervaded all fields of biomedicine," the committee said. "Its impact on the understanding of gene function and its benefits to mankind will continue to increase over many years to come."

The PBTF supported Capecchi's work in 2000 with a grant for "A Conditional Mouse Model of Medulloblastoma." Medulloblastoma is the most common brain tumor of childhood and is associated with significant impairment and mortality.

Capecchi's project explored whether the early and intermediate events in the progression of medulloblastoma occur with a predictable sequence. The project used gene targeting to generate a mouse model of medulloblastoma in which the Patched gene was carefully controlled.

So what does this mean for you? Your pennies are really going to make high-caliber progress. Pretty cool, huh?

p.s.
Bookings have already started for our December 1 photo-fundraiser with Sandy Braun Photography!

p.p.s
Don't forget to make an honorary search on GoodSearch tomorrow where the Kyrie Foundation with be their Charity of the Day!!!

Thankful Thursday

Flipping through channels last week, I ran across that WEtv show Crossing Over with John Edwards. Not quite sure about the programs's validity, however this particular episode was of keen interest. The host was speaking with a father in the audience who had lost his 4-year-old son to brain cancer 12 years prior. After speaking with the mother via on-air telephone, John asked why she wasn't there, and she said that it was more important for her husband to go because he still mired in unrelenting guilt & blame. John asked her why she didn't feel that way, what advice could she offer to other parents that go through this, and she simply said, "Always blessings, never losses."

That statement took everyone's breath away.

The courage to think & believe that is miraculous, isn't it? After suffering in the most emotionally painful way, this mother found her grace. Such trust & faith in God's goodness despite torrential pain. Even when The Plan doesn't make sense, isn't right, isn't fair, alas, we are still His. [big sigh] Working on understanding that.

A song was written about it, too. You can download that here.

Today I'm thankful for the blessings. What are you thankful for?

And guess what?!

In a community of over 44,000 other nonprofits, GoodSearch has chosen the Kyrie Foundation to be their Charity of the Day this Saturday, November 10!!!!!!!

Can you believe that?! We're are so honored to be acknowledged, especially since we're one of the newbies in the world. And I credit you. They did not divulge their criteria for selection, (Maybe it's random. Who knows?) but maybe it has something to do with the amount of supporters that sign on for a cause. Maybe it also corresponds with search activity, for which we thank you GoodSearchers out there!

We love that this is a SUPER-EASY way for you to help doctors find a cure for pediatric brain cancer. And we cannot thank you enough for jumping on board with this. Please feel free to pass on this opportunity to friends & family in your circles. Isn't it a great feeling to know that, yes, you sitting right there at your computer today, can make a real difference? Thank you so very, very, very much.

p.s.
Today an ad is in the Lee's Summit Journal for the Sandy Braun Photography/Kyrie Foundation offer, which means if you'd like to book a spot for December 1, it would be smart to call soon!

First dibs!

Just in time for the gift-giving season, a talented friend of ours has volunteered a fantastic idea to financially benefit the Kyrie Foundation, especially if you live in or plan to travel to K.C. soon.

Sandy Braun of Sandy Braun Photography is hosting a full day of QuickFlash photo sessions on Saturday, December 1 in Lee's Summit, MO where ALL of the proceeds go directly to the Kyrie Foundation! For $100, you and your family will get a professional mini session and a 10x20 designer photo collage. All orders placed by December 10 will arrive in time to make great Christmas gifts.

The great thing about a mini session is that you get professional results with minimal commitment, which is great for kiddos & pets and those plagued with impatience. ;) Plus, with a professional photographer like Sandy, you'll get that photojournalistic style from her mini sessions where you'll see personality and dynamics captured forever in your photos. She is also keen on making you feel comfortable and relaxed, which yields the most beautiful photography.

If you're interested, check her site out and give her a call/e-mail.
sandy@sandybraun.com
816-916-4636

p.s.
There are a limited number of sessions available that day, so the earlier you call to book a session, the better!

Just in case ...

If you've e-mailed me or anyone else at the Kyrie Foundation last week, we did not recieve your messages. Server went down. We've since remedied the problem, but are unable at this time to retrieve any old messages. Please re-send your e-mails, if you'd like, and we'll respond promptly. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Love & forgiveness.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
―Maya Angelou

With the season of togetherness looming, if you have any broken fences in your pasture, it might be a time to consider mending. Well within our control and certainly on our Do Good list, asking for forgiveness or reaching a better understanding is one of the most supreme changes for good you can make within your own life and in the life of another. Mending makes your soul bigger & brighter. Mending is powerful.

Unfortunately for real humans living in the real world, misunderstandings aren't always solved in 30-minute, sit-com style. Sometimes it drags into oblivion or mushrooms into something that takes on the presence of a rhino. Whether it's pride or the love of drama or stubbornness or embarrassment, the rhino impedes honesty, compassion & healthy living. And here's the deal: as long as you did something to mend, it doesn't matter if the other person is receptive. You've already found a degree of peace simply by making the gesture.




Luckily for us, the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness is out there and PaperSource, a chic shoppe for stationery, is on board to promote letter writing as a means of mending. Here's what they mean:

Paper Source has joined the Fetzer Institute in a national Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, an inclusive, nonpartisan project that invites everyone to think about and connect on the topics of love and forgiveness with the goal of effecting meaningful change in individuals and communities.

In addition to hosting conversations throughout the U.S., the campaign seeks to revive an interest in writing letters as a way to express kindness and deepen or renew relationships. A letter written from the heart can become a thoughtful practice that helps one stay connected — or reconnect — with cherished friends and family. Join the campaign and write your letter today.

You can even download Love & Forgiveness stationery here, or take a gander and the beautiful options at PaperSource, too.

Thankful Thursday

Today, November 1, is not only a day marked to commemorate all saints, those known & unknown, but this is also the first day of what I think is our month. This month unifies many of the ideals of the Kyrie Foundation. November is a month of gathering, when hands are joined in family prayer, when animals begin to huddle & hunker for winter and when cornicopias burgeon with blessings. November is month of gratitude, a thankful time to note all that we've been given, all that we've endured and all that we hope to come. November is a month of giving, giving time, giving extra patience, giving food, giving a second chance, giving warmth and giving thanks.

A whole 30 days to honor gathering, gratitude & giving. Sounds pretty saintly to me. ;)

I'm thankful for November. What are you thankful for today?