Speaking of gifts ...

Of all the gifts humans are given, children are consistently ranked number one. Perhaps that is because within that one gift arise a million presents. And those million presents, those millions of moments, collectively change our insides, our outsides, our trajectories, our personalities and our understanding. Pretty incredible for a gift that begins without anything but sheer existence.

It's the love.

And love begets love begets love begets love. Kind of like a family tree. This little, squeaky bundle relies on you for everything. You, in turn, provide food, shelter, warmth, hygiene, discipline and love with the hope that he or she grows, learns and makes the world a better place. The "makes the world a better place" is a pretty good return for your investment of time & energy. Plus, someday pieces of your love for your child boomerang back to you. A nifty bonus of this kind of gift.

Watching Jordan & Lacie this weekend reminded me of what loving parents they are. They were an incredible team with Kyrie and continue to be today, working to spare other parents from loss. It's the love.

I remember when I was a child
and I was angry with my parents
In my rage I would say that
'I didn't ask to be born...'
and here so many years later
what a surprise to discover
that yes, indeed, I did ask to be born...
In fact it was very important to me
that I be here...
if only for a short while.

Ron Atchison

Until then ...

Another exciting Kyrie Foundation announcement is waiting! Hope to let the butterfly out of the bag next week.

Until then, we are off to see Kyrie's baby brother, a squirmy, purring bundle from what I hear.

For Memorial Day ...

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.

Bessie Anderson Stanley

Thankful Thursday

And now a Thankful Thursday post from our guest post-er, Chad:

Today, I'm thankful for the the rejuvenating power of rain. It can do wonders for a freshly planted garden or lawn. It also reminds us that there are still things that are out of our control, and we must sometimes adapt to our surroundings rather than adapt our surroundings to us.

I'm also thankful for the unconditional love of my spouse. So often these individuals can be taken for granted on a daily basis, but they are also there to rejuvenate you when needed.

p.s. I did not put him up to that last part. ;)

What are you thankful for today?

Wonderment

Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders of life. They are within us and all around us, everywhere, any time.

Thich Nhat Hanh
Vietnamese Monk, Author and Peace Activist

To you, from Jordan.

For us, Friday May 16, 2008, will be a day much like September 1, 2005, in the sense that I have once again been given a gift from God, and such a gift is not taken for granted in the least by me or Lacie.



It has been just over a year since God asked yet another perfect angel to be by his side. From losing Kyrie, my life has been altered in a way that no one can truly understand until they have experienced it for themselves. I have come to cherish the little things in life: a perfect sunrise, children laughing, an elderly couple holding hands in a checkout line. Kyrie has forever changed my life, she will never be forgotten, nor will her presence ever be replaced. She will forever hold a piece of my heart and knowing that she will be there to greet me again is the only comfort that I have allowed myself to have.



Kyrie now has a higher calling; she will be a guardian angel to her little brother. Kamdyn Matthew Thome was born Friday night, May 16, 2008. He weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz., exactly one pound more than Kyrie. It was so bittersweet to see Kamdyn arrive looking so much like Kyrie. All who saw him, that knew Kyrie, instantly saw the resemblance, and we all cried. I cried for my heartache still missing Kyrie, and I cry even now as I write this to know that Kyrie lives on in him.



Today is a bittersweet day of heartache and celebration. Kamdyn will grow up knowing he has an older sister who will always be with him, as she will always be with all of us. She has touched so many lives, and Lacie and I are constantly reminded by it from the cards, emails, phone calls just saying “We are thinking of You” from all of you. It means more than you know. From a grateful yet still heartbroken father, I thank you.

Here it is!

From the very beginning, we've wanted to do something in the meantime. The meantime being all the work that we're taking on to earn the research funds. We didn't want to have to wait until a certain dollar amount was reached to make a difference or to create fertile ground that could spawn a difference in the realm of pediatric brain cancers.

So what could we do? What would it take to start to turn the tide?

At the time Kyrie was diagnosed, both Jordan & Lacie were frustrated at how little anyone knew about PNETs. Nurses were printing out generic articles from the internet for them in PICU. And the doctors? Well, not much better there either. Seems none of the experts, the ones who parents in these situations tremendously rely on, knew much of anything.

Then our cousin Maureen told us about Ethan and his mom, Marcy. Such a blessing to have someone with some real information. Months later, Taya's family found us. And what was the take-away? Communication.

In honor of Ethan's family, Taya's family and Kyrie's family, The Kyrie Foundation has been inspired to create the Parents' Forum on The Kyrie Foundation Web site. We believe it's the families, the parents of the little ones who, by sharing their information, experiences, medical protocols and advice, will be catalysts in the quest for a cure.

This is huge. The parents' forum will serve as a community, a message board for any parent on earth to come share info, ask questions and find support from the only other people on this planet who know what they are going through. We hope that collectively the information shared will be beneficial not only to one another but to the medical researchers as well.

We hope there will be a day where no parent sits at his or her computer and finds us in a Google search. Until then, here we are.

Later today ...

we'll reveal what we've been working on! Hope you're not underwhelmed, but we think it's a pretty important step. Stay tuned!