What A Difference A Year Will Make!!!

One year ago today we entered Scottish Rite for Chloe's first round of chemotherapy. Anniversaries of traumatic things in our lives are never easy and this one is no exception! However, we feel continually blessed with Chloe's outcome! Today we were at Scottish Rite for our monthly post treatment blood test. All was good! Nerves are still hard to overcome on the day of the test. I had the opportunity after the results of the blood test were given to go on to the floor at the hospital and speak to a family just entering the hospital with an 18 month old girl, Emily, with Downs Syndrome and the same diagnosis as Chloe, AML. It is ironic that it was today on the anniversary of Chloe's first chemo treatment. I hope by our experience and Chloe's visit today the family was encouraged for their upcoming journey.
Chloe has had quite a year as the reigning honored hero for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. We have spoken at several events. Our family was honored with tickets to the Georgia Football game with pictures with Mark Richt to follow. We had a golf tournament a couple of weeks ago and raised over $9,000 for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society and the Masonic Children's charities. We participated in the Light the Night Walk last Friday night where Chloe was honored on stage. Our team raised over $6,000. YAY Team!!! Our family would like to Thank all who participated in helping us make this last year a memorable and giving year! We are so blessed!!!

Home and continuing to do well

We have been home for 3 months now!!! We are all doing well and finally feel like we are back to normal. Chloe has had 2 good post treatment blood tests. We have 4 years 10 months to go. We are staying positive and praying for her continued healing.
We have had a few great vacations this summer to the beach and have just enjoyed being home together!!!
As mentioned before, Chloe is the honored hero for the Leukemia Society this year. We have already inspired many by sharing her story at some of the functions set up in Athens to gain sponsors for the Leukemia Light The Night Walk coming up October 1st downtown Athens. Please join our team and walk with us this year to help raise money for this most worthy cause. Go to www.lightthenight.org and join our team, Chloe's Touch. We are also hosting a golf tournament here in Lane Creek where we live on Sunday, September 26Th. Chloe's Touch and Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge of Athens will host this event with all proceeds going to the Leukemia Society as well as fund raisers for the Masonic lodge to include the Children's Masonic Home in Macon. If you would like to either help sponsor this event or come out and play golf to help support this event, please e-mail me at stacie.akridge@gmail.com. Thank you all for continuing to support and pray for our family.
You all mean so much to us!!!

Chloe's Touch Bags and Accessories

Please go to Chloe's Touch on Facebook to see Chloe's Touch bags and accessories. My daughter, Chloe, was the inspiration for this business. This business allows me to continue to stay home with her at this critical time in her life. Chloe's strength and contagious smile continues to inspire us all!!!

WHAT A RIDE

What a ride! In less than 24 hours we will check out of Scottish Rite for the last treatment of chemotherapy! We have so much to be thankful for. The very best doctors, nurses and staff at Scottish Rite have been our family for the past 6 1/2 months. We never imagined back in September how hard this road would be but Scottish Rite made all of the difference. For us, there is no other Children's Hospital when specialized care is needed. We owe them a lifetime of thanks for all that they do and have done for us. We will always be connected to Scottish Rite. We will be a part of helping families whose lives are forever changed by childhood cancer for many years to come.

We want to also thank all of you who supported us, prayed for us and loved us through it all. We are so blessed to have so many caring people around us. We are looking forward to being home as a family. Chloe has a final bone marrow and removal of the CVL from her chest out patient around the middle of April. After that, we are off to Hilton Head, thanks to Hilton Head Hero's, for some much needed R and R. May 2nd Chloe turns 3 years old. A big birthday/end of chemo party is planned. Chloe was recently honored by being asked to serve as the 2010 honored hero for the Athens Leukemia Society walk in the fall. We have had our share of uphill battles and from that many life lessons to treasure.

Chloe has fought hard, she has endured. Through it all, she never let a day go by without smiling and brightening everyone's day in her path. One of her favorite nurses, Heather, often commented that Chloe makes her so happy and that whenever she needs to smile, she just looks at Chloe's picture. Our strength through this, the hardest time of our lives, came from our unrelenting faith and through the strength of Chloe.

Chloe's touch has inspired us and strengthened us more than we could have ever imagined!!!

She is a true blessing!!!

Parade of Hats and Still Smiling!

Well, it finally happened. Chloe lost her hair this week yet she is still smiling. It was not an easy thing to experience, just a constant reminder of the tough times. However, we are home on break for two more weeks and doing well. She keeps our spirits up with her smiling face. We are looking forward to the LAST round coming up the last week of March. Thanks for all of your love, support and prayers. We will post again during round 6.

YAY, almost there!!!

What A Way To Be Greeted!

Back for round 5. We were greeted by the Scottish Rite clowns. We can start to celebrate, only one more round after this one. We hope to only be in 7 days this round, home on Sunday. It's all up to Miss Chloe! Next to the last bone marrow done this morning. We will have results soon. We had such a great and long break at home this last time. Had lots of great family time. We are looking forward to our end of chemo trip at the end of April thanks to Hilton Head Heroes. Such a great organization. We had some sad news today that 5 of the children on our floor did not make it while we were home on our long break. Please pray for these families.

We are so blessed and thankful every day. Pray for good results on bone marrow and continued good days to come.

Good News!!!

Here it is, the cover girl shot for Scottish Rite and Egelston. Love it!!!

Also, this week we attended the Leukemia Light The Night awards dinner and received an award for being one of the top ten rookie groups, Chloe's Friends, for the amount of money raised for the cause. Our team captain, Marnie, was presented the award and then presented it to us to keep. Thanks Marnie and Chloe's Friends, it was a very special night. We are enjoying our extended time at home this week and next. Counting our blessings and enjoying being together. Will post again when round 5 begins. Only two more to go, YAY!!! Trip planned from make a wish when this is all over with. Looking forward to it! Much needed break in order!