Thank you for all of the prayers and the requests to help. We are humbled by your offers and have been giving it serious thought.
You know what we need? A way to explain to LW when she's older that even though we empathically do NOT believe this happened for a reason ... short of finding the cure for all cancer, there could not be a reason that would justify this happening to her ... even though this didn't happen for a reason, good still sprang from it. As good can spring from heartbreaking situations.
At the risk of sounding like a lifetime movie or a book by Mitch Albom ... I want to give her a book of good deeds done in her name.
So, my friends ... you asked, here's my answer. Do a good deed, one you wouldn't ordinarily do. Give a banana to the homeless guy, take a Starbucks gift card to a nurse and ask her to give it to a Mom or Dad who really needs it. Mow someone's lawn.
And then tell me about it. You can post it here in comments, or post it on your blog and send me the link. Then I'll post it on this blog, so that everyone can read, and follow along with the project.
I'll compile all those into a book. And when she's old enough to ask, "Why?" I'll explain that there is no why. But that good things can still result. And that there were a whole bunch of people sending her love, and the way they showed that love was through action.
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Little Warrior is my daughter. She's almost three and she's fighting cancer for the second time. Friends far and near have asked what they can do. We said, "Show love through action." Do a good deed, then let us know. We'll compile these in a book for Little Warrior to show her how love for her made the world a better place.
"One of the sweet things about pain and sorrow is that they show us how well we are loved, how much kindness there is in the world, and how easily we can make others happy in the same way when they need help and sympathy." -- L.M. Alcott
Instructions
Little Warrior Project
If you would like to send a gift to a child fighting cancer, please send to:
The Little Warrior Project
3526 S. Meadows
Alvin, TX 77511
The Little Warrior Project
3526 S. Meadows
Alvin, TX 77511
Blog Archive
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2008
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May
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- Having Fun at the Cancer Clinic
- Gardening, Patience and Prom Dress!
- Complimentary Deed
- The Cool Breeze of Good Deeds
- Deeds and Letter
- Happy Third Birthday, Little Warrior!
- More Deeds!
- Flowers "for" Little Warrior
- Good Deed from NY! (Mmmm, Donuts ...)
- Last Day of Radiation ... we hope and pray
- 2 More Deeds -- Batteries and Lunch!
- Another Good Deed -- and spreading the love ...
- A Day in the Life of Little Warrior
- Spring into a good deed ...
- Balloons are Magic!
- Quick Deeds!
- Happy Mothers' Day from Little Warrior!
- Good Deed from Australia!
- P's Good Deed
- What You Can Do
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May
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25 comments:
Spring Chick,
This is a creative and generous idea. I have a mental list of "good deeds" and will send you a note when they are complete!
I just want to tell you that I am giving lots of thought to things I can do. It takes me a little while to get on a path, but I will get there.
Oh My God. I am moved beyond words. This is a wonderful idea!! It makes me excited to just get out and DO something! Thank you!
OK - two quick "little things"...
(1) As we walked into Starbucks the other day I handed my dear friend Cat my card and told her to order what she wanted, my treat. Partly as a thank you - she's been such a great sounding board at seminary - but I also told her about LW & your request & asked her to do something good for someone. I think the barista heard me - because when we picked them up she said "I accidentally made them grande, not tall, hope you don't mind!" and gave us a wink.
(2) We almost always give to food pantry collections at church. This weekend was the letter carriers collection - leave a bag of food by your mailbox for them to pick up. I never do that - but this time I did.
I generally try to do good deeds without a reason. And i have been trying recently to give the standard 10% to a charity or life-improvement organizations (even if it's not a charity). Today I am making an additional donation over my 10% in thinking of Little Warrior
Steven R
On Saturday I was out running errands and took a detour through Chic Fil A for a quick breakfast. I saw that the car behind me was a police officer. I asked the lady at the window if I could pay for his as well and if she would just tell him Thank You. She teared up and said sure. I am hopeful that even though it was small gesture it helped the police officer get off to a good start. I love this idea and am planning on posting many more good deeds inspired by Marenna!!
Dear Little Warrior,
My friend Marianne passed on this opportunity to pay it forward in your honor, so I'm writing to let you know what I've done.
I spent two hours last week gardening for a friend who has just had surgery for liver cancer. I had already offered to do it, but when I started getting discouraged and my back hurt, thinking of you helped me to keep going!
Then I went to help my parents set up their new computer, and took my dad to the pool so he could do his exercises. He gets very cranky when he's exercising, and it would have been easy to be cranky right back at him, but as I was about to snap back, out of the blue I thought of you, and I didn't say what I almost said!
Tomorrow, I'm taking a teenage girl I know, who has thyroid cancer, to shop for prom dresses. We'll do that in your honor, too!
Thank you!
Kim S.
Today, I received very nice customer service over the phone. When I was done, I asked the CSR to please connect me with his manager because I wanted his manager to know that he'd provided me with good service. He was shocked and so was his manager. We are always so fast to criticize and it was a lot of fun to give a compliment instead. I did this with you in mind, Little Warrior.
Amelia S.
We did another small deed in honor of Little Warrior. Yesterday was the last "real" day of school for my eleven year old. We sent paper bags to his classroom so that extra paper from desk clean ups could be sent with us for recycling. Little Warrior saved many pounds of paper from being sent to a landfill this year. I only wish I had thought of it sooner so that we could have had a school wide collection instead of just one class.
A friend, DK, home from her first year of college, started working as a server at an inexpensive local restaurant. Last night was her first night on her own after a week of shadowing other servers. My family went there for dinner (sitting in the section of another friend who is also working there for the summer).
DK’s section was next to ours. When DK went out of sight to process a credit card, I took $10 to her customers’ table. I told them I was a friend of their server DK and that not only was it her first night (which they knew) but that they were her very first table. I told them that I wanted DK to have an extra good night, and that I wanted them to leave the $10 with their tip but not let her know I was involved. They were happy to help.
There was no time for me to tell them about LW even though I was doing it with her in mind.
Marianne V.
Renna,
I've followed your story since the beginning and I've been touched by all you've been through. So today Little Warrior in honor of you...I donated 15 dollars to the local florist to either send flowers to someone they knew could use a smile or to put towards the cost of someone else sending flowers. Today someones day will be truly brightened in your name. I will post another deed soon.
This morning, I donated platelets for the first time. I'll be going back in two weeks, and again, and again.
Little Warrior is the one who inspired me to get off my butt and make the jump from whole blood donations to platelets.
When out at a restaurant/sandwich shop with my three little ones last night, a gentlemen who worked there approached me to say hello to the littlest rosebud (not quite 7 months old) and to share - he was bursting with excitement - that he and his wife are expecting their first child. His wife is just one month along and he shared that 10 years ago, with a previous significant other, that she lost a pregnancy at 5 months so she was very nervous. I thought that this was a great opportunity to honor LW by doing something I wouldn't normally do, so I stopped by a local farm today and purchased some hand knit baby booties for the soon-to-be new addition and an organic lavender sachet to help mom unwind and relax. I dropped the package off anonymously with a card for dad to share with his growing family. Here's to another beautiful life!
There must be something about that sandwich shop....the girls and I stopped by this morning and we were approached by a gentleman with a toddler in the car. He said that he lived 90 miles away, was in town for a job interview, had gotten hopelessly lost, and could I please spare some money for gas. Ordinarily I would be wary of a story like this and - if anything - pull a token dollar out of my wallet. Not today, though, I thought of LW and pulled out a $10 bill to share. Was it a legit story? Who knows. Does it matter? Not today. At best, I helped a father and his son get home. At worst, I gave a con artist some money that will still - I hope - help out his young son. Either way, I did it for LW and hope that it will help spread love and grace.
Little Warrior,
Your picture was introduced to our Adult Bible Fellowship. You are so cute! We appreciate the opportunity to send you our love-in-action deeds as we were able help to a new widow. Her son had just placed on the hospice program and she has been understandably distraught by all these recent circumstances. We descended on her home to trim trees, weed-whip buildings and fence rows, weed flower beds, clean gutters, wash windows, and other miscellaneous chores. She was also taken out to lunch on another day by some women in our class. Sprucing up her place a bit was our attempt to make her feel better. It was a great time of fellowship and work for all of us. So Marenna, we want to collectively appropriate those good deeds as a message of our love to you.
ABF, Madison Christian Church, Groveport, OH
Dear Marenna - on a rainy Sunday morning three weeks ago, I took some breakfast sandwiches, sweet rolls and coffee to some homeless people who were sleeping in the doorway of a church in downtown Boston Massachusetts. I did it with you in my mind and heart.
In the Autumn, when I return to Boston, I will continue to keep an eye on these people and take them food, to pass on the love of your the boundless spirit - Little Warrior, and "one tough cookie." You and your family inspire me every day. Thank you.
With love from your friend in Boston whom you haven't met yet,
Tim
Love is the Guiding Principle
Each time the Little Warrior goes back to the hospital, her mother tells us how loving and caring everyone is. I am so grateful for the care and concern that the staff and volunteers show for Marenna that Her PopPop and I sent a goodie basket to the nurses station on the 9th floor of TCH, as a tiny gesture of thanks for all they do for her and for the others in their care.
Marenna's Lala
Today at Hunger Awareness Day, I dedicated one of my songs to "a little girl in Houston who is working really hard to get well". The song is "How Deep is the Ocean" and it's usually a song for a lover, but I decided it works for little girls and their parents too.
"How can I tell you what is in my heart?
How can I measure each and every part?
How can I tell how much I love you?
How can I measure just how much I do?
How much do I love you?
I'll tell you no lie,
How deep is the ocean?
How high is the sky?
How many times a day
Do I think of you?
How many roses are
sprinkled with dew?
How far would I travel
To be where you are?
How far is the journey
From here to a star?
And if I ever lost you,
How much would I cry?
How deep is the ocean?
How high is the sky?
~~In honor of precious little warrior. I am doing the VIRTUAL Walk for Curesearch to help raise money to find a cure for childhood cancer~~
If at all interested in also doing this for Renna~ please follow this link~~
https://secure2.convio.net/cs/site/Donation2?idb=977693389&df_id=1381&1381.donation=form1&FR_ID=1170&PROXY_ID=1091242&PROXY_TYPE=20&JServSessionIdr012=wx2ge8imn5.app13b
You aren't doing this for me, i get nothing out of it. You are doing it for the precious little children who are living day to day with cancer~~
God Bless each of you~~
Welcome~~ This page is dedicated to MY Angels: Abigail, Marenna, Elijah and Anna~
Support Carrie!
Make a gift!
Fundraising Honor Role
PLEASE~~ Support me in fighting childhood cancer!
I am joining the fight against childhood cancer by participating in the MileStones Walk. Childhood cancer is a devastating disease and I want to do my part in finding the cure. I have pledged to raise money for CureSearch. I am determined to surpass my personal goal, knowing that with your support I will make that happen.
Click on the links to the left to make a donation online right now! Any amount that you can give will make a difference and I truly appreciate your generous support!
As a Chemo-Angel I am highly supportive of Curesearch and its work to find a cure for childhood cancer!! I have "met" 4 beautiful children who have battled cancer, two who which are now with Jesus~~.
What is the MileStones Walk?
The CureSearch Virtual Walk for 12,500 is an online effort to unite people across the country in the fight against childhood cancer. During September National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, our challenge is to bring together 12,500 individuals virtually in honor of the 12,500 children who will be diagnosed this year.
All proceeds will go to CureSearch to support lifesaving research conducted by the Chilidren's Oncology Group (COG0, the world’s largest pediatric cancer research organization.
Learn more about COG research priorities at www.curesearch.org/ourresearch
Why is a Cure for Childhood Cancer So Important?
Every school day 46 young people or two classrooms of students are diagnosed with cancer in this country and more than 40,000 young people are currently in treatment. Once considered nearly incurable, through research, 78% of patients overall survive today. Despite this amazing progress, cancer still claims the lives of one in four infants, children, and young adults diagnosed.
Our neighbors have four children, ages 5 through 10 years of age. Their parents are currently in divorce proceedings and the kids are understandably upset by this. Our good deed was to invite them into our backyard to play. We also frequently give them breakfast or lunch and Popsicle treats. We want to honor Little Warrior by helping these kids through a rough time.
Eve Williams, Eve Marie Williams, Pam Williams
Madison Christian Church
Groveport, OH
I had been thinking of what one thing I could do to honor Little Warrior but I had several opportunities that seem to come up as I guess they might when we look for them. For that I especially thank Little Warrior as they really enriched me by allowing me to become friends with some very nice people. The first one was the opportunity to help organize a neighborhood block party. We were allowed to shut off the street traffic. For admission we collected canned foods for the area food pantry. I met some new neighbors and really had a good time.
The second was to help hang wallpaper with a new friend. It was very rewarding to spend time with her and to accomplish a redecorated room! Then I gave one of our new puppies away to a little boy. He was so excited. I loved doing it!
The fourth was one that I would have never done before my search for good deeds for Little Warrior. An older woman was standing outside the grocery store and had several plastic bags filled with groceries. She asked me if I would take her home. Normally I would have said no or ignored her. But this time I listened. She was very nice and said she had walked a long way to the store and had brought frozen food. She was afraid the items would defrost. So I took her home and she was very appreciative. I am going to follow through and call her to see how she is doing.
Barbara Tippie
Madison Christian Church
Groveport, OH
I most certainly do not think God ever would put cancer or anything of the like on anyone, but I have come to believe He allows it for a reason. I've been through hell and back, but looking back on it now, I would never take it back. I could never ask to have never gotten sick, to have gone through so many treatments for so many things, not even to have never been sent to the loony for depression because I was in so much physical pain. It's made me who I am, and now I am able to relate to just about anyone, to love just about anyone, to help others, to "open their eyes". I only pray someday that Little Warrior can look back at this all and say with a smile, "it was worth it".
Well, how about for my first good deed in little warrior's name, I tell you about my foundation and ask that you allow me to set up a section on the website dedicated to Little Warrior. I have forms on the site, and I would be able to inspire others to "get MAD! M.ake A. D.ifference today! (TM)" through your beautiful daughter.
Alex, 13, founder of Awareness Angels, warrior for all kids out there, and fighting a rare and misunderstood disease.
http://awarenessangels.forumakers.com
http://myspace.com/awareness_angels
http://caringbridge.org/visit/alexsjourney
I was was given a tast to do something anonymous for four people (friend, family member, someone at a club who set me the challenge and a stranger.)It was very important to me that all my deeds were not about money, it nice to do something with money but i wanted to give something money can't buy. I chose to give blood and did, really what did it cost me? I am now looking into having my waist-length hair cut off to donate to a charity which makes wigs of children with cancer.
After reading your blog and what you are doing for Little Warrior, I shared it with my two sons. Since birthday time was coming I made a few suggestions as to what they might do in honor of Little Warrior. Ethan, my soon to be 10 year old, decided to do a food drive at his birthday party in leiu of gifts. He acquired 38 items and a $10 donation. He felt so good about himself for doing this, plus many of the parents were so moved that they brought a gift in addition to the donation anyway! So there was a lesson for him there also, that when we open our hearts to give, we will be blessed in return. Thank you Little Warrior! Keep on rocking!!
Kim Walker
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