LARA'S PINK BALLOON

A week after our marathon, I attended the Light the Night Walk with Lara, her family and her friends.

Somebody gave a heart shape pink balloon to her and Lara walked

backwards more than a 1/2 mile holding the balloon in front of her cute face.. 

I said  "Lara, why are you walking like that?"

...and she replied back saying "this way, we get more attention and we can raise more money.."

I cannot believe she is only 7 years old.

...and I am thankful that God gave a second chance to these kids..

Lara's young friend Jericho was the hero of the day.

This young cancer survivor inspired his family and friends to take action and raised  thousands of dollars for this event (I believe it was more than $10,000 but I cannot remember the exact amount.)

We were all part of Team Jericho that night.

...the cancer survivors had white balloons..
...the families who lost a loved one to cancer had yellow balloons..
...and friends, family members, and all other supporters carried red balloons...

It was a very colorful and powerful evening.




Walking 2 miles with hand-in-hand Lara made me think about a lot of things...

- how scary must have been the idea of losing a child to cancer for their parents..
- how little and yet powerful these kids must be...
- how much love exist in this community..
- how great it feels to make a difference and care for something bigger than ourselves..

Team Jericho also had a Lara.. Jericho's mom's name.. . I think I will name my child after these strong mothers, and their strong kids

Lara's mom Nuran is also an incredible woman. Being around her and her two kids -Lara and Ilayda- was truly a joyful experience.

It was an inspiring and wonderful evening..

It brought tears to my eyes to see all the balloons, red, white, and yellow! ... Colors of life and death.. Colors of love and support...

and of course, there was Lara's pink balloon with hope!



These are wonderful times to remember to be grateful.. to take a moment and connect with something greater than ourselves..

I certainly enjoyed this special evening and my life felt more meaningful than ever.

I look forward to seeing the cure for blood cancers in our life time for people of all ages and for cancers of all types.

Make this one a worth-living day!

Love,
Demi




P.S. If you like Lara's pink balloon and would like to congratulate her backwards walking, you can honor her wishes and make a donation at www.chizgi.info