Tag Archive for: Cancer Messed With

Spreading Love to Everyone Who #CancerMessedWith

Thank you for helping us spread so much love last week to everyone who #cancermessedwith. The Cancer Messed With brand was designed to give anyone a way to rally behind a loved one affected by cancer. A way to show them love and to help life them up when they need it the most. Not just during love week… but every day.

Buy your Cancer Messed With shirt or hat: cancermessedwith.com 

Spread Love this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is coming up and we want to spread love to cancer patients everywhere! Help us by grabbing your Cancer Messed With gear and post a photo in your shirt or hat, tag our social channels with #cancermessedwith when you do.❣️

Big Heroes Come In Small Packages

Madison and mom Laura

*UPDATE 2/25: After almost a year ago of being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare pediatric cancer, Madison received the news she has been fighting so hard for at her 3 months scan. She beat cancer. She will continue to have maintenance scans and therapy on her leg, but was able to ‘Ring the Bell’ at Levine Children’s Hospital signifying the end of her treatment and beginning of living life cancer free!

Oh, and she got a puppy! Oakley, a black Goldendoodle!

Madison was diagnosed this past April with osteosarcoma at age five. After several rounds of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor on her femur, she had surgery to remove her right femur and replace it with one from a cadaver. Fortunately, the medical team was able to remove most of the tumor and save both of Madison’s growth plates. She continues to receive chemotherapy and recover from her surgery. Once Madison gets the green light from her doctors to be more mobile, she is determined to learn to walk again so she can earn a super cute bribe from her parents – a Golden Retriever puppy. 

A Community of Support

Madison and her family live two hours from Charlotte in Scotland County. She and her mom make the drive each week to Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital where Madison receives in-patient treatment Thursday-Saturday. They then return home for four days to be with their family – Madison’s dad, Michael, and big sister, Riley – and where Laura teaches three days a week. 

“Madison’s diagnosis has changed us all,” says Laura. “Michael and I have to raise each of our daughters as single parents during the days when we are in Charlotte for treatment. The hardest part is not being together under the same roof. We are very grateful for the great friends we have made through this journey. You realize you can’t do this alone so you learn to rely on support from others.”

Chef Madison

Team Madison

For the remainder of the year, Madison will be homebound where she loves to cook, bake, do crafts and make “how-to” videos on her mom’s phone. When she finishes chemo in December, she’ll resume her favorite activities including: dance classes, swimming and learning how to ride her bike.

In January, she will start kindergarten at the school where Laura teaches and where they already have a tremendous community of support. Faculty and students have created “Team Madison” in honor of Madison for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Scotland County. Laura and Madison stay busy supporting the team. It all started with their Levine Children’s Hospital life coach bringing them some beads to make necklaces and bracelets. From there, Laura and Madison started making “Madison’s Hope Rope” key chains that they give to patients at Levine Children’s Hospital and sell to raise funds for their Relay For Life team and other cancer organizations. 

“Madison is our hero and is such an inspiration,” says Laura. “She’s such a good kid and is all about wanting to help other people. Even though she’s five, she’s changing people’s lives.”

Madison and sister Riley

Nothing Better Than Summer Camp

Camp CARE 2018

Camp CARE… a weeklong summer camp to give kids fighting cancer, their siblings, and their family support. An emotionally safe place to just be and loads of memories. When children are diagnosed with cancer, a part of their childhood is ripped away from them. They spend countless hours/days/weeks in the hospital and clinics for treatment when other kids are playing games at the pool. Summer memories… every child deserves to have them.

Isabella’s siblings head to Camp Care today for the week. We also love to see cancer warrior Sam (Hope for Sam Rosebrock) and his brother Isaiah returning to Camp CARE.

Thank you Camp CARE for all that you do for kids and their families fighting cancer. We love that you look at a child as the child they are… not just a kid with cancer. And we LOVE that the planning committee is sporting custom ordered Cancer Messed With shirts to kick it all off.