Help when it's needed most...NEGU

Most of us have had our share of hard times.  I know we sure have.  What mattered to us was the ability to hold on to HOPE and we were given this gift time and again when people generously helped us when we needed it most.  We didn't ask, they just gave.  It came in the form of prayer, food, shelter, money, necessary items, gift certificates and so on.  Some, from people we knew some from complete strangers and some gifts given in anonymity.


God was with us and people were Jesus with skin on for what seemed like an eternity.  Our church rallied around us.

I have watched as Cancer has taken the lives of many these past few years.  It kills my soul to see anyone suffer especially the children.
The passing of Jessie Joy Reese recently broke me.  I just do not understand this ugly disease.  I mourn with all who Cancer has impacted.

Now...

It is my time to give back.  I want to help raise money from friends, relatives and strangers to give a courageous girl fighting for her life an iPad.

Meet Kabrina.  

She is 15 years old and is fighting her second battle with Cancer.  I met Kabrina when she and her mom were partnered with Trenton and I to teach Kids Small Groups at Saddleback Church a few years ago.  She always came in with a huge smile and she has a giggle that warms any heart.


In November she was diagnosed with AML (a form of leukemia).   I want to help raise funds to get her an iPad!  What a great gift it would be for her to have during her LONG hospital stay!  If you can help - even a few dollars - please do so by donating via PayPal - click the link below:

DONATE To Help Get Kabrina An iPad
If link does not work you can send a donation through PayPal to me at:
justjanean@yahoo.com 

Here is an excerpt taken from the update on her Caring Bridge Site written by her Aunt Denise:

Kabrina survived a type of pediatric bone cancer called Ewings Sarcoma 3 years ago.  When she found out she had leukemia last November, my sister took her to the doctor thinking she had strep throat so you can imagine the blow this was for all of us.  They spent just over 9 weeks in the hospital and that is where Kabrina celebrated Thanksgiving, her 15th birthday, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve last year.  During this stay, she under went 2 rounds of chemo treatments, battled a C-Diff infection, and developed a fungal infection in her sinus cavity and lungs.  It's taken several weeks and different types of medicine and procedures to get the fungal infection under control (it's still not 100% gone, but it is responding well to treatment).  Big news came by mid- January that her leukemia was in remission and they would finally be able to go home for 5 days and most importantly, a donor match had been found for Kabrina to receive a bone marrow transplant!!!! 

 

Karen and Kabrina went home for the 5 days, and were able to go see a couple of movies and regroup somewhat before having to return to the hospital for a third round of chemo and recovery period that ended up being a 4 week stay.  Once that was complete, they were able to go home for two whole weeks, which was a much needed break!  Kabrina got to go to Color Me Mine, a place where you make your own candles, spend time with some friends, and really just hang out at home doing whatever she wanted (same for Karen too).  Brian loved having his girls back under the same roof and Austin, the busy college freshman, took lots of care to love on his little sister.  They share a truly amazing sibling bond!

Well, the day has arrived and we are asking for your prayers once again.  Kabrina gets admitted back to the hospital TODAY.  Today they will start a 10-day countdown to her bone marrow transplant.  This is called the Conditioning Phase of treatment.  It involves a 4th round of chemotherapy with 3 chemo drugs that are new to her and an immune suppressing drug. These drugs may cause more severe and/or serious side effects than she’s experienced before or could experience in the long run, but we are praying that that won’t be the case.  Conditioning destroys blood-forming cells in her bone marrow to make room for the new donor stem cells and suppresses her immune system so it cannot attack the donated cells after the transplant.   

This transplant will give her a chance to actually live her life and we are so grateful to God for that.  Did you know that 10,000 patients a year need a bone marrow transplant and only HALF receive one!  We know we are so blessed to have found a match.  With Day 10 countdown starting today, Kabrina will receive her bone marrow transplant on March 8, which ironically is Karen's 48th birthday!  We are, in a way, calling this another birthday for Kabrina as she is getting the gift of new life!  It has been described as though her immune system will be that of a new born child - with zero defenses, so the first 0-100 days of recovery are very critical and expected to be hard. 

Here are our prayer requests we'd like to share with all of you, and regardless if you pray or not, please support Kabrina by putting out your good vibrations and prayers to God.  She trusts in Him and I can truly say the joy of the Lord is her strength.  She has a great attitude and will Never Ever Give Up (NEGU in remembrance of Jessica Joy Rees). 

1)  Please pray that Kabrina tolerates this round of chemo, that the fungus continues to clear up and she remains 'healthy' for her transplant.  She has already suffered damage to her heart from all the chemo she has received and the doctors are taking precautions with that in mind, but it doesn't change the fact that this round of chemo could cause further damage to other organs as well.  There are numerous possible side effects so please pray against this!

2)  Please pray for the anonymous donor and that they too remain healthy and committed to the process. Pray for their family and support system to be encouraging. 

3)  Pray Kabrina accepts the transplant and experiences minimal side effects in her critical 0-100 days of early recovery. 

4)  Pray she gets a great room at the hospital!!!  Seriously, I am not kidding.  The reason being is that post-transplant she is required to stay in her hospital ROOM for 2-3 months.  She cannot leave the ROOM!  Not even with a mask!   

Thank you so much for reading this long email and for being a source of strength and support for my sweet niece.  If you haven't met her, I hope one day you will so you can tell her yourself that you were one of many angels lifting her up in prayer and believing in a miracle for her!  I am forever grateful for your love and will pass it along my sister and her family.   

Lastly, I have to share that I am so incredibly moved by the fact there is a person out there that was created to save Kabrina's life.  I am sure this person has their own set of hopes and dreams but the bottom line is they have chosen to do something significant with their lives - they have chosen to donate their bone marrow.  I personally have been on the bone marrow donor registry for 20 years now.  I got called one time, but further tests proved I wasn't a match for a little boy needing a transplant.  I often wonder if someone else out there was able to save him.  If you are interested in learning more about bone marrow donation, visit http://www.bethematch.org.  You could be the answer to someone's prayers and save a life. 

Much love,

Denise 

It takes a Village - won't you be part of our Village to help bring support to Kabrina during this time?  

If you can donate a few dollars - wonderful!  

If you can send her a card or note...it only takes a stamp!  

Please do so:

Kabrina Cressey

13 Easthill
Coto de Caza  92679

Grab a friend and just say a prayer... 

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Matthew 18:20

Things can be sent to her home and her mom will see that she gets them.

Kabrina loves Jewel tone colors - she is not a frilly Princess Pink Girl.   Blues, deep Magenta, Reds, Greens, Black ...

She loves to read - so gift cards to book stores that can be used 

online or iTunes Gift Cards are great.

She loves Sour Candy - Sour Patch Kids, Sour Skittles.
Loves Peanut M&M's, Milk Duds and Nerds.

She could use warm socks, cute soft beanies or hair scarves ... (as she loses her hair). She hates Light PINK but loves aqua, blues and purples... :o)

She can wear her own Jammies - Size Med 

She loves Goldfish crackers and Cheese Its.

NO BALLOONS or FLOWERS - strict Hospital Rules.
 

 XOXO
Janean
Never Ever Give Up!