~A Bitter Swallow~

I have something I am concerned with, and which affects me on a personal level. A very dear friend of mine has a daughter with what is called "an infilltrating fibullary astrocytoma in her spinal cord..." This tumor is located in her neck, by her brain stem. It is considered a brain cancer.

Rian is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met, along with her mother. The entire family is so caring, gentle and fantastic! Lately, she has been getting worse, and it breaks my heart to feel helpless to do anything about it. I've decided to be more active in getting the word out there on organizations to help care for, and more importantly, find cures for, this terrible thing that is killing our children.

Breast cancer is so dominant in the news and the research, etc. I have heard of breast cancer organizations as far back as I can remember. I think it is fantastic that they have such a strong core and support group. But it truly flabbergasts me that I had never heard of anything to help our children diagnosed with cancer, and brain cancer, before Rian's diagnosis. Where are the television ads, and news stories, and push for support groups for our little ones with this dreadful, painful disease, and their families, who give up everything to help try and make their children as comfortable as possible?

Please take a moment to read Rian's story. A wonderful website called CaringBridge provides an online journal to help give family members not only a place to keep their family and friends updated, but a place to vent, and get the word out there.
Her story is here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/riananderson/mystory

I'm also including some links to sites that deal with this tragedy, and give opportunities to contribute, whether it be monetary, or with your time. Please give them a look-over as well. I know that in this time our economy is in a hardship, and money is not as plentiful as it was for most people. But that only means that charities such as these are going to be hit hard. And these families who already have lost so much, will lose more.

http://www.tbts.org/home/ - National Brain Tumor Society
http://cbtf.org/cms/ - The Children's Brain Tumor Foundation
http://braincandyproject.org/home.html - helping parents living in the hospital with their children
http://teamunite.net/about.html - raising awareness and funding
http://rmhc.org/ - The Ronald McDonald House
http://www.wish.org/ - The Make A Wish Foundation

This is a quick blog, and it is about someone very special to me. My girlfriend's daughter is sick, and I would be so appreciative if everyone who reads this could send out all the warm wishes, thoughts, prayers, and positive energy they can to this wonderful, bright ray of sunshine that has lit this Earth for the past 17 years. She is such a strong, brilliant young lady, and the issues she is having to face at such a tender age are heart-breaking.
I've known Rian for a long time now, and she has always put such heart and energy into everything she does. She has a stong will and always has a smile on her face. She brightens any room she enters, even now.

Please visit her page at Cambridge:

Rian's Page

Read her story, and keep her in your thoughts if you could. The site is a wonderful outlet for people with issues such as Rian's. Perhaps you know someone who could benefit from such a site.

Also, keep the Ronald McDonald house in your thoughts when considering charities. They have done so much for my friend's family, as well as others I know.

Thank you for taking the time out of all the silly and nonsense articles we post, and paying attention to this one very serious one that is very close to my heart!!