How you can help:

A lot of people have asked- or said they want to help in any way they can. In order to make it easier and for people to have some way to feel they are helping, here are some ideas:

If you live close by:
Come and visit in the hospital, come and baby sit for a little while so Kirk and I can eat a dinner together, take Mateo out for a play date, when your kids are healthy have us over to play, mow our lawn, make some food to freeze.

If you live far away:
Keep calling! Or sending e-mails- they really help us when our spirits are low, Call Mateo when Mason is in for chemo (he gets a little down and worried when he is in the hospital), keep sending notes and cards
(Mason loved telling the docs all his friends who sent him notes and posters)

Things everyone can do:
There is a great website that has many ideas to help friends and family come up with ideas: http://www.squirreltales.com/parents/friends.html

o Pray and send positive energy our way
o Donate blood at your local blood bank- Mason has had to have three transfusions so far and every blood bank needs supply
o Talk to your local cancer center and find out if they need gently used toys for their playrooms.
o Raise fund specifically for DC Childrens Hematology/ Oncology Group http://www.cnmc.org/ to help enhance its program. They serve many underserved communities and many cultures
o Help translate documents into Spanish or French-there are so little resources for the multicultural community that the hospital serves.-Let Danielle know via e-mail danielleleach@yahoo.com if you are willing to do this
o Collect used Nintendo and Gamebox games that you no longer use and send them to us. The hospital has stations that can be moved into the rooms and always need more games as many get lost - for more information you can go to the Starlight Foundation website-http://www.starlight.org/site/c.fuLQK6MMIpG/b.1038035/k.BDF4/Home.htm Mason has had his first experience with Nintendo at the hospital and has loved it!
o Donate to the Childrens Cancer Foundation- they are a local DC, Northern VA and MD organization that does tremendous work in the hospital http://www.childrenscancerfoundation.org/aboutccf.html

We appreciate any and all help. We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from everyone. It has gotten us through this so far.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.—Helen Keller