A Journey Comes to an End...A New Journey Begins

Very early this morning, my Blue Skies buddy Brayden's 5 year journey with brain cancer came to an end. He, like every other child diagnosed with cancer, was a mighty warrior. As his mom has noted, he never really realized just how sick he was, often worrying about other children who were also sick. He leaves a legacy of courage, love and laughter. He leaves a broken hearted mom and a 3 year old brother who won't understand for a very long time exactly what happened to his brother.

I am not sad for Brayden. His suffering has ended, his body is healed and he has joined his best friend Nolan in Heaven. Nolan and he were diagnosed with the same diagnosis within the same week and lost their battles within just a few months of each other.

 My heart breaks for his mom, for Nolan's mom and for all the parents who have had to take this journey they never asked to take. Ironically, September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. 46 children are diagnosed with cancer each day and 5 children die from the disease each day. Very little research is being done on pediatric cancer. This too, breaks my heart.

I met Brayden and Nolan when I served on my first retreat with Blue Skies Ministries. What an honor to be able to serve these families! In just under a month, I will be serving again, this time as a director. I already know that we have six families excited to come to the beach for a week of fun and healing. I have spent many sleepless nights worrying about HOW we are going to serve them. We need a LOT more volunteers! The fall retreats are typically smaller because kids are in school and parents are back to work. The families that we can accommodate desperately need the time away; they need to be able to come and rest, relax, play and heal. The directors are committed to making it a memorable time for them. The themes are set, the meals are planned...we just need a few more hands. Does this stir anything within you? We would love to have you on our team, serving families just like Brayden's and Nolan's. It promises to change your life forever.