Giving Back To Families Like Ours
When your child is diagnosed with cancer, on top of an onslaught of emotions, it’s easy to feel isolated.
It’s a journey that cannot be fully understood unless you’re on it. Finding your tribe can be a game-changer.
For me, it began when I found One At A Time.
Initially, the goal with OAAT was to fundraise for our family. A dream trip to escape the reality of the cancer world we were living in.
After 16 months of walking alongside Avery as she battled Leukemia, relapse, CAR-T therapy, and a Bone Marrow Transplant, we needed to get away.
OAAT offered us that opportunity. A break from the hospitals. Doctor appointments. The reminders in our daily living.
But, after our trip, we realized the gift we had been given needed to be shared.
Other families needed to experience this kind of relief as well. So we began sharing OAAT with other families.
Helping other sick kids see their dream trips come to fruition.
THEN, something even more amazing happened; we were invited to help in a more tangible way.
Once we finally met Brodi and talked casually over dinner one evening, he mentioned another Texas family in need.
He was going to be flying in and making another dream come true.
We nonchalantly offered to drive down and help. And he–just as nonchalantly–accepted!
So it began!
After helping make Braelyn’s dream come true by bringing DisneyLand to her, we were then asked if we wanted to help fulfill another child’s dream.
This time we’d be helping Emma go on an “epic shopping spree!”
Helping Emma and her family fill up shopping carts with much needed clothes and shoes, as well as some fun accessories and toys was incredibly rewarding.
Why do we do it?
First, you might be surprised by how fulfilling dreams for others can be.
As a family, we’ve been there. Way before Avery was ever even a thought in our mind quite honestly.
We had two Christmas holidays in a row where “Santa and his elves” showed up at our front door in a U-haul truck to leave presents under our tree.
Needless to say, we’ve been on the other end of giving many times.
Secondly, as a fellow cancer family, we understand the need, both emotionally and financially.
Fighting cancer is hard. Not just for the patient; but for the entire family.
Having your child’s dream fulfilled through the help of a greater community brings back a sense of goodness.
It offers your child, your family, your whole being the ability to take a deep breath and simply soak in the love of others.
Knowing how much love and support we received during Avery’s journey, especially on the darkest days, we can’t help but want to pay that forward.
OAAT let’s us do that in the best possible way.
Being a small part of their extended team whenever possible helps us return the love we’ve received.
It truly is as simple as that. The same gratitude we have for those who give to us is returned when we give it to others.
Written By Staci Salazar