It is at this time each year that we tell you about our friend Liam.
He was 2 ½ when we met him and 6 ½ when we lost him.
Liam fought a heroic battle with cancer for 4 years.
In those 4 years he became part of our family - one of our children.
And then he left us.
We learned a lot of things from Liam. We learned that you can never hug too tightly, that orange really is the best color in the crayon box and
that if you are cute enough, you can pretty much scooter anywhere (indoor or out) in NYC. We also learned that cancer does not discriminate -- at all.
It happens to families that love their kids as much as we love our kids. It happens to kids that love baseball and princesses
and the swings in the playground and drawing and Thomas and Legos and swimming and gymnastics and science and American Girl
and their little brother and chocolate ice cream. It happens to children that are as beautiful and happy and alive as all of our children.
Even when we protect and love our children with our head, heart and soul - cancer still happens.
It is the profound sadness we felt, and still feel to this day, as we watched our good friends lose their son to this monster of a disease that fills us with determination to stop it.
Liam's family has given us a way. His mom Gretchen, dad Larry and sister Ella started an incredible organization called Cookies for Kids' Cancer.
100% of every dollar donated to Cookies goes directly to pediatric cancer research, in particular, to fund pediatric cancer research trials.
These trials test medicines that can, and will, save kids' lives.
With your help and support, we raised over $100,000, allowing us to fund two of these trials. One of them was named one of the ten most significant scientific advancements in 2011 by Discover Magazine.
For Liam's birthday this year, we are asking you to donate once again. In your names, we will bake and package 3,000 cookies. On Mother's Day we will hand out those cookies
to children and the families of children currently being treated at cancer hospitals in the tri-state area.
Please give what you can. Liam would be 9 years old next Monday. Give $9 or $90 or $900 - but please give. We are aiming once again for $100,000 and we ask you this to help us reach that goal again this year…we cannot settle for less. That is the amount that is needed to fund a pediatric cancer trial. That is the amount needed to save lives.
Here is the link: http://cookiesforkidscancer.kintera.org/teamcookiesnyc
We thank you, as always, for your time and generosity. We are always overwhelmed by your support.
With warmest thanks,
Allison, Alison and the apple seeds team
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