Christi Thomas Memorial Lemonade Stand at Heidelberg - OCT. 3rd (11am-1pm)

Thank you to Heidelberg University Professor, Dr. Green, and her KDP students for asking Shayla Thomas to come and meet with them tonight as they set up their annual Christi Thomas Memorial Lemonade Stand to build community while raising money for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. We couldn't have done this without our sweet and amazing friend, and former Heidelberg Professor - Lori Grine, who so lovely had great information and tidbits to share. As I said in the meeting, "Christi & Lori were great friends!" (The two are so much alike, beautiful & brilliant and facing horrific health problems one should never have to endure!) We would like to invite you to drop by Heidelberg on Thursday, October 3rd from 11am - 1pm to make a donation for pediatric cancer research and to enjoy some lemonade with us! (THURSDAY, OCT. 3rd, at HEIDELBERG). 

(Picture: Shayla reading "Alex's Lemonade Stand" to Heidelberg students before a lemonade stand on campus. Photo by the Advertiser-Tribune, Tiffin paper.

We will be dramatically increasing the Seneca East Christi Thomas Scholarships this year.

We've been talking about this for years and today seems like a good day to make this announcement so here goes:

In celebration of what would have been Christi's graduation from high school, and in honor of the great friends in her class of 2014, this year we will award up to $15,000 to the Seneca East Christi Thomas Scholarship applicants.  

We will hold a small (and painless) fundraiser in the winter in case anyone wishes to donate in honor of Christi's graduation and to help us with the giving.  I'll share a link at that time.

7 Years Ago Today

Seven years ago this morning, we sat beside our precious Christi as she took her final breaths and we told her how much we loved her and how amazing she was. She actually had us giggling to the very end because each time we thought that was it and she was gone, she would somehow exhale yet another breath. Today we miss her more than ever! I still don't know how we made the ten hour drive home to break the news to friends and family, but God was with us then and continues to be to this day. Until we see her again in a better place, be well and thank you for loving and supporting Christi - and all three of us left here too! (RIP Christi Thomas, 1997-2006, victim of neruoblastoma)

Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month

I didn't realize it had been so long since I updated on Christi's blog.  No news is good news!  All is well, very well, with the Thomas team.  We are richly blessed!  Shayla continues to keep us very, very busy and we are so fortunate to have her in our lives!

Shayla and I started back to school and we are both loving it!  Shayne has continued with his incredible training and has done many triathlons this summer.  Actually, today, he won his division (Picture here!)
He takes great care of us, does all of our cooking and I'm so proud of him for caring so much about health and fitness!  He's most impressive and my hero!

Shayla is loving cheerleading and flag/dance squad.  She again is taking killer (advanced and honors) courses and was thrilled to be selected as an office aide, greeting people as they arrive in the office.  (Perfect for her we thought!  She's absolutely  delightful and always so very, very pleasant!  I hear other parents talk about fighting with their teenage daughters and I cannot even imagine that.  Shayla's quite the gift!

Last Sunday she was asked by Kids Cancer Crusade to speak about the importance of Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month at the Toledo Ronald McDonald House.  We thought she did a great job.  She was also on WTOL 11 TV evening and morning news after they interviewed her at the event.  KCC had a lovely butterfly release in honor and memory of our brave little warriors!

Before school started, she went to visit grandpa outside of Tennessee.  He lives near some Amish families and can you believe they adopted Shayla for a day?!  They did her hair and put her in two bonnets.  They gave her buggy rides and she loved the 23 year old gal.  The mother said she bonded with Shayla because her sister died of cancer and the children aren't really hers, but her sister's.  It was an unbelievable cultural experience Shayla will treasure forever!  (It was also great to see grandpa!)

Since I last updated, Shayla's work with Pediatric Cancer was featured in "Four Points" magazine.  (This is the Miss America magazine.)  They wrote a lovely two page article with a huge, full color picture!  Amazing!

Finally, last night, Shayla was able to help get awareness of Pediatric Cancer made known to the fans at the Football game.  She went with the sweet band booster president to ask the band director if all of the band members and cheerleaders could wear gold ribbons in honor of this special month.  She asked her cheer advisor who provided gold bows for the girls to wear in their hair.  Last night before the game the cheerleaders and families affected by childhood cancer released gold balloons.  Shayla wrote, "The event was helpful for the healing of our whole town; one forgotten victim was re-honored and another boy let the world know he had cancer for the very first time.  A few brave little fighters were their with their parents and Christi's memory was also recognized. Wow. I'm so thankful the school let us dedicate this game to such a deserving cause."

Now I wil try not to wait so long before posting again!  (I should have more Hope Jackson news I can share soon!  Just waiting on something, something big actually - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!  I'm sure happy about it!)  Take care, sweet Christi prayer warriors, friends and fans!  WE LOVE & THANK YOU!