Micayla's Folks

On April 29th of this year, Tim and Dee's 13-year-old daughter Micayla was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer. Micayla is an incredibly strong, joyous and funny young woman. She loves volleyball, her family and her friends. Take a look at the pictures that are included above to see what an amazing person she is and how much she is loved by her family.

During her cancer treatment, Micayla had surgery to remove the diseased kidney and endured radiation and  6 ½ months of chemotherapy.

Those 6 ½ months were incredibly hard. She lost 22 lbs off of her 117-pound frame and though she has an amazingly strong spirit, her body became incredibly frail. There were many days when she was so sick that she could not get out of bed, or walk. Tim or Dee had to pick her up to carry her everywhere during those times. Sometimes their journey was to the Emergency Room. When Micayla was sick and Tim was at work,  Dee was the Mommy, the cheerleader, the sherpa, 24/7.

On October 25th, Micayla’s chemotherapy finally ended. The outlook for her health and her future are good. She has been pronounced "cancer free". Several organizations have come forward to support Micayla, including The Sunshine Kids and Make-a-Wish.  She recently went to Florida with 40 other children who have faced cancer and had an amazing time.

Many people have told me personally that they would like “to do something” to show their love and support for this family.  So I asked Tim and Dee, "Now that the crisis is over, is there anything that we can do for you?"  I have to say it was hard for them to think about anything for themselves, since their prayers for Micayla's health have been answered. But I persisted and they have made one tiny wish.

Their wish is for a little time alone together, just the 2 of them, where they can rest, recover and reconnect with each other. 

I can't imagine what it is like to have a child that is gravely ill. It must be unbelievably hard to have your heart ache with worry  and fear, but to still have to be strong and positive in front of them. At the same time, how do you juggle family, work, insurance companies and the doctor's visits, for months on end, all the while losing sleep yourself? It's part of the job of being a parent, but it does take it's toll.

There is no Make-a-Wish organization for the parents who watch their child face cancer. SO, we the folks who love them are going to grant Tim and Dee’s wish.

To that end, I have made a budget that would send Dee and Tim to Hawaii for about 5 days.

YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS IDEA OR CONTACT ME PRIVATELY IF YOU HAVE DIFFERENT GETAWAY IDEA.

I thought of Hawaii because Dee is a Texas girl who has never been to Hawaii and it's the most relaxing place that I know. Our budget of $3,250 is a target only. It includes lodging, 2 plane tickets, a rental car and a couple of nice dinners by the ocean. We can come up with something else if you want to join me on this mission.

(If you are new to Fundly, this is a place where you can donate securely. You can also share this campaign with anyone else that you think would be interested. That is why I have chosen to work with this website. )

When you donate, you can do it anonymously or list your name. You can donate as an individual or a department. You can donate if you are their best friends, or if you just wish that you knew them.

I know that they will be thrilled with whatever getaway that we create. What they want most is each other.