I have been contemplating exactly how to write about this experience. Honestly it involved amazing family, friends and complete strangers. Lots of time, laughs and even more tears (on my end - I know that is shocking).
What started out as a simple, somewhat small project completely exploded in my lap (and all over my house) - and I am so grateful it did! We had such a great outpouring of love and support for these sweet families who currently are, where we once were. I cannot tell you the emotions that came flooding up during this undertaking. I wish I could take credit for the success it was, but I really can't. The list of people involved is way too long to share, but trust me, it is an incredible one!
The debt that I feel every day to our amazing nurses, doctors, techs, hospital supports is one that I will never be able to repay. We are some of the lucky ones. I still have my son to tuck in bed and that is something that I think about every day, and every single night that I snuggle up next to him to say goodnight. Like I said, it is a debt that I can never repay, but, I will never stop trying.
A little history of Team Mason:
When Mason was first diagnosed, it was a blur for a few days. Imagine being forced to take an exam that meant life or death before/during multiple cramming sessions for an entire year of school in a few days after no sleep, raw emotion and utter confusion...that about sums it up.
It was the morning of the third day we had been there when I finally relented to leave and take a shower. (Don't judge a new cancer kid's Mom - or her greasy hair!) I came home. I got in the shower. I stood for a second. My legs gave out. I sobbed like even EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER can't make me sob. I sobbed out a prayer (and tried not to be too loud because I was not allowed home without an usher and did not want to alarm the family...I didn't need to be admitted to...) and then - I stopped. I think I was literally picked up by angels, because I don't really remember doing it myself. In that moment I knew we were starting "TEAM MASON" and some kind of foundation. I vowed to save the world and my son all at once. (Please remember the whole "studying for an entire year of school...no sleep...emotionally raw bit above...) I now know that was my coping mechanism. I packed up some scrapbooking supplies, pictures and markers and raced back to the hospital. I burst in the room telling everyone of my plans (oops - I forgot I was trying not to seem crazy) and decorated his board and told every single person that came into the room to sign these sheets of paper cute paper....blah blah blah. I had some nurses looking at me like I was crazy. After a few months I realized why. We were going to be there for a LONG while...I was going to need a LOT of paper to keep that project going...crap.
Long story made a little shorter, that is how Team Mason began. Once we started into things and realized - WOW - it is virtually impossible to help your 15 month old fight for his life, have both spouses working AND save the world...crap again. Although we started the foundation and fight club, anything outside of Mason took a back seat.
We have tried to do things here an there. To be honest I completely shut off to most things in my life after we got home. Being a first time parent and adding cancer to the mix, it took me several months of being home for my initial response to every scratch and bruise NOT to be constant crying and rushing to the doctor...(even now it is a reflex i fight at times.) It was truly hard for me to hold on to any hope because I was so frightened about seeing him go through that again. That sounds terrible, but it is true. In fact, after we finally hit the two year mark I was finally able to function the week before our visits. I was so happy that they turned into a mere routine and a chance to see the faces we love without so much of the heartache. I felt great!!
Then, I think the Lord knew I needed to address the emotions of it all and loosened his tender, yet completely solid grasp that had kept me afloat for so long...and now I am a constant ball of blubber although each month brings more clarity. Bottom line - cancer sucks big time.
Okay, so onto the project... I would not normally post this but I want everyone that gave so much to support to our fellow ICS families to see just what a difference they made. From donating time and single items to very generous monetary donations - it took so many to make this the success it was!
It may not look like much, but the picture is deceiving. Plus, this wasn't even all of it!!!
We were hoping to make 12 baskets in the beginning and asked for a few friends to help out instead of getting Chris presents for his 30th birthday. Well, we then found out that the ICS floor now has 8 more rooms then it did when we were there and 12 just wouldn't be enough. Knowing we couldn't possibly do more on our own, I let more family and friends know of our plans and gave them an opportunity to participate...that being said, you can see that the 24 baskets we were able to put together were chucked full of great stuff (some ipods, tons of DVD's, CD's, nice blankets, egg matresses for those amazing chairs that fold out to beds we learned to sleep on, treats and so much more!! I couldn't even fit them all in this picture!!!
My sister Melanie had planned on helping us load and deliver, but as we were getting closer, the hubs (a very smart man) realized there would not be enough room in our cars. My sister Kim and her family had just arrived from hours of travel from Arizona and agreed to add 5 hours to the trip to help us! It was such a blessing to have them!
Loading them into PCMC
They really were not expecting them to take up so much room. They ended up lining the hallways if available offices to stash them. It may or may not have been a fire hazard.
This is the tree right before the doors to ICS. Very fitting for our floor...
After we loaded them up, talked a minute and took some pictures we came back downstairs and had dinner at the Rainbow Cafe. I cannot tell you the amount of time we spent there. The amount of food consumed from there. I just sat and tried not to think about how blessed I was to be eating there - and then going home with my healthy child to sleep in our own beds - it didn't really work.
Although it has had a major makeover, I can still see the small fountian in the old lobby with children playing and all sorts of amazing gadgets. Most had stopped working, but I loved it. I would drop change into EVERY time I passed and it was right next to the Cafe so we passed it A LOT! Chris would get so mad when I threw quarters in BUT I was convinced it was worth 25x's more luck then a penny so at times I would throw in several. (I got very superstitious that year. Just ask my dance girls.) My Dad finally got me a penny jar to keep in the room so when I left I could grab some pennies. In an effort to save our much needed bank account, he may have saved our marriage as well! ;-) About halfway through his treatments, they drained and dismantled it. I almost tried to find the Presidents office to give him a piece of my mind. Thinking back, I should have broken off a piece of it for myself. They couldn't possibly arrest a cancer kid's superstitious Mom, right?! (Hind sight is 20/20)
Back to 2010!
We had everyone come in and get dinner or ice cream, or both. Brightyn (who really did have her hair done when we left the house) was showing off her straddle and the kids were having a great time.
My traveling sister Kim, hubs Brad, David, Amber and Josh with Mason.
My sister Melanie and daughter Machaela! Machaela decided to help out with this whole project and got her ward, neighbors and Aaron's work (Melanie's hubs) in on it too!
Mason and Kayla!
The whole gang. David and Josh were sweet enough to sit with Mason and Brightyn (they had both had a little runny nose and we didn't feel comfortable taking them on the floor) in the car while the girls (Machaela and Amber) along with the adults transferred everything in.
It was a huge group effort to make it all work!
My favorite sign that they still use! I had to post it.
On Christmas Eve, a couple friends from high school (one who owns a couple of Subway stores) arranged to have sandwiches, salad and chips for the families and staff for lunch. I thought it was so sweet of both of them to take them time on the holiday to work it out (I was out of town) and make it happen!
Thank you so much Mike and Brooke!!
From the bottom of our hearts we want to thank every person that contributed to
A Team Mason Foundation Christmas!
We are looking forward to making it bigger and better for future years. If you would like to participate in the future - - - check back, or email us and I will let you know when we are starting to work on it again for next Christmas! We are also going to try and set up a PO Box and possibly a PayPal for the Foundation and make it easier to donate! We are hoping to not only to make the care giver baskets a little bigger and a lot better BUT we want to focus on the kids some as well! After this year, I can't help but think BIG! :-)
The Falkers - PCMC - December 2007
The Falkers - PCMC - December 2010
Post #39 - So much love and gratitude spilling from my eyes! Thank you!
