Honored Kid

TheMiracleKid

Age 39
TheMiracleKid Kid Photo

Location

Ocala, FL, US

Diagnosis

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

Date of Diagnosis

December 2000

Status

Cancer-free

Treated At

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

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My Story

My Name is Brittany Ross. I am 35 Years Old. I was Diagnosed with AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia) at the age of 15 on December 12th, 2000 (I Was Just 1 Month Away From My Sweet 16 Birthday...January 13th, 2001, At The Time Of Diagnosis) and was given 3 Weeks To Live and a 5-15% chance of Survival!!!!! I was told that I would not live to see another Christmas, New Years or Live to see My Own Sweet 16 as well as being told a whole list of other things I would never get to do again, get to achieve, accomplish, etc. all of which have now been checked off!!!!! I was told that all Children/teens/Young Adults Diagnosed with AML at that time that only 30% of us would stay in remission for 5 Years or over and that 70% of us would relapse and die within that time period!!!!! I underwent two extremely intense and aggressive rounds of Chemotherapy Treatment!!!!! My first round was 35 Days from December 12th, 2000-January 17th, 2001 (the day that I was officially declared IN REMISSION AND CANCER-FREE)!!!!! I then was given a 3 week reprieve to go home and rest, recover and recuperate!!!!! I lost all of my hair and had every side effect that you can possibly imagine or that most people can't even fathom!!!!! On February 5th, 2001 (My Parent's 17th Wedding Anniversary) I went back into the hospital for another 45 Days from February 5th, 2001-March 21st, 2001 for the 2nd Round of Chemotherapy!!!!! I was released for the final time on March 21st, 2001!!!!! I am now coping with, handling, facing, dealing with and confronting having long term side effects that will last me for the rest of my life!!!!! I am happy to tell you that on MONDAY, JANUARY 13TH, 2020 I celebrated my 35TH BIRTHDAY!!!!! On FRIDAY, JANUARY 17TH, 2020 I Happily, Finally and Proudly Celebrated 19 YEARS OF BEING CANCER-FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the entire hospital where I was diagnosed and treated (even in the departments where I was never even a patient) I have become known formally as "THE MIRACLE KID!!!!!!!!!!" I have truly beaten and defied the odds and have proved my doctors as well as every single fact and statistic wrong even when they stacked everything against me!!!!! Every Mark I Reach Means I continue to prove the facts and statistics wrong and continue to prove my doctors wrong time and time again and there is nothing more fun and enjoyable for me and nothing makes me happier than when I am able to beat and defy the odds that have been stacked against me!!!!!!!!!!! I am also one of the ONLY LONG TERM CHILDHOOD AML SURVIVOR/WARRIOR/CONQUEROR Who Underwent Only Chemotherapy Managed To Go Into Complete Remission and Who Has Stayed In Full Remission Long Term WITHOUT A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Truly Am One Of A Kind And There Is Nobody Else Like Me In The World!!!!! I Am Really 1 in 7 1/2 BILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! While going through treatment they told me that I would never ever return to high school (not only did I return to high school while being home schooled at the same time, I was in 3 high schools in 4 Years, fought and battled for my life literally, and moved across the country from Washington, D.C. to San Diego, CA 6 Months into my Senior Year of High School and I still managed to Graduate High School On Time With The Rest of My Graduating Class)!!!!! Then they told me I would never move out of my parents house be independent or on my own and I would never ever get to go to college!!!!! I moved from San Diego, CA to Denver, CO at the age of 23 and went to The Community College of Denver FULL TIME and lived on my own and became independent and though it took me 4 Years I received my college degree on May 12th, 2010 and got my Associates Degree in General Studies!!!!! Not only that but from January-August of 2009 I moved from Denver, CO to Orlando, Florida where I became a CAST MEMBER in The Disney College Program in Walt Disney World!!!!! I completed the Disney College Program!!!!! I then returned to Denver, CO and completed my last 2 semesters of college and managed to Graduate with a 3.17 GPA!!!!! Then They Said That I Would Never Ever GET MARRIED OR HAVE A FAMILY OF MY OWN!!!!! They Told Me That I Would Never Ever Be Able To Get Pregnant and Have Children Of My Own!!!!!My Now HUSBAND (as of SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2013) Patrick McClellan, and I met in the most unexpected way. It really truly happened when we absolutely least expected it to just like everyone said it would. He is a Security Guard at Cherry Creek Mall here in Denver, Colorado. I was living in Greenwood Village, CO at the time but I had gotten a temporary part-time job as a Brand Ambassador Staffing the “World of Wicked” Exhibit at Cherry Creek Mall from March-April of 2011. I grew up as a Singer/Dancer/Performer and I grew up doing Musical Theater as well as having grown up in Washington, D.C. from birth until the age of 18. Every chance and opportunity that my parents were given they would take me to New York City (My dad is originally from Brooklyn, New York) and we would go and visit my uncle, aunt and cousins there and they would take me to see every single show on Broadway and from the very first moment that I ever saw my first Broadway Show I became a true Broadway Baby. I became a Broadway Junkie and a Broadway Nut and it truly became my drug of choice. “Wicked” happens to be one of my absolute favorite Broadway Musicals and Broadway shows of all time and so when I found the job listing for the job at Cherry Creek Mall I knew it was meant to be and I knew it was the absolute perfect job for me. I knew every single word to every single song and I know the show backwards, forwards, upside down and inside out. We met while I was staffing the exhibit which basically took place inside of a huge bubble in the middle of the Grand Court at the mall and inside of the bubble were the original and actual costumes from the very first and original run of “Wicked” on Broadway and I was told that I knew more about “Wicked” than any of the other employees who worked and staffed the exhibit with me. Whenever my now Fiancé, Patrick McClellan, was doing his job of patrolling through the mall he would always come by and say hello to me and he would come and stop and talk to me (there were days were it was super slow and nobody was coming through the exhibit even though it was totally free) and I would be there staffing the exhibit by myself. Whenever he was around I knew that there was a spark between us and I felt the chemistry between us and I immediately knew that I really liked him. However, I did not know whether he liked me or if he felt the same way about me. Whenever I would come to the mall on my days off and when I had free time I always hoped that I would run into him. He was always on my mind and I always realized that I would think about him when I wasn’t at the mall and he gave me an extra bonus to come to work so that I would get to see him and talk to him. We would always run into one another at the mall whenever I was there on my days off and whenever I had free time and it took us about 5 months to finally exchange numbers and he literally snuck up on me when I seriously least expected it. I remember I was sitting in the Sbarro eating lunch and I was texting my dad on my cell phone because my IPOD had stopped working (the battery was pretty much completely dead and it wouldn’t recharge) and so I had gone to the mall to go to the Apple Store to have them take a look to see if they could possibly fix it. It was the one day at the mall that I was so in the zone of trying to get my IPOD fixed that I was completely oblivious to anything that was going on around me. Patrick walked into the Sbarro to get his lunch on his lunch break (he was working that day) and he saw me sitting at the table with my back to him and I did not see him walk in or even hear him order his food and I didn’t even notice that he was around. He walked up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. He said, “Hey. How Are You?” and I noticed being a little jumpy. I saw him and before I even knew it I was grinning from ear to ear. My heart was pounding and my hands got all clammy and my knees were shaking and I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt a little lightheaded and my cheeks were flushed. We talked for a little bit and I finally said to him, “I keep meaning to have us exchange numbers every time we run into one another and I always end up forgetting so before I forget again, here is my number. This way we can talk when you are not at work and get to know each other better.” He said that his cell phone was upstairs in his locker at work because he isn’t allowed to have his phone with him when he is working. He promised as soon as he got back upstairs that he would text me his number and he did. I was sitting waiting for the bus to go home to my apartment (at that time) when he texted me. That night after he got off of work we literally texted all night long and then the very next night as soon as he got off of work he came straight over to my apartment and from that night on we have been together ever since. Whoever would have thought that one of my all-time favorite Broadway Shows would end up bringing me the love of my life and the man of my dreams and who would have ever thought that he would end up meeting the love of his life and the woman of his dreams while he was working. Funny how life works out for the best and when things are truly meant to happen they really do happen. Miracles Do Happen and Fairytale Dreams Really Do Come True!!!!! We now love to listen to Pandora on our phones in the car or even when we are just relaxing at home together and a lot of the time we listen to Broadway Showtunes and one of the soundtracks that they play all the time is “Wicked” and now that soundtrack has extra meaning to us. We are hoping that at some point soon “Wicked” will return to Denver to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Complex so that I can take him to see it live in person which he has never gotten to do whereas I have many, many, many, many, many times but I absolutely positively love it!!!!!!!!!!!! The PROPOSAL:On Sunday, September 30th, 2012 my amazing, incredible, phenomenal, extraordinary, spectacularly wonderful boyfriend planned this wonderfully romantic and special day for me...he had created a treasure map (I got a clue at each different part of the day) and so the day started with chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast (which he made for me) then he drew me a nice, hot, relaxing bubble bath, then he told me to get dressed and ready to go out and he took me all the way to Keenesburg, CO (about a 45 minute-1 Hour drive) to the Wild Animal Sanctuary, then we came back and he took me to Subway to get Sandwiches for a Picnic at City Park, then we came back home and gave me a nice, relaxing, soothing massage with Lotion, then he told me to change and get ready to go out again and he took me downtown to 16th Street Mall where we took a Petty Cab down one way and then a Horse and Carriage ride down the other way and at the end of the Horse and Carriage Ride HE PROPOSED AND I SAID YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then he took me to dinner at Maggiano's and we were sitting at the Bar and I couldn't stop looking at my ring and a guy came up to the bar who saw me admiring my ring and he walked up to me and said "I noticed you admiring your ring and I am guessing that it must be brand new!" and I said to him, "Yes he just Proposed!!!!!" (I had a big grin on my face from ear to ear) (He told us that he was preparing to propose to his girlfriend as well) and so he paid for our drinks and then it turned out that Maggiano's was doing a special Fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation and so we told our server my story and we told him that I am a former Make-A-Wish Kid and even though at the end of the meal we told him that we weren't going to have dessert, he brought out the dessert (which was what they were using as the fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation) and he also comped our drinks that we ordered at dinner and when he brought us out the dessert (he also had comped the dessert and paid for it himself) and everybody in the restaurant kept congratulating us!!!!! Everybody was so sweet and generous with us that night!!!!! It was truly the most romantic and magical day and best night of my entire life!!!!!!!!!!! ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2013 I ACHIEVED AND ACCOMPLISHED WHAT MY DOCTORS SAID WOULD BE "THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" MY FATHER HAD THE CHANCE AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT HE THOUGHT HE WOULD NEVER GET TO HAVE WITH ME WHEN HE AND MY MOM WALKED ME DOWN THE AISLE AT THE LIONSGATE CENTER AT THE DOVE HOUSE IN LAFAYETTE, COLORADO SO THAT I COULD MARRY THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND THE MAN OF MY DREAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT MARRIED TO MY VERY OWN REAL LIFE FAIRYTALE PRINCE CHARMING, MY WHITE KNIGHT, MY KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR, MY REAL LIFE STORYBOOK HAPPILY EVER AFTER, MY HAPPY ENDING, MY FAIRYTALE DREAM COME TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE THEME FOR OUR WEDDING WAS "BRITTANY'S PURPLE PRINCESS FAIRYTALE WEDDING" IN COMBINATION WITH FAIRYTALE DREAMS COME TRUE AND OUR VERY OWN HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT TO SHINE IN MY DREAM WEDDING DRESS, AT OUR DREAM VENUE, OUR DATE AND WE HAVE EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE THRILLED, ECSTATIC, EXCITED, OVERJOYED, HE TREATS ME LIKE AN ABSOLUTE PRINCESS AND MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A QUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM TRULY THE LUCKIEST, HAPPIEST AND PROUDEST WOMAN IN THE WHOLE WORLD AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I KNOW THAT I AM IN GREAT HANDS AND THAT I WILL ALWAYS BE EXTREMELY HAPPY, LOVED AND TAKEN CARE OF FOREVER AND ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS THE VERY BEST AND THE MOST SPECIAL DAY OF OUR ENTIRE LIVES AND WE WILL REMEMBER IT, CHERISH IT, TREASURE IT AND CARRY IT WITH US FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOTH I AND MY FAMILY COULDN'T BE HAPPIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF I CAN DO IT ANYONE CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My Doctors always remind me that there are only 2 reasons that I remain alive today!!!!! Those 2 Reasons are 1: My Incredible Support Team and 2: MY POSITIVE ATTITUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM TRULY ONE OF A KIND AND THE ONLY LONG TERM CHILDHOOD AML SURVIVOR/WARRIOR/CONQUEROR TO STILL BE ALIVE AND CANCER-FREE AFTER GOINGT INTO REMISSION JUST 1 MONTH AFTER STARTING CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT AND WITHOUT UNDERGOING ANY TYPE OF TRANSPLANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE IS NOBODY AND NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD LIKE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM ONE IN 6 1/2 BILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS TRULY WHY I HAVE EARNED THE NAME OF "THE MIRACLE KID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" My Pediatric Oncologist Even Flew all the way from Washington, D.C. (where I was born and raised from Birth until the age of 18) (I was diagnosed and treated at Georgetown University Hospital) on Saturday Morning just to be here for My Wedding and my mom brought her to see me right before I got in line to walk down the aisle and as soon as I saw her everything came flooding back to me and I completely lost it and the tears shot down my face and my mom thought it would stop the tears (I was already starting to cry before she came to see me) and it only made me cry even more (but this time it was tears of joy and happiness!!!!!) It was such a fairytale and dream come true to know that she was there to witness my dream come true!!!!! I am so happy and glad to know that she got to be there to share in the biggest and best day of my entire life with me!!!!! It made it that much more special to know that she was there with me in person face to face!!!!! Our Wedding Was Extremely Emotional (we had 114 People at our wedding and the entire week was extremely magical, unique, different, special, one of a kind and unlike any other wedding I have ever seen or been to)!!!!! I know it will be an experience that our families and friends will remember as well as us for the rest of our lives!!!!! We had so many unique moments, elements that we added in that were surprises and that were completely unexpected!!!!! I even got to do one of the things that I had been adamant about from the very beginning which was to get to do My Father/Daughter Dance with My Dad (a Prostate Cancer Survivor-He Was Diagnosed when I was 18 Years Old but it was luckily in the extremely early stages and they took care of it and it is fine but when I initially found out that my dad had prostate cancer, it felt like my whole world shattered and crumbled around me, just the thought of it was enough to break my heart in two and to rip my world apart!!!!! He is now completely fine and nobody would ever know but I am Daddy's Little Princess, Daddy's Little Girl, Daddy's Little Angel and I am also the youngest of My Brother, My Sister and Me and I am the baby of the family and I cried my eyes out and balled like a baby during the entire Father/Daughter Dance it was much more emotional and a lot harder than I thought it would be!!!!! We had many people who were both involved in as well as who came to our wedding who are also considered to be Miracles and so having all of them there with us made our wedding that much better and that much more perfect!!!!! Everything about our wedding was Perfection!!!!! We Loved Every Single Moment, Second, Minute, Hour, Day, Week, Month and Year that we put into planning our dream wedding as well as the actual wedding!!!!! We Couldn't Be Happier!!!!!!! My Doctors told me that Getting Married and having the chance and opportunity to get to have my dream wedding would be "The Impossible Dream!!!!!" Our wedding colors were PURPLE, PURPLE, PURPLE, PURPLE, PURPLE and SILVER!!!!! We got married at The Lions Gate Center at The Dove House in Lafayette, Colorado!!!!!!!!!!!! I got my Dream Dress at Amanda's Bridal and Tux in Arvada, Colorado!!!!! The Theme of Our Wedding Was: "Brittany's Purple Princess Fairytale Wedding!!!!!" Our Vendors were absolutely Phenomenal and made it the most magical experience possible for us and they truly did an extraordinary job!!!!! It was more than I ever could've possibly imagined, hoped for, wished for, dreamed of and so much more!!!!! We went on our HONEYMOON on SUNDAY, JANUARY 12TH, 2014 (the day before MY 29TH BIRTHDAY on MONDAY, JANUARY 13TH) and we were there for MY 13 YEAR CANCERVERSARY (Cancer-Free Anniversary) on FRIDAY, JANUARY 17TH, 2014!!!!!!!! We returned from our HONEYMOON on SUNDAY, JANUARY 19TH, 2014!!!!!!!!! We went to WALT DISNEY WORLD in ORLANDO, FLORIDA!!!!!!! My Husband Has NEVER EVER been there before!!!!! (he had also never ever been to DISNEYLAND EITHER)!!!!!!!! The other big part of our Honeymoon was something so special and meaningful to me and it was his #1 Requirement for Our Honeymoon!!!!! I was a Make-A-Wish Child in 2001 at the age of 16 and I was granted a wish to take My Mom, My Dad, My Sister, My Brother-In-Law and My Oldest Niece at the time to go to HAWAII and the reason I chose to go to HAWAII was to be able to go SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS!!!!!!!! However, Unfortunately, My Wish Granters Did Not Book The Swimming With The Dolphins In Time So I Did Not Get To Do It Because By The Time We Got To Hawaii They Were Booked For 8 Weeks Out!!!!! They Would Not Squeeze Me In Even Though We Tried!!!!! So My Husband Within The Last Few Weeks Booked Us For A Full Day Opportunity To Have Unlimited Access To SEAWORLD in ORLANDO as well as to their WATER PARK called AQUATICA and I Finally Will Get To SWIM WITH THE DOLPHINS!!!!!!!!! Because we got day resort passes there when we were at Discovery Cove they paid for our breakfast, lunch and unlimited snacks!!!!! We also get to go Snorkeling in their Great Barrier Reef!!!!! My Parents Had Booked Us at a Timeshare at a RESORT Called The Holiday Inn At Orange Lake Resort (they even have a Lazy River right out front of the hotel and it is a big and long LAZY RIVER (I Love The Lazy River!!!!!!!!) They had several different POOLS, 10 Different Restaurants On Property, An Arcade, and many other wonderful amenities for us to Enjoy!!!!!!! We got to stay in a 2 bedroom villa (literally almost double the size of our entire apartment)!!!!!! For My 29th Birthday on Monday, January 13th, 2014 we got to have a Magical and Extremely Special Dinner at Magic Kingdom and he had made dinner reservations for us at a restaurant called Cinderella's Royal Table inside of Cinderella's Castle and all of the Disney Princesses come in to take pictures with you!!!!! I got to take pictures with Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Ariel, etc.!!!!! My husband Patrick had called ahead of time and when they brought out my dessert (which was designed to be the Clock Striking Midnight after Cinderella's Ball) and they brought out another plate that had red rose petals on it and sitting on the rose petals was Cinderella's Glass Slipper and Engraved on one side it had my name "Brittany" and on the other side it had engraved "Dreams Do Come True" and on the inside it had engraved "January 13, 2014"!!!!! My Husband is so incredibly sweet, romantic and thoughtful!!!!! It was the by far one of the very best Birthdays I have ever had in my entire life!!!!! Before we went to Hollywood Studios on Tuesday, January 14th, 2014 he took me to Chef Mickey's (to have Breakfast with my favorite Characters...Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald and we also got pictures with each one of them)!!!!! He made our reservations for us for every single day 6 Months Ahead of time!!!!! We had all of our dinner reservations done and ready to go!!!!! I am a total Disney Junkie and Disney Nut (I even worked in Walt Disney World from January-August of 2009) in Orlando, FL at one of the Sit Down Table Service Restaurants at one of the Resorts!!!!!!! (I was a Hostess at Boatwright's at Port Orleans Resort: Riverside)!!!!!!! I will got to go see some of the year round employees that I worked with when I worked there and we are also going to see some of his relatives and some of my relatives who live in Florida as well!!!!! On the day we got there, we arrived at 1:00 PM in the afternoon and we went to get our luggage and go get our rental car and then we drove an Hour and a Half to go and we got to have dinner with My Grandparents (who I had not seen in 3 Years)!!!!! My Grandpa at the time was 95 Years Old (He Unfortunately Passed Away 3 Years Later at the Age of 98 Years Old) and My Grandma is 90 Years Old and she is an OVARIAN CANCER SURVIVOR!!!!!!! Then we drove back and enjoy just being a newlywed couple and we had some to be able to relax, kick back, chill out, hang out, take it easy and just enjoy being on our Honeymoon as a MARRIED COUPLE!!!!!!!!!! We stopped on the way to the hotel and got groceries for the week at Wal Mart and he got me a TINKERBELL BIRTHDAY CAKE To Have The Next Day For My 29TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! We spent 4 Days in the Disney Parks (Monday--Magic Kingdom, Tuesday--Hollywood Studios, Thursday--Animal Kingdom and Friday--EPCOT)!!!!!!!!! Wednesday, January 15th, 2014 we spent the day hanging out and took a day off to just relax at our resort and to go hung out in Downtown Disney!!!!! We had made Dinner Reservations on all 4 Nights at The Disney Parks!!!!! Monday Night, January 13th, 2014 (My 29th Birthday)--Cinderella's Royal Table (Dinner with The Disney Princesses inside of Cinderella's Castle), Tuesday, January 14th, 2014--Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, Thursday, January 16th, 2014--The Rainforest Cafe (one of my favorite restaurants in the whole entire world)!!!!!, Friday, January 15th, 2014--Via Napoli Ristorante E Pizzeria!!!!! We ate breakfast in the morning in our Villa (we had a full kitchen) other than when we had a breakfast reservation on Tuesday, January 14th, 2014 at Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort!!!!!!! We also packed up lunches to take with us to the parks so that we saved money instead of getting all of our meals in the parks and we will have lunch at the picnic tables in the parks and we were able to people watch and enjoy the views and the scenery and just able to enjoy being in the Disney environment and atmosphere and we enjoyed where we were and we were able to sit down and get off of our feet at the parks each day for a little while (it was good to take breaks every so often especially at a place like Walt Disney World)!!!!! I told my Husband that I truly wanted to be able to take everything in and I want to be able to cherish and treasure every single moment, second, minute, hour, day that we were on our HONEYMOON!!!!!!!! We couldn't wait to get there!!!!! We were so excited!!!!! We were really, really, really, really, really looking forward to it!!!!!!!! We tried to plan as much of it as we possibly could!!!!! However, on the Thursday that we were in Animal Kingdom it was absolutely freezing cold (in Florida of all places) and we were literally in Jackets, hats, gloves and scarves) and it was so windy, we did the best we possibly could to stay warm!!!!! Then on Saturday when we were there and we were at Discovery Cove Swimming With The Dolphins (a once in a lifetime experience) it was 48 DEGREES and Again Absolutely Positively FREEZING COLD and Extremely Windy and we were in Short Wet Suits and by Saturday Night I had a horrible Sore Throat and couldn't swallow at all and by the time we got on the plane the next day to come back to Colorado I had full blown PNEUMONIA and spent 1 MONTH in BED when we got home battling and fighting to get rid of the Pneumonia and eventually I got better and got back to my normal self again but spent the entire plane ride home throwing up!!!!! We also had found out right after Swimming With The Dolphins that our Puppy (who had been staying with our Surrogate Parents in Longmont, CO for the week that we were gone had slipped out the door and had gotten severely hit by a car (she was only 3 Years Old), her name was Kona and she was a Yorkie Poo Puppy) and her injuries were so bad at that point that we made the best choice and decision for her which was to put her down and not allow her to suffer (they wanted to amputate one of her legs) and they said that she was wheezing and having breathing problems and the surgery would be anywhere between $6,000-$8,000.00 or more and nobody could afford it) and so we put her down and so the last day of our Honeymoon was extremely emotional!!!!! My parents and I were in a Car Accident on Friday Night, May 9th, 2015 at about 9:00 PM (my parents came into town on Thursday, May 8th), we were coming home from having dinner with our Surrogate Parents who came and met us at a restaurant downtown (they live in Longmont...Pat & Debbie Torok) and we were literally less than a mile from our apartment (4-5 Blocks from our apartment where we were living at the time)...I am okay...I had whiplash (my neck and back get sore) I had my heating pad on my neck starting pretty much from the moment I got home after the accident...My Husband Patrick came home from work early (as soon as it happened, I called the Security Office at Cherry Creek Mall where he is a Security Guard and they called him and had him call me right away and he talked to both me and my mom) and he was home with me by 10:00 PM) and my parents brought me home after we talked to the police officer (luckily the car was driveable enough...my parents rental car was screwed up and they couldn't get another one until the next morning (Saturday morning, May 10th) and the guy who Smashed into us from behind came flying like a bat out of hell and I could hear his car coming from a mile away and we were stopped at a redlight and he hit us HARD from Behind and almost completely took off the bumper and he screwed up the muffler and he banged up the back of the car pretty badly...We are okay, my dad called the police and we gave the police officer the license plate from the car that hit us and as soon as he hit us and the light changed the guy sped away with a pretty messed up front of his car and took off!!!!!! All 3 of us have Whiplash!!!!! My parents brought me home after the police officer left and they stayed with me until Patrick got home. Thank Goodness my parents were with me and thank goodness nobody got seriously hurt or worse. It scared the hell out of me and after it happened I kept yelling and screaming at my dad to pull the car over (the other guy who hit us TOTALLED his car and you could smell his engine burning badly) and once my dad pulled the car over my mom took me out of the car and I cried hysterically in her arms because it scared the hell out of me and made my anxiety go through the roof and sky rocket and then she sat down in the front passenger seat and she put me on her lap and I cried hysterically on her shoulder, getting hit by a car is a big fear for me and it just triggered that fear and caused me to get really upset and to panic but thank goodness we are okay and I was just happy to be home and in bed next to my husband (his managers told him to take Saturday, May 10th off to stay home with me because they knew that once the anxiety calmed down and once the adrenaline rush stopped that the pain of whiplash would kick in and they didn't want me being home alone), and I didn't want to be alone!!!!! We got the license plate of the guy driving the car who hit us but the police officer said that he would deny driving the car and that he would say someone else was driving his car!!!!! We Hoped That He Wouldn't Get Away With It!!!!! My mom called us on Saturday Night (Just 24 Hours After The Accident), May 10th after we had just gotten home from going to dinner with them to tell us that the police officer called my parents to tell them THEY CAUGHT THE GUY...HE WAS DRUNK!!!!! His Brother and His Friend Saw His Car Totaled at his house And He Told Them What Happened and They Told Him That He Had To Turn Himself In and He Did and He Is Now In Jail and he has been charged with Drunk Driving, Reckless Driving and Leaving The Scene of an Accident!!!!! We Are Safe and Sound!!!!! The Guy Had Insurance on his Car!!!!! I am now seeing a Chiropractor 2 Times a Week And My Parents Are Trying To Get Money From The Accident Not Only For The Damage He Did To The Rental Car But For The Physical, Mental, Emotional and Psychological Damage That He Caused!!!!! We now have a puppy who we got in February of 2014 (Just A Few Weeks After We Returned From Our Honeymoon) and she is a little over 3 Years Old Now (she was 10 weeks when we got her from a family ranch here in Colorado) and she is a SHELTIE PUPPY (A Shetland Sheepdog) and is considered to be one of the top 5 Smartest Breeds of Dogs) and she is Super Smart, Protective, Sweet, Soft, Warm, Energetic, Playful, Fun, Precious, Cute, Adorable, Snuggly, Cuddly and the best puppy in the whole entire world)!!!!! We Did Puppy Training Classes with her (we have completed Beginner's Puppy Training with her, Intermediate Puppy Training With Her and Advanced Puppy Training With Her and once your puppy has completed and passed advanced puppy training they offer you the chance and opportunity to review advanced puppy training again without having to pay for it to give your puppy all of the extra practice and training that they will need which we are currently doing, we will have week 2 of Reviewing Advanced Puppy Training Class with her tonight) and then We are then going to take her to get her Certification for being a Service Dog just for ME!!!!!!!! Shetland Sheepdogs (Sheltie's) are bred to be Companion Dogs so she will be the Perfect Service Dog and her name is PRINCESS!!!!!!! So this story has a very happy ending!!!!! We are hoping to have her certified no later than the end of this year as an Emotional Support Dog For Me!!!!! Once she is a Certified Service Dog she will be able to go with me to any and all medical appointments, blood work ups, scans, procedures, etc. to help to relieve some of my stress and anxiety and to help keep me calm and relaxed!!!!! She Would Also Be Able To Travel With Us And Be Able To Be With Me At All Times!!!!! I can honestly say that Life is Sweet!!!!!!!! I hope that by sharing my story whenever I am given the chance and opportunity that I can bring a smile to one child's face, bring hope to one family, and be a glimmer of light at the end of a dark tunnel, I know that if I can inspire or motivate one person or brighten one person's day or give hope to one person or bring a smile to one person's face than I know that I can come home at the end of the day and go to sleep with a smile on my face knowing that I have made a difference or a contribution in the life of one person!!!!!! I am so thankful, grateful, appreciative, honored, lucky, privileged and proud to have been given a 2nd chance at life and a 2nd chance to really live and to be able to give back to all of those who have given so much to me!!!!! I know that this is my purpose for being alive and for being able to be a Long Term Survivor!!!!!!! I try to be involved in as many foundations, organizations and events as I possibly can!!!!! I am involved with CureSearch for Childhood Cancer Research Foundation, St. Baldrick's Foundation, The Miracle Party Foundation and many others!!!!! I have become a Motivational/Inspirational Speaker and jump at the chance to share my story whenever the chance or opportunity presents itself!!!!! A Few Years Ago, I had a part-time job that I absolutely positively loved!!!!! One of the people who was at our Wedding Reception is a good friend of ours who happens to now be the Dean of Students at the College that I Graduated From at The Community College of Denver and he Hired Me at our Wedding Reception and so I started working in the Accessibilities Office (the office for Students with Disabilities) as an Alumni at the College that I Graduated From Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 8:30 AM-12:00 Noon every week and getting paid $10.00 an hour!!!!! I Loved My Job!!!!! I Loved My Bosses and Everybody that I work with!!!!! I was a Front Office Assistant and Notetaker!!!!! I loved being able to make a difference and contribution for other College Students with Disabilities especially since I was a Student in the Center for Persons with Disabilities when I was attending College there!!!!! I loved being able to give back to such a wonderful community!!!!! Unfortunately on July 10th I was laid off my job due to severe budget cuts and all of the hourly positions across campus were laid off but they are hoping that it will be a temporary lay off and they are hoping to bring all of us back once enrollment goes back up and once the budget goes back to where it was so now my husband is the one bringing in our income and my parents help to financially support us until I get a job where we can be able to be financially independent and on our own financially!!!!! I also grew up as a Singer/Dancer/Performer and one of the things that my doctors said I would never be able to do again is to DANCE and my Husband has been a Swing Dancer for the last 4 Years (his dance partner was his best woman in our Wedding)!!!!! I have now been a Tap Dancer for 31 Years since the age of 3, I was a Ballerina for 7 Years, a Jazz Dancer for 2 Years, a Modern Dancer for 1 Year and a Ballroom Dancer for 1 Year and I have now returned to Tap Dancing again and I couldn't be happier!!!!! My husband and I go to Tap Dance Class at the Dance Institute in Stapleton, CO every Wednesday Night from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM and we do 2 Big Performances with The Dance Institute each year. We do a Spring/Summer Showcase the first weekend in June and then we do a really fun, very different, non-traditional, very unique, but really cool production of "The Nutcracker" in December!!!!! We have the summer off from Tap Dancing After Our Spring/Summer Dance Showcase!!!!! My  Husband & I were on The Rocky Mountain Colorado CureSearch for Children's Cancer Walk Event every year up until they decided not to do an event here last year but before that we had been on the Committee helping to put that event together and I also participated as a Long Term Childhood Cancer Survivor/Warrior/Conqueror and we even had our own walk team called "The Prince & Princess Warriors"!!!!! Every Summer I used to have a Professional Theater Company that I work Backstage With Called PHAMALY (Physically Handicapped Actors And Musical Artists League) and they are Amazing, Incredible, Fantastic, Fabulous, Excellent, Extraordinary, Terrific, Super, Superb, Spectacular, Phenomenal, Unbelievable, Magical, Inspiring, Moving, Touching, Motivating, and PERFECT!!!!! They are each Physically, Mentally or Emotionally Handicapped in some way, shape or form but they are the most gifted, talented and most extraordinary theater company and human beings that I have ever had the honor and privilege to get to work with and having them in my life and getting to be a part of such a special community is truly a gift!!!!! They are my best friends and my 2nd Family Here!!!!! I love them so much!!!!! They are so important to me and they mean the absolute world to me and I wouldn't trade it or give it up for anything in the entire world!!!!! Last summer I was not able to work backstage because by the time I sent in my paperwork all of the Volunteer Positions Backstage had already been filled and since the show last summer was mainly male they didn't need very many females backstage!!!!! I love working with them at The Space Theater at The Denver Center for the Performing Arts Complex which I have now been doing since 2008!!!!! Working with them is truly a Life-Changing Experience!!!!! They have taken me in and truly love me unconditionally and have accepted me for exactly who I am and it's one of the only places I have where I can truly be 100% myself all the time no matter what!!!!! They are truly exceptional!!!!! It is by far one of the best and one of my very favorite parts of the year!!!!! They are definitely some of my biggest heroes, role models and some of my biggest inspirations!!!!! One of the younger members of the company who's name is Molly Nash (A Fellow Childhood Cancer Survivor/Warrior/Conqueror and who is 20 years old) was one of my Bridesmaids in My Wedding on September 28th, 2013!!!!! In July of 2014 my husband and I got the chance and the opportunity to get to fly back home to San Diego, CA (my dad travels all over the world for work and he gets 2 Million Frequent Flier Miles every year for the rest of his life from United Airlines) and so he takes care of any and all Plane Tickets for my husband and I!!!!! We went back to San Diego, CA to get to celebrate with my Big Brother Brian and his Now Wife Tamara at their Wedding Reception with all of our Families and Friends a few years ago!!!!! They actually went to Bali in June of that year and had a Wedding Ceremony in Bali where they got married and they were married by the daughter of the person who married my husband and I and they went with her and Tamara’s Dad and just a few good friends but the rest of the families and friends were not able to afford to go to Bali and everybody who didn’t get to go were really disappointed and upset that we didn’t get to witness them getting married and that we didn’t get to be there to be a part of their very special day. When we went home to San Diego, CA they had a rehearsal dinner on a cliff overlooking the beach and the ocean at Sunset which was so romantic and spectacularly beautiful. It was a Perfect Night and that rehearsal dinner was just for the out of town families and friends and it was great to see and be with everybody!!!!! My brother and his wife did everything for their wedding (they had a Barbecue Restaurant cater the rehearsal dinner but all of the decorations were done themselves by them and their friends who helped to make all of the decorations)!!!!! That was on a Friday Night. Their Wedding Reception with all of the families and friends was on a Saturday Night in the backyard of a good friends parents house and again the flowers, decorations, the popcorn station, and the cupcakes were all done by family and friends, but the food and drinks were catered. Then on that Sunday, my Sister & Brother-In-Law along with their 3 Kids and their New Puppy held a Brunch for just the Immediate Families (our immediate family—my mom, my dad, my sister, my brother-in-law, my 2 nieces, my nephew, my brother and his wife, me and my husband, my brother’s wife’s dad and sister, my brother’s other half-brother from his birth mom and his half-brother’s wife, my brother’s birth mom, and my brother’s wife’s dad and sister and her grandma, and a few really close friends) and the brunch was held in their backyard out by their pool & hottub and they have an area with couches and a table, with a thatched roof type thing over top and so they gathered everybody in that area and our friend Vanessa (the daughter of the person who married my husband and I) was there and they surprised everybody by letting everybody know that apparently you can have a wedding ceremony in Bali but the wedding is not considered legal until you are back in the states where you have to sign your marriage license (you cannot legally get married in Bali) and so as a Surprise and as a Gift they stood in front of all of us and once again recited their vows to each other and they signed their marriage contract in front of all of us so that we all got to be there to witness them actually Legally Get Married!!!!! It was such a Magical and Wonderful Surprise!!!!! None of us had any idea that they were going to do that!!!!! I realized it was one of those moments that I know I will truly cherish and treasure forever and ever and always to know that I got to be here and to be able to be alive to see my brother get married and to have found the woman of his dreams and the love of his life and to get to see my brother so happy which he absolutely deserves!!!!! He is the best and greatest brother in the whole world!!!!! I could not have asked for a better big brother!!!!! I am so happy, thrilled, ecstatic, excited and overjoyed for my Big Brother!!!!! My Brother & My Sister-In-Law Now Have An Almost 5 Year Old Girl Named Cecilia Mackenzie Ross!!!!! She Will Be 5 Years Old On December 20th!!!!! They Now Live Just A 15 Minute Drive From My Husband & I In Wheat Ridge, CO And We Absolutely Positively Love Having Them Close By!!!!! We Get To Help Raise, Take Care Of And Spend Time With Our Youngest Niece who just turned 4 Years Old on December 20th, 2019 & Them As Well!!!!! All three of my sister and brother-in-law’s kids have grown up so fast!!!!! I am so glad and happy to know that I get to watch them grow up and be a part of their lives and to be a part of who they are and I am so honored to know that they get to be a part of my journey and part of my life as well!!!!! They are the best nieces and nephew in the whole world!!!!! They are truly great and spectacular kids!!!!! My Oldest Niece, Kaiya Leigh Eisenberg is now 18 Almost 19 Years Old, My Middle Niece Tori Sage Eisenberg is now 16 almost 17 Years Old and my only Nephew, Brandon Scott Eisenberg is 10 almost 11 Years Old!!!!! I Love Being An Aunt and I am so glad that I get the chance and opportunity to be the Auntie of 4 Amazing Children Now That My Brother & Sister-In-Law Have A 3 Year Old Girl!!!!! My Husband, Patrick & I, Lived In Our Apartment In Lakewood, CO For 3 1/2 Years But We Moved Out Of Our Apartment In June Of 2016 And On June 10th, 2016 We Moved From Our 1 Bedroom/1 Bathroom 950 Square Foot Apartment Into Our DREAM HOME!!!!! We Now Live In Arvada, CO In A 3 Bedroom/2.5 Bathroom 2,447 Square Foot House!!!!! We Absolutely Positively Love Our Home And We Managed To Find A House That Has Anything & Everything That We Said We Wanted, Were Looking For, Hoping For, Wishing For, Imagining & Dreaming Of!!!!! Life Is Sweet!!!!! We Couldn't Be Happier!!!!! After we had our dream wedding and made that dream come true and now that we officially have our dream home, the one final thing that will prove my doctors wrong as well as the facts and statistics wrong will be to have a family of our very own which was something we both really, really, really, really, really wanted to do. Unfortunately, in July of 2018 I ended up having to get almost a full Hysterectomy (due to having massive fibroid tumors all over my uterus and also having severe endometriosis) done (they thought they could do it laparascopically but it turned out that they couldn't so they ended up having to do the full C-Section Incision and I had to stay overnight in the hospital and it was a 5 hour surgery and a very long and rough 6 week recovery!  so I will never be able to get pregnant and so we won't get to have biological kids of our own. However, I still have my Ovaries and my Ovarian Function seems to be normal but we have to find out if my Eggs are still viable and if they are there is a slim possibility that we could potentially do a Surrogate to have kids or we could adopt!!!!! There are still options out there for us so that possibility isn't completely & totally 100% off the table. Once that happens I can truly say that I truly am “The Miracle Kid!!!!!” I am a CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVOR/WARRIOR!!!!!!!!!!!! /CONQUEROR who has been able to check off every single item on the list of all the things I was told at diagnosis that I would never ever get to do, achieve, accomplish or experience!!!!!!!!!!!! I will truly and honestly be able to stay that I beat & defied every odd that they stacked against me and that I have been able to prove the facts and statistics wrong each and every single step of the way!!!!! We also have another big event that we also go to every year (our very favorite event of the entire year) called The Miracle Party!!!!! The Miracle Party Foundation was started by a dear friend of ours Stacy Moriarty in Honor and in Recognition Of Her Daughter, Kennedy Bougher, who is also a Long Term Childhood Cancer Survivor!!!!!! Kennedy just had Chest Reconstruction Surgery on Tuesday and she is already back at home and up and around and feeling much better!!!!! It just goes to show how strong she is and that she is a true role model, a real life hero and a huge inspiration to so many of us!!!!! She is a Fighter/Trooper/Warrior/Conqueror/SURVIVOR!!!!! Kennedy was Stacy’s Inspiration for creating and becoming the CEO & Founder of The Miracle Party Foundation and they throw an Annual Event called “The Miracle Party” which is an event for Childhood Cancer Survivors (Children/Teens/Young Adults) from all over the state of Colorado and we also have families who get sponsored to come from other states to get to come to The Miracle Party every year and the party takes place inside the main building at The Douglas County Fairgrounds and there is a theme every year and this year the theme is “Out Of This World: Outer Space” in Memory of one of the ambassadors of The Miracle Party as well as St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a 10 Year Old Boy named Justin Miller, the name may sound familiar because he was featured on The Stand Up To Cancer Special on TV and a Tribute was done for him by none other than Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel!!!!! He passed away while my husband and I were on our Honeymoon in Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL in January and we did not get back home in time to say goodbye to him!!!!! He was a 7 Time Neuroblastoma SURVIVOR!!!!! He relapsed 7 Times between the ages of 3-10!!!!! Anyway, Stacy wanted to create a place for any and all Childhood Cancer Survivors throughout Colorado to have a Safe Place to come together and to be together in one room at the same time where we could celebrate life and be able to be normal, happy, healthy kids and to be able to leave all of the stress, anxiety, worries, concerns, fears etc. at the door and have one night to forget about everything and to leave the sickness and the pain at the door and to put it to the backs of our minds even if it is just for a few hours and everybody dresses up for the theme and everybody gets really into the spirit and there are tons of bands and performers that come to really put on a show and there are restaurants that step in and make all of the food which they donate as well!!!!! They have a Silent Auction and many of the other Childhood Cancer Organizations/Foundations also come out so that the kids especially the young ones know that they have places that they can go and people that they can turn to and to let them know that they are not alone!!!!! We also do a remembrance ceremony for all of those who have lost their battles as well and every year there is a Children’s Choir that comes to sing for that and the families and friends of the Childhood Cancer Patients/Survivors come to the party as well! We look forward to it every year and we definitely can’t wait to go again this year!!!!! After The Miracle Party Every Year, My Husband and I have a Very Special Occasion and a Big Day To Celebrate which is our Wedding Anniversary  on September 28th!!!!! We Can't Believe That It Has Been more than 6 Years now!!!!! We celebrated our 6 Year Wedding Anniversary on September 28th, 2019!!!!! In July Of 2016, I Went To See My Adult Oncologist At The Colorado Blood Cancer Institute For My Full Blood Work Up And She Surprised Me By Telling Me That I Now Only Have To Come In For My Full Blood Work-Up ONCE A YEAR So I Went From Doing It Every 6 Months To Only Having To Do It ANNUALLY!!!! Not Only That, She Said That I No Longer Have To Do EKG's, Echocardiograms Or Bone Density Scans ANYMORE!!!!!  My Husband and I have a very special gift that we would love to share with the entire Childhood Cancer Community throughout the US and all around the world. My Husband loves to write and he is a wonderful story teller and he decided to do something very special for me and for everyone in the Childhood Cancer Community. My Husband wrote and Self-Published a book by the name of "Prince Norman" and he has decided to give 50% of the Profits from the book Directly to Childhood Cancer Research!!!!! The illustrations for the book which turned out absolutely amazing were drawn by a friend of my husband's named Jessica Schultz. She did a wonderful job. There are 2 different versions of the book that have now been completed and are ready for purchase. The first version is a Coloring Book with the story to go along with the illustrations for Children/Teens/Young Adults to be able to color themselves. The second edition which is definitely my favorite version has the Illustrations Colored by Childhood Cancer Patients/Survivors (including myself) as well as some who have now lost their battles against Childhood Cancer and have gone on to become our angels.This book was initially inspired by me and he even dedicated it to me in the front of the book with a dedication page which was so sweet of him to do. This book tells the wonderful story of a young boy named Prince Norman. He faces many challenges in a world filled with fantasy with wizards, dragons, fairies, elves, kings and princesses!!!!! Anyone who is familiar with the Challenges of Childhood Cancer will notice familiar themes throughout the story. This book brings insight into the struggles that Childhood Cancer Patients & Survivors Face in a lighthearted and fun way. My Husband poured his heart and soul into this book and he put in so much time, effort and energy. We hope that everybody will purchase the book and enjoy it and we hope to be able to give back to a Community who has given so much to us!!!!! He Will Give 50% Of The Proceeds Of This Book To Childhood Cancer Research In My Name!!!!! If you would like to check out the book before you purchase it you can go to the Facebook Page for his book and here is the link to the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/princenormanbookIf you would like to Purchase one or both versions of this book please do so with these links either with his Createspace Website or on Amazon.com here are the links to purchase the book:Createspace Website:Coloring Book: https://www.createspace.com/4750086 (Cost: $15.99)Special Edition: https://www.createspace.com/4769843 (Cost: $24.99)Amazon.com:Coloring Book:http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Norman-Patrick-McClellan/dp/1497585694/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409596700&sr=8-2&keywords=Patrick McClellan(Cost=Paperback: $14.39, Used: $16.25, New: $12.15 & Kindle: $4.99)Special Edition:http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Norman-Special-Patrick-McClellan/dp/1499210396/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-1&keywords=prince norman special edition(Cost=Paperback: $20.10, Used: $22.11, New: $20.10, Kindle: $4.99). I Want You All To Know That I Have An Absolute 100% Commitment To Putting A Stop & An End To Childhood Cancer Once And For All!!!!! I Know That If We Work Together As One United Team And We All Stand Together That We Can Make This Happen!!!!! I Know That Together We Can Achieve And Accomplish What We Have Been Told Is "The Impossible Dream"!!!!! I Know That Together Anything Is Possible!!!!! I Know That Together There Is No Such Thing As "The Impossible Dream!!!!!"I Know That I Have Been Given A 2nd Chance At Life And I Know That My Purpose And My Reason For Still Being Alive Is To Make A Positive Difference & Positive Contribution In The Childhood Cancer Community And To Use My Story And My Voice To Be A Voice For Those Who Are Not Able To Have A Voice For Themselves!!!!! I Know That I Want To Spend My Time Giving Back All Of The Unconditional Love, Support, Encouragement, Friendship, Hope, Compassion, Passion, Generosity, Etc. That Was Given To Me Over The Last 16 Years!!!!! I Know That If I Can Be That Glimmer Of Hope, That Ray Of Sunshine At The End Of A Very Dark Tunnel, If I Can Bring A Smile To The Face Of One Child/Teen/Young Adult Or If I Can Touch, Move & Inspire One Person To Take Action Or If I Can Brighten One Person's Day Or Let 1 Child/Teen/Young Adult And Their Families & Friends Know That They Are Not Alone In This Fight & Battle And That There Is Someone Who Does Truly Love Them Completely & Totally Unconditionally And That Is Here For Them 100% Every Single Step Of The Way No Matter What And That I Stand With Them And Stand Behind Them And Am With Them Every Single Step Of The Way Regardless Of The Circumstances/Situation And If I Can Let Them Know That It Truly Is Possible To Beat & Defy The Odds And That If I Can Do It, Anybody Can Do It And That There Is No Such Thing As "The Impossible Dream" And Remind All Of Them That "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE" And That "MIRACLES REALLY DO HAPPEN" And That "FAIRYTALE DREAMS TRULY DO COME TRUE" Than I Know That I Can Come Home At The End Of The Day With A Smile On My Face Knowing That I Got My Job Done!!!!! If I Can Make A Difference & Contribution In The Life Of 1 Child/Teen/Young Adult Cancer Patient/Survivor Or For The Families & Friends Of Those Who Unfortunately Have Lost Their Battles Than I Know That Spending My Time This Way I Believe Is A Life Well Lived!!!!! Thanks To Extraordinary Foundations & Organizations Such As ST. BALDRICK'S FOUNDATION) I Am Still Alive & Kicking Today!!!!! I Will Be Speaking & Sharing My Story Of Being A 19 YEAR CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVOR At 17 ST. BALDRICK'S EVENTS BETWEEN FEBRUARY 29TH - MAY 3RD!!!!! I Started Shaving My Head Last Year And I Have Already Shaved My Head This Year (2020)!!!!! My Husband & I Have An Event At The End Of March Every Year That Not Only Does My Husband Shave His Head At The Event, I Speak & Share My Story And Then After I Am Done Speaking & Sharing My Story, My Husband, Patrick McClellan & I Perform A Full On Full Out No Holds Barred SWING DANCE ROUTINE And This Year We Are Dancing To Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" Remix!!!!! We Are Currently Choreographing Our Routine That We Will Be Performing At This St. Baldrick's Event On Sunday, March 29th At Ned Kelly's Irish Pub In Littleton, CO Somewhere Between 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM!!!!! I Am So Incredibly Thankful, Grateful, Appreciative, Honored, Lucky & Extremely Proud To Have Had The Chance & Opportunity To Speak & Share My Story At Multiple St. Baldrick's Events Throughout The Last 19 Years And I Hope That I Am Able To Leave People Touched, Moved & Inspired!!!!! I Hope That I Was Able To Be That Glimmer Of Hope, That Light At The End Of A Very Dark Tunnel And I Hope That I Was Really Able To Make A Huge Difference & Contribution For All Of The Other Children/Teens/Young Adults And Their Families & Friends Just Like Me!!!!! I Am So Glad That I Get To Take My 2nd Chance That i Have Been Given And Give Back All Of The Unconditional Love, Support, Friendship, Encouragement Etc. That Was Given To Me Throughout The Last 16 Years During My Fight & Battle Against Childhood Cancer!!!!! I Am Extraordinarily Honored That I Get To Be A Voice For All Of Us And For Those Who Are Not Able To Be A Voice For Themselves!!!!! I Know That If I Am Able To Bring A Smile To The Face Of One Child/Teen/Young Adult And/Or Their Families & Friends Or If I Am Able To Brighten The Day Of One Child/Teen/Young Adult And/Or Their Families & Friends Than I Know I Got My Job Done And I Know That I Can Go To Sleep With A Smile On My Face At The End Of The Day!!!!! Thank You To St. Baldrick's For The Gift Of Getting The Chance & Opportunity To Speak And Share My Story At These Events Every Year!!!!! Thank You For Giving Me Such An Amazing Gift!!!!! You Guys Are The Best!!!!! These Events Are Truly Magical!!!!! I Love Every Single Solitary Second, Moment, Minute & Hour Of It!!!!! I Have An Absolute Blast!!!!! I Look Forward To Getting To Speak & Share My Story At Numerous Different St. Baldrick's Events Again This Year!!!!! Three Years Ago We Became Season Ticket Holders With The University Of Denver Women's College Gymnastics Team (We Are Both Big Gymnastics Fans)!!!!! When We Initially Became Season Ticket Holders They Were Ranked #16 In The Country And They Are Now Ranked #7 In The COUNTRY!!!!!! We Get To Go To All Of The Home Gymnastics Meets And For The Very First Time Ever This Year Regional Championships Are Being Held Here At The University Of Denver In Magness Arena And We Have Tickets To Go To All 4 Meets In 3 Days Between April 2nd - April 4th And I Also Have 2 St. Baldrick's Events That I Will Be Speaking & Sharing My Story At Intertwined With The Regional Championships Gymnastics Meets So It Is Gonna Be An Extremely Busy Few Days But We Can't Wait!!!!! We Are Super Excited And Looking Forward To It!!!!! 

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