Mercede Joy, known by her friends and family as Cede, was a normal nine year old girl. She loved to run and she was fast! She loved to snuggle her guinea pig, Oreo. She loved creating art of all kinds, the messier, the better. She had just celebrated her ninth birthday, completed third grade, and was ready to enjoy the summer with her two older sisters, her little brother and her friends. One normal, hot Wednesday in June she told me that she was tired and she went to her room to take a nap. She woke up with a fever and a large swollen gland, the size of a ping pong ball, on her neck. I rushed her to the doctor's office. By midnight that night, Mercede was admitted to Hemby Children's Hospital and diagnosed with a rare form of childhood leukemia (AML). She fought, mostly in the hospital, for almost nine months. She was fearless as she endured all the surgeries and procedures and chemos and side effects that come with fighting cancer. She made friends with the other children with cancer in the hospital, the nurses, the child life specialists, and especially the therapy dogs. She decided to do her part to raise awareness and money for childhood cancer research and sold hats, from her hospital room, to nurses and friends and family, raising over $2,000 in a few weeks. When a child who was fighting cancer like Mercede was in need of a hat, she gave them some of hers. When asked what she needed, she told people "I would like gifts to give away to the other kids in the hospital." And when the gifts arrived, she walked around the hospital, knocking on doors, giving gifts to other kids with a huge smile on her face. She was selfless, always giving to others, always putting them first, even when she was losing her battle. Mercede went to Heaven on February, 13th, just before her tenth birthday. Mercede is missed every minute of every day. She was quirky, loud, beautiful, messy, energetic and wonderful. She lived more in nine years than most people do in a lifetime. Her loving, giving heart still beats in the hearts of her family and friends. She inspired thousands all over the world with her courage, love, and faith. She never had a goal to beat cancer, though she tried with everything in her. Her goal was to have the biggest smile and to love with all her heart. If there were more people like Mercede, the world be a better place. Thank you for sharing the gifts of your time, talent and money with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. You are supporting research to give all kids with cancer a better chance for a cure. This was Mercede's dream...more awareness, more research, more hope. Thank you for being a part of it.
