Hello Rogues. My friends. My family.
I am approaching you guys today with a proposition about something that has rapidly become a very dear and profound component of my life. And no- For once, I am not talking about paddling, or coffee, or Milwaukee Brewer baseball.
I am talking about Pediatric Oncology Research.
Last summer, the opportunity came for me to begin working with kids with cancer, researching different treatments and various approaches to caring for children with malignancy. My first instinct was to run from it, there was another offer from the same organization in a different department that would be a lot easier for me on an emotional level. Still, I decided to take a chance and go for it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was the right thing for me, because whether you are looking at it or not, it is there. A child is diagnosed with cancer every 2 minutes, and I for one believe they should be seen. I couldn’t think of a more noble pursuit, so I decided this is where I needed to be.
Fast forward to now and the most common question I get is, “Isn’t that sad?”. The short answer is, “sometimes yes”. And how can it not be? What is more unfair? Can you imagine?
But the truth is, most of the time, these kids, and these families, inspire me like I never thought possible.
And it’s ok to be scared. The fear was definitely there for me. I remember my first time interacting with a patient, before heading into the room, pleading with myself in my head, “just don’t cry in front of the patient”. I was shaking, but I gathered myself, took a deep breath and opened the door, “Hiiii!!!” Exclaimed the sweetest little bright eyed girl I had ever met, “what’s your name?” And that was when I was sure I had made the right choice. It’s their sense of humor, their sense of wonder, their smiles, their innocence, their courage. Their hope. I see them now, when before, I didn’t, because I wasn’t looking. I see them, and it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I see them now, and I will never look away.
So I am asking you to be brave, like they are. I am asking you not to shield yourself. I am asking you not to look away. Put yourselves in their shoes for 1 minute and think about the people they see who will not look at them because - “its too sad”. I am asking you to look. I am asking you to stand with them in solidarity and help them fight a greater fight than most of us will ever know.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer and donor powered charity committed to supporting the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. They are giving us a chance to make a difference in the lives of these children and to stand for and beside them, with the 18th Annual Long Beach Shaves for Kids event. I want the Rogue Family to be a part of this. We could make a real difference if we do this together.