Another year has come and gone as we quickly approach St. Baldrick's. But first let me give a recap of this past year! March 13th, 2009: I participated in St. Baldricks for the second year in a row. At the time, my 6 year old friend, Preston, who was and is currently in remission for Stage 3A Hodgkins Lymphoma, was sick and unable to attend the event. In his place, his younger sister, Kayli, shaved her head so she could be just like her big brother. It was one of the most endearing acts of innocence, kindness, and love I'd ever witnessed. A few months later, on June 28th, my grandfather passed away from Leukemia. While he had a long and full life, fighting such a disease is never easy for anyone involved. My mother had the strength to stay with him for his last few weeks to help take care of him and say goodbye! A month or so later, I began following the journey of another little boy, Liam. One and a half year old Liam had been diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH. HLH is a fatal disease if not treated in time and even then there is no guarantee. It is not cancer but is treated as such. I was immediately drawn into his story and his life. On September 9th, 2009, Liam earned his angel wings at just one year and eight months old. Shortly after Liam left us, my best friend called to tell me that she was pregnant. Talk about the circle of life! So this year, on March 12th, 2010 at Fado Irish Pub in Denver, I shave my head in honor of Preston and Kayli who have taught me the meaning of courage; in honor of my grandfather who helped teach me the value of family; in honor of Liam who helped teach me the value of life; in honor of my best friend's unborn child who continuously teaches me the meaning of unconditional love; in honor of hope. It is this hope that keeps us all going; that gives us the strength to make it through each and every day. And with that hope, perhaps we will find a cure for all these diseases so that our kids can live happy and healthy childhoods and there will be that much less suffering in the world. Hope dies last!