Daddy's Little Girl

From holding me in a small white dress, to holding me in a long white dress, my dad has always been there for me.

When I was little he taught me how to shoot a BB gun, ride a bike, ride a horse, and anything else I wanted to learn. He never said, "Little girls don't do that" instead, he would usually laugh, say something along the lines of "Don't tell your mother" and off we would go.

We went to the beach several times every summer. While Mom was sitting on the shore or looking for shells, Daddy was in the water with my brother and I playing, splashing, and pretending he loved us climbing on his back to jump off.

When I was in high school, he worked for the phone company and drove from house to house repairing the phone lines. I was a swimmer. At that point in my life, that was about the only way I described myself as everything I did revolved around swimming (I ran track to stay in shape for summer swim team, I did summer swim team to get ready for the high school team...). Swimming was my life. Daddy knew this, but he was rarely able to take off on Tuesdays and Thursday for my swim meets. However, if it was a home meet, my dad would drive around the pool as often as he could to ask me how I was doing. If I was about to swim, he'd pull over and park so he could stand by the fence to watch, even if it made him a little late to his next appointment. Those few minutes of him being there meant more to me than the parents who showed up to every meet, every time, because they had the time to do so. It was something he didn't have to do, he did it just for me, just to support me, just to say, "that's my daughter out there!"

In 2003, we found out that Daddy has cancer. Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Rare. Aggressive. Hard to treat. Scared the crap out of me. Suddenly the man I thought was as solid as a rock wasn't, or so I thought at first. I vowed to be strong for him, as strong as he had always been for me... but I soon realized, that he was still a rock, he was still strong, and he was still holding me together. Even when the doctor told him he was considered terminal and probably had only 3 years to live, he never gave up. He never gave up in himself, in his doctors, or in God.

Many things will forever stick in my mind about my dad but probably the most important one was what he said to me while he was laying in a hospital bed as I started to cry.

"What are you crying for? There is nothing to cry over. I haven't shed a tear or lost a moments sleep and neither should you. God is taking care of this. It's in His hands now. If He needs me here, He'll leave me here. When He wants me home, He'll take me home. It's out of our control so why worry?"

He was right, there was nothing to worry about. My dad is still strong, still fighting, and still going long after the doctors said he should have passed. He has had chemotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplants, more clinical trials than I can count ("Even if it doesn't help me, if it helps them find a cure for someone else, my job is done."), and finally last year, a bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor - who we found out this year lives in GA.

I remember praying that God allowed my dad to see me get married and to hold his grandchildren. God is great, and he has answered my prayers with a resounding YES. My dad not only saw me get married, but mustered up the strength to walk me down the aisle and dance with me at the reception. In October, he will see my child born, his newest grandchild (my brother already has 2 sons so I can't say "first grandchild").

God is great, but my daddy comes in a pretty close second! Happy Father's Day Daddy, I love you!

A Christmas Miracle- a true stoy and why I run!!!

Please read this, a friend sent this to me (after the rough-tough military man stopped crying). Then I decided to post it when I finally stopped crying. It is a true story and why I can't give up. Too many people out there need the help, and more importantly, the HOPE!

Three years ago, a little boy & his grandmother came to see Santa at the Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin . The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl.

"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"

"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly.Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, & saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed."She misses you," he added softly.Santa tried to be cheerful & encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas..

When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, & started to say something to Santa, but halted.

"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.

"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but .." the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors."The girl in the photograph.... my granddaughter well, you see ... she has leukemia & isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa . any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."

Santa blinked & swallowed hard & told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, & he would see what he could do.

Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to do."What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do."

When Santa finished visiting with all the boys & girls that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's Hospital.

"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that day."C'mon.... I'll take you there," Rick said softly.

Rick drove them to the hospital & came inside with Santa. They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall. Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door & saw little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother & the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, & Santa could sense the warmth & closeness of the family, & their love & concern for Sarah.

Taking a deep breath, & forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!" "Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes in tact.

Santa rushed to her side & gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder & excitement. Her skin was pale & her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, & he had to force himself to choke back tears.

Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps & quiet sobbing of the women in the room. As he & Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering "thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes.

Santa & Sarah talked & talked, & she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, & asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement & the entire family circled around Sarah's bed,holding hands.

Santa looked intensely at Sarah & asked her if she believed in angels."Oh, yes, Santa... I do!" she exclaimed."Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you," he said. Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes & prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, & heal her body from this disease.He asked that angels minister to her, watch & keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night.... all is calm, all is bright."

The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, & crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all.When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again & held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.

"Now, Sarah, "he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, & that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, & I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!"

He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE."

Yes, Santa! "Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down & kissed her on the forehead & left the room.

Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them & they wept unashamedly.Sarah's mother & grandmother slipped out of the room quickly & rushed to Santa's side to thank him."My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This is the least I could do."

They nodded with understanding & hugged him.

One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by & then one day a child came up to sit on his lap."Hi, Santa! Remember me?!"

"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her.After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at that moment."

You came to see me in the hospital last year!"

Santa's jaw dropped.Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, & he grabbed this little miracle & held her to his chest.

"Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long & silky & her cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before.

He looked over & saw Sarah's mother & grandmother in the sidelines smiling & waving & wiping their eyes.That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope.

This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive & well. He silently looked up to Heaven & humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father. 'Tis a very, Merry Christmas! Thank you for making Miracles like this come true.

Merry Christmas

PS. If you have a Miracle, story of inspiration or hope please reply and share it.

Truly Thankful

I got the following story in an e-mail today:

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

It is a very sweet and touching story and all too relative to me today. Last year, on the day before Thanksgiving, I found out that someone, like the little brother in this story, was willing to help my father. Perhaps this mystery person knew there was little risk to himself, but it was still an act that he/she did not have to do for my father...for my family.

You see, my dad needed a bone marrow transplant to save his life. Everything else had been tried: Chemotherapy, radiation, a stem cell transplant, and every experimental drug and treatment that we could find. His brothers, the best chance for a match, were not a match for him and things were starting to look grim. The Lymphoma that has been attacking his blood and lymph nodes was starting to win the long fought war.

The National Bone Marrow Registry had been searched, and re-searched several times with nothing coming up as a match.

My husband was gone. He was 300 miles away at a Navy base waiting to be sent to South America for a 6 month deployment. It would be his 2nd holiday season in a row that he wasn't even going to be in the country. I was driving to a town half way between our house and his parents to meet them for a Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant not far off the interstate before they left for a family camping trip with the rest of their extended family when I got the call from my mom.

I started crying while I was driving down a busy interstate. Not so safe. I had to pull over when I realized that my tears were impairing my sight. They were the happiest of happy tears. Someone had matched with my father on the registry and had agreed to do the transplant (Even if you agree to be on the registry, you can still change your mind if they call you). I called my husband's cell phone praying that they hadn't left early forcing him to turn his phone off. They hadn't.

I scared Hubby to death I think. I was crying so hard that he couldn't make out what I was saying, yet he knew that I should be driving to see his parents and that the interstate I was driving on is notorious for bad accidents. After a little while I was able to calm down enough to tell him the news. He was just as relieved as I was, even if he didn't cry!

It was, to date, the best Thanksgiving my family has ever been. We've always been thankful for everything we've had, but this took the proverbial cake. We were thankful for the very life that my father was being given, and thankful to the still anonymous person who made it possible by offering to give his or her bone marrow to my father to save his life.

A year after the transplant, Daddy is doing great! He has had some ups and downs but is hanging on and doing fantastically well according to his doctors. He is still considered "terminal" as so far there is no cure for his particular type of Lymphoma, yet the outlook is nowhere near as grim as it was a little over a year ago.

To the person who made this possible, you may not know me, but I have prayed for you and thanked God for you every single day for the past year. You may never know how much my family and I truly appreciate how much you have given us by your wonderful act of selflessness. I only hope that one day, you can be repaid in some small way.

I strongly encourage anyone who reads this to join the National Bone Marrow Registry. You never know whose life you may be saving or touching.

My reasons to run AGAIN

Nearly five years ago my family got a life changing shock. We learned that my father has cancer. He wasn't told he has just any old cancer, he has Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a very aggressive, hard to treat, terminal form of blood cancer. He was told he probably only had about 3 years to live, but he decided from day one that he was going to fight. As a "Daddy's Girl" it has been particularly hard on me to see my rock have to fight for his very life.

Then, not long after that, in November of 2004, I had yet another blow. I received a phone call right before I had to go to work. My step brother, Carl, was in the hospital fighting for his life. A tumor no one knew he had suddenly crushed his windpipe and made it impossible for him to breath on his own. He had also been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Seeing him lying in a hospital bed with breathing tubes was a hard pill to swallow. Here was the boy who only a few years before had looked up at me with innocent eyes and asked me "Can I call you my big sister too?"

Both my dad and Carl are doing great. Daddy, beating the odds, is still terminal yet still fighting and refusing to give up. He's gone through chemo, radiation, experimental drugs, a stem cell transplant, and in January was lucky enough to receive a bone marrow transplant thanks to an anonymous donor. Carl is in remission and is living life as a normal seventeen year old boy, complete with driver's license and girlfriend!

However, the circle of life continues and every day someone else receives the terrifying news that they or a loved one has been diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma. Only a short while ago, a dear friend of mine e-mailed with the news that her fiance, Dominic, had been diagnosed with Lymphoma and was beginning treatments the following day.

It is for this reason that I am continuing my personal battle against these diseases by continuing to be a part of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. Team in Training fund raises for LLS while training to complete endurance events such as marathons, triathlons, and century bike rides. The money raised by Team in Training athletes goes towards funding the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's mission: to find a cure for blood cancers and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. This season will be my fourth season with this amazing group and I will be training to complete the Disney half marathon in January 2009. More than 823,000 Americans are battling blood cancers. I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.

Alex, a teenager in Titusville who is in remission from Leukemia, will be our team's honorary coach. Alex has worked with Team in Training for many years and is a great inspiration to all of us as we train and run our events. His smiling face is a great sight at the finishline.

My goal is to raise $3,000 or more by this Christmas. While I plan to have many fundraising events such as garage sales and bucket drops, I am also asking for the help of my family and friends. If it is within your means and in your hearts to do so, please make a tax deductible donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society in support of my efforts by visiting

http://pages.teamintraining.org/cfl/wdw09/nalbritton

Every penny helps and there is no gift that is too small. If you would like to see your company's logo or a personal message on the back of the jerseys of ALL the Central Florida Team in Training athletes by becoming a corporate sponsor, please let me know!

I will of course put the web site on my list of favorites on the sidebar!

Why I'm a Daddy's Girl

While spending a couple of days with Daddy, I needed to take him to the hospital for his blood work. While we were there, a "hospital friend" of his showed up. These two, who met here at the Cancer Center, have similar diagnosis and are both disabled vets. Apparently, my dad has helped this man by doing a little research and then giving him some financial advice that has helped him to pay his high medical bills. I've always said that my dad would talk to anyone and make friends with a brick wall, but he likes helping people out too. I'm proud to say that my dad is the kind of guy who will go out of his way to help a stranger, even when he has his own troubles. That's some pretty big shoes to fill, hope I'm up to it!

Dreams

A few days ago I had a dream, possibly a nightmare. I don't really remember it all that well except that right before I woke up, I was freaking out and crying/screaming while a woman I work with was holding me and trying to comfort me.

In real life, I know this woman, but I wouldn't say that we are necessarily close friends. I work with her and for the most part like her, but found it strange that in my dream I would seek her out for comfort. The next morning at work I found her and told her about it. She laughed, first saying that it is my subconscious saying that I know I can always come to her if I need anything (she knows I am about to go through another rough time in my life). But then she tells me that she recently got a dream book. In he dream book it says that bad dreams mean something good is about to happen.

I've never really believed in deep meaning behind dreams, I have always felt that it is just your conscious mind shutting down and all of the thoughts and dreams of the day mingling together and running wild.

I didn't think much about it anymore until later that evening when I was on my way to see my in-laws for dinner. They will be gone for Thanksgiving so we thought we would meet 1/2 way and have dinner together at a restaurant, little did I know that it was going to be a TRUE Thanksgiving dinner. As I was driving down the interstate I get a phone call telling me that they have finally found a bone marrow donor for my Dad! Daddy has Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a terminal blood cancer and a bone marrow transplant was our last plan of action but until now we couldn't find anyone who was a match. While this won't kill the cancer or cure my dad, it can possibly give him many more happy years with us.

I started crying, happy tears of course, and had to pull over since it was a very busy and dangerous interstate I was driving on. I called my husband, who is out of state with the Navy, who at first thought I'd been in an accident because I was crying so much I could hardly get the words out. He of course was thrilled as well.

I finally made it back on the road and to the restaurant to meet my husband's parents where I started crying again! I think I cried all night long. I didn't even have this amount of happy tears on my wedding day. I'm still tearing and shaking up as I'm typing, I'm just so happy!