ANNOUNCING…. “12 FOR 12” …!! [Chase’s birthday fundraiser]
Can you believe it? By all rights and data, our precious Chase should have never seen a 3rd year, let alone a 12th birthday! Yet, here we are and Chase still lives and breathes joy into our family and the world around him. And on December 12th – 12/12 – he will officially be 12. A golden birthday for a golden boy. He is a miracle and we are so thankful.
This year, Chase had a very special request for his birthday fundraiser (which is running an extra day – so the whole weekend!). He wanted the money equally divided between Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation – two of his absolute favorites.
We can’t think of a more fitting plan! Lurie has brought Chase life more times than we can count, and the Rizzo Foundation has instilled so much hope – and Hope and Life go hand in hand in so many precious ways.
So after much discussion with our Lurie and Rizzo families, THIS PAGE was put together. All the funds will rest there, so we can see a grand total, and then when all is said and done, the Rizzo Family will write a check for half of the total, on Chase’s behalf, to Lurie Children’s – because of YOU, dear ones!
Would you consider making a donation? You can give $12 (or a multiple of 12…or more!) in honor of Chase’s 12 years. Every dollar counts – and it feels like it counts double this year – as the dollars will go to help a child like Chase and a family like ours – often in their most stressful, heartbreaking moments – both in the hospital with Lurie and around the country with ARFF.
With your help, we can contribute to research, resources and encouragement for so many children like Chase.
On behalf of the fighters and families supported by Lurie Children’s Hospital and the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation…
THANK YOU.
**PLEASE feel FREE to share the fundraiser link far and wide!!**
These days in the news, so there’s so much heartbreak – so much about people who use their position of influence for evil instead of good.
I can’t change the whole, but I can give you a peak into that sad news not being the only news. Yeah, maybe it’s the sad kind that sells, but quietly, powerfully, all over the world, amazing people are silently doing incredible things.
So, this weekend, let me give you a small peak into something wonderful. And I hope it will bless you as it has blessed us.
Many hospital fundraisers are well publicized, but there are some that are quiet too. This last week, we spent 24 hours with the quiet and the powerful, and dear ones, how I wish you could see what I saw…
The Lurie patient families gathering with each other and foundation staff; hugging and talking like long lost friends — because trials knit strangers together by their souls even when they’ve never met.
Lurie families and staff gather with actor, Anthony Anderson
Chase hands out Cliff bars with Julie, a member of our Lurie staff family
Lurie patients and siblings in the photo booth
The three little neuro boys – who beat their odds and defied their statistics – running and tagging and giggling through a crowded ballroom full of VIPs.
The beautiful girl – thirteen long years in a wheelchair – who pushed up onto her braces, braced her courage and body against the podium, and told her story, shouting “Isn’t that amazing?” to a standing ovation.
Ellie and Chase
The leaders of companies, the heads of foundations, professional athletes and actors – one and all treating small children with big disabilities as if the children were the heroes whose autographs were sought and whose selfies were precious.
Selfie with Robbie Gould
Selfie with Kevin Butler
The men and women who hand beautiful, expensive golf clubs without a care into the hands of small children and teaching them how to tee up and tee off.
The looks on the players faces when asked how the game is going – the shrugs and smiles and “That’s not why we’re here today. Today is for the kids.”
Chase met Mr. Butler last year and couldn’t wait to see him again this year!
The absolutely huge center for a pro football team crossing clubs like swords and falling “dead” to the ground under Chase’s cry of “surrender or die!” – all because he’s a dad too and he gets that kids are kids no matter what.
The players who paused their game (time and again) to sign their golf balls and give the kids rides in their golf carts.
Chase gets driving lessons from former Cubs pitcher, Kerry Wood
Lurie’s Aaron Conn with all the patients and siblings
More driving with Kerry
Chase and Darcy practice driving with former Chicago Bears player, Kevin Butler
The mothers and fathers who gave up their own families in the middle of crazy, busy lives to fly to Chicago on behalf of a children’s hospital.
Chase and Charlie with Anthony Anderson
The winners who took their signed football prizes in hand and turning, bowed over bald and broken children and placed the prizes in the kids’ hands instead.
Chase with Mike DeMatteo, giver of his signed football
The silent money that bought four pieces of children’s art, framed like the greats, for thousands of dollars.
The dozens holding a sign for a boy who wasn’t there because he was on the table for his ninth brain surgery – his second in two weeks.
Kerry Wood and Darcy support Team Matthew
And dear ones, so much more. So much more! I have as many small story moments treasured in my heart as Chase has fist bumps, high fives, and “Hey, do you know you’re awesome?” questions.
Chase and Robbie take a minute to perfect their lounging skills
The few pictures I took have names to them so you can see and know what and who you’re seeing, but dear ones, there are no names in the stories because they, the famous, the amazing; they wouldn’t want you to know. That wasn’t why they gathered. So, you don’t need to know all the names behind the stories, but I do want you to see a bit of their hearts.
And these hearts? Well, they raised well over $800,000 for the hospital.
Robbie Gould with the Lurie kids and members of the Ace Foundation
Robbie speaking his heart
Quietly, powerfully, people are doing incredible things.
During a recent event at Macy’s historic Walnut Room (which is a story for another blog entirely…), our family had the pleasure of meeting Jon Hansen, a news correspondent and host on Chicago’s WCIU.
Our children immediately fell in love with his energy and joy, and so, when Jon invited Chase and me to come to the west loop to record for his current events show, we were thrilled to join him.
It was a joy to talk about Chase’s cancer story, finding hope, amazing organizations, and other things that you hear me say all the time, but in truth, the best and funniest part – the show stealing element – was, of course, Chase himself. Keeping track of yourself in front of a television camera is one thing…keeping track of a squirrelly six-year-old who just discovered his mic is another thing entirely. 🙂
Somehow, 74 days have passed since I last wrote here…
There have been so many things I’d like to share with you, but I’ve let the words get swept into life business. Each weekend, I’d think “This next week, I’ll start again…” and each week would slip by while I thought of this site like a long lost friend I’ve been meaning to call.
Chase deals with moving things out of the living space…
Change of any kind is especially challenging for a child like Chase, but he weathered it nicely and wow, the look on his face when he saw the re-made room… WORTH IT.
We are so blessed!
Enjoy!
~MbM~
Our most humble thanks to Lou Manfredini of HouseSmarts TV, design ninja Nathan Fischer, and the Buikema’s Ace Hardware employees who put together this amazing gift.
Surgery went very well and Chase went into it with Lucas’ name still written on his arm. He was a complete boss and even his Panda Bear (who, according to Chase, is really a dog named “Panda Bear” who can bark and is prone to getting in doctors and nurses’ faces and screaming) behaved himself admirably.
But since waking, he has been in a lot more pain than he was last time, his anesthesia “detox” has seemed a lot more difficult, and his right eye is quite weak, so with the left eye patched, he’s been navigating like he’s blind…when he walks at all. He’s miserable, but it’s over and done now, and for that, we are very thankful.
This is the hard season — the time when we try and comfort in the middle of the damage that we ourselves have allowed. It’s guilt-producing and humbling and would break us if not for the grace of God.
We are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement!
Bob was actually able to be off for the entire day (a minor miracle), we had a dear friend show up in pre-op to encourage us, Chase’s teacher and her family sent wonderful Spider-Man gifts, his class recorded a special video for him, Tyndale staff brought us dinner, and all the doctors and nurses have become good friends in the last month. So in truth, even though it was a hard day and will probably be a rough night, we are incredibly blessed.
And I’ve been getting texts of people with their books today – my heart is full.
