25 « October « 2012 « Frank's Place

So me and the misuses (Tracy) are doing our first charity event. Well second actually. A lot of you read about the big fundraiser UT Medical had where they interviewed Tracy and a few other parents about the experience in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. If not, you can see that here: Four weeks and Famous.

But this is our first event since bringing Anne Marie home in July. Surprisingly, it’s not for her, or for premature babies, or for the NICU at all. It’s the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a walk for Breast Cancer Awareness. While we were in our little bubble of going to the hospital every day for four months, sometimes twice a day, life apparently moved on every where else for most.

In that moving on, my little sister heard words no one wants to hear. “You have breast cancer.” Of the eight of us siblings, she’s definitely the talker. She was rendered speechless, for an entire day. So shaken was I, that a day and a half passed before I could even muster up the courage to call her, fearing I would not be able to keep my composure. I’m actually struggling as I type this.

As I said she’s the talker out of the eight of us, and probably the toughest, and my five sisters are as tough as they come. My two brothers are the oldest of our brood and I remember plenty of times where my oldest sister Jane, and my little sister Kathy, would have both of them cowering in a corner or fleeing for their lives out the front door; chasing them with a hair brush or a long piece of orange Hot Wheels track. We had some wicked bare knuckle fights when we were little. She has become sort of the engine of the family and we call her The Warden for good reason.

It took her about a day or so to get up off the mat and make a plan. Not unlike her frequent trips to The Container store, she has this whole deal organized.

Tracy and I want to help, but we live 700 miles away. So Tracy has organized a team to run, (ok probably walk), in the 3 mile Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure event here in Knoxville. It’s a small thing, but it’s what we have at the moment.

Here’s the ask. If you would like to help us in this endeavor go to Tracy’s team web site and drop some pennies. Any amount is appreciated. Team Tracy: Race for the Cure

Here are a few shots I know I’ll be in trouble for. This was my father’s 80 birthday in 2009. Kathy is the bottom left.

Jimmy, Tommy, Jane, Carol, me, Susan, Mary Grace, Kathy, Mom and Pop.

This next shot is after some arduous camera instruction by Kathy. As I said there is a reason we call her The Warden. The inmates were starting to revolt.