Four years ago today started as a normal day with a plan to visit the doctor for Mason’s four-year old check up and quickly turned into a storm drenched punch to the gut that helped open our eyes to the world of blood cancers.  On 9/11/2009 Cutler was diagnosed with AML and immediately checked into the hospital.  Four years later we are extremely blessed to have a healthy, active, super funny, and extremely cute four-year old boy blessing us every day with laughter and frustration that any parent of a normal four-year old gets to experience on a daily basis.

While in the hospital I went through a range of emotions and often wondered why this was happening to us.  Cutler was out of the hospital six months later and we did our first Light The Night walk to help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  While attending that walk I it dawned upon me that we were now a part of another family.  A family of those touched and impacted by blood cancers.  It was then that I realized this was happening to us so that we could start doing more important things with our free time.  Since then our family has dedicated a good amount of time helping raise awareness of the great things that LLS does, raising awareness of the impact of blood cancers, and perhaps most importantly helping raise funds to help LLS drive towards their goal of helping eradicate blood cancers.

The LLS not only helps fund research (were you aware that over 50% of current cancer medicines were discovered via research for blood cancer cures?) but provides education, counseling, and financial aid to thousands of people impacted by blood cancers on a daily basis.

We were very blessed to have Cutler beat the odds and win his battle.  Unfortunately there are still too many people who are not as fortunate and so we, Team Cutler, will continue to raise money and awareness until the overall battle is won.

Please consider joining us in our effort by Lighting The Night with us on 10/26 in Frisco.  If you can’t make the walk, as many of you I will pester, are out of town then consider making a donation.  Any size donation is greatly appreciated, from $1 to $1,000,000.  I realize that sounds like I would turn you away if you tried to donate $1,000,001 but if you have much to donate please contact me so I can get something special set up for you like a free tshirt.

In order to join the team or to make a donation to the team, click on the link below.  There is a section on the right to donate or scroll to the bottom to the join the team link if you want to join us for the walk or just to create a personal site that you can use to help raise funds.

http://pages.lightthenight.org/ntx/Plano13/TeamCutler

For those local to the area, keep your eyes open for our information on our annual Lemonade Stand to be held on 10/19 where all proceeds go to the Light The Night effort.  Also, please share the heck out of this message to your family and friends.  It never hurts to ask.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at aaron@teamfricke.com.