Teaching compassion

So, when I get on a mission, it’s all or nothing and our Relay for Life team is getting our all! I am so thankful for the friends and family that are supporting us with donations, participation, preparation, and commitment – I couldn’t come up with another really good “tion” word. But I know in my heart that this is another way that Peyton is touching people’s lives….her cancer is the driving force that’s led us to joining this Relay, and she’s the reason for our friends to rally around her. Cancer stinks, but the good that can come out of it awe-inspiring.

Nathaniel and Rachael have been inspiring their classmates and this is growing a group of children with compassionate and loving hearts. We dropped off mason jars decorated with pictures of them with Peyton and a challenge to help fill that jar for Team Peyton. That was Tuesday, and today I had to go to both classes and empty out the jars because they were full already….and the letters of explanation had yet to go home….this was the kids doing this on their own. Rachael has raised twenty-one dollars and Nathaniel has raised thirty-five dollars towards their individual goals of one hundred. I’m so proud of them for wanting to do this, for understanding how important it is to contribute to a good cause and for being an example to their fellow classmates! Go kids!

I have to give a HUGE round of applause for Sonny’s BBQ in Brandon because they have some really awesome employees. I met Kim and Kathy there for lunch so that we could brainstorm some more ideas for Relay….and there were some seriously great ideas thrown around…just watch out for next year, ya’ll! I asked the manager for a donation for the auction we’re holding at the Relay and he committed to giving us a gift certificate…yeah!!!! But Peyton had demanded a mason jar of her own to get her own pennies. We took it to the clinic and she got some money there and all of a sudden, that jar made sense to her….if I shove this jar at people and smile pretty, they put money in it….this might be the greatest thing since chocolate milk! She held on to that jar pretty tight and took it into Sonny’s with her because she wanted to show Kathy and Kim. What I didn’t expect was the response she got from everyone around us. Waiters and waitresses were coming over to our table to talk to her and put money in her jar….people who were just there to eat were stopping by to drop their change and dollars into her jar and wish her well….that kid did nothing more than smile and look cute and managed to raise forty dollars in an hour!

My parents are going to be joining us from Daytona Beach for the Relay. This is a big deal for me because my mother had breast cancer and is doing great now. I got to be there for her during the first part of her treatment and it was a time I’ll never forget as bringing my mom and me closer together. She’ll be there as our guest and registered as a survivor. It made me a little teary today to realize that my mother and my daughter would be walking the survivor lap together, hand in hand.

Peyton’s trip to the clinic was uneventful. Her counts are still very low, her ANC is down to 300, everything else is low as well, but should make it until her chemo trip on Wednesday. We’ve been to the pool a lot lately, and the time in the sun has her looking a little tan and gives this great glow to her. Her hair is really starting to come in….Rachael said “Her head is getting all dark!” I told her “It’s not her head getting dark, it’s her hair coming back in.” This was a new thing to Rachael. I know we told her that Peyton’s hair would fall out but eventually come back, but I think she has the idea that we’re making this stuff up as we go along. Which, frankly, some of it we are….that’s how the Mayhews roll. She does have one more round of hair dropping chemo left, it may go completely shiny and start all over again, but once she’s finished Delayed Intensification and radiation, her growth should be back for good. I just hope it doesn’t come in as a mullet….I might prefer to keep her bald.

So, I have to say this…we get quite a few hits daily on Peyton’s page and we love to know that people are keeping in touch with us and keeping current with what’s going on with all of us. But I want to know who’s been here!!! Please feel free to leave us comments or messages so we know that you’ve been here….if you can deal with wading through all my ramblings, I want to read some of yours as well.

f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
—-Anissa

With our Child magazine theme in mind, I've started working on our wall of fame magazine covers. If you are a parent of a cancer child, please send me a large photo of your brave fighter so we can celebrate them! Anissa.mayhew@gmail.com