Hope for Madeleine Benefit is THIS SATURDAY

Friends and family in Northern California, if you're within driving distance to Grass Valley and can still make it home for your Easter festivities, Saturday night is the Hope for Madeleine Benefit. I invite you to come and for no other reason than to see and experience the "wedding" style event! My wonderful, AMAZING girlfriend Shawn, whom I've known since I first moved to Nevada City in January 1994, has spearheaded this incredible event. She has gone above and beyond what I ever could have imagined or asked for. She has so graciously given up time with her own family, her own children and time on top of working 40+ hours a week to fund raise, collect donations, make phone calls, and countless perfect posters, flyers, Facebook posts and events ALL for Miss Madeleine. She somehow also managed to squeeze in organizing and working the Breakfast Benefit that took place two weeks ago in less than two weeks! Shawn has pulled together all of her resources and many dear friends of ours to volunteer their time, efforts, money and creativity to make the benefit "like a wedding" - we are expecting over 150 people, several tables complete with centerpieces, a photographer, a DJ, a band, AND performing arts! Definitely a social event of the season.

I am heartbroken that we cannot attend to see old friends and personally thank each and every person coming and those who donated. I am overwhelming proud to call Grass Valley my hometown and of this "small town" community that has so openly loved my daughter. My mother, sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncle will be attending on our behalf since Madeleine has not yet been released from the hospital. (Un)fortunately Madeleine is still an exclusively breastfed baby and usually refuses a bottle after 2 ounces, so Mama cannot be away for too long; ask any infant's mother and they will tell you to be separated from their baby for several hours much less overnight is near impossible emotionally as well. 

However, we are very pleased to inform that Madeleine is doing so good, and all the doctors are very happy with how this cycle is turning out. She did have platelets last week and a blood transfusion today; she could possibly require more platelets tomorrow [Friday] depending on her am labs. For the most part, her low count period is still hovering but seems to be short, and she could be discharged by about Wednesday of next week. We received the best update today too! With stem cell transplants, we MUST wait the full 28-days before beginning the next cycle (I guess we already knew this and I forgot or didn't retain it, so it was news to me!) So if Madeleine is discharged next week, we definitely will not be starting Cycle 4 until April 20th at the very earliest - that's over a week at home! Hallelujah!! We will be SO HAPPY to have the girls at home all of us together for more than just a few days. What a blessing!

We'll keep you posted. From our family we wish everyone a very blessed remaining Holy Week and Easter festivities, and hope everyone enjoys themselves at the Benefit. Looking forward to hearing all about it!! :)