I'm so excited for you to be part of our 9th Annual Kettlebell Swing-A-Thon benefitting Casey Cares!  This will be my 8th consecutive year participating. Casey Cares provides much needed uplifting experiences to critically ill kids and their families. 

Last March, my youngest Capri, got sick and was just not getting better. We got blood work done and were told to go directly to AAMC asap. Once there we were immediately transported to Childrens Hospital in DC. That night Capri was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Our options were extensive chemotherapy or hospice. Words can’t describe how it feels hearing those words while holding her little hand. 

After a month in the hospital, chemotherapy, endless blood transfusions, and treatments she recovered enough to be released and the weekly visits to the hospital began. Along the way she lost her hair, was poked, jabbed, spent hours driving back and forth. But kept smiling. As she continued to improve she was moved to monthly hospital appointments. That’s where we are now. She still takes multiple medicines daily and we have to watch her temperature closely. Her hair is coming back and she’s very much her old self. She sits at the end of the table at dinner and likes to ask each person their favorite part of their day:). She’s not out of the woods but her prognosis is good and better each month. She’ll be four years old this June.

The reason I shared all of that is to show that although I’ve been raising money for Casey Cares for literally years. I never understood the true impact of their work. When something like this happens the sheer magnitude and impact is hard to imagine. Beside the obvious pain and anguish. There is an enormous amount of time spent. Capri became the top priority. I have four children. Everyone makes sacrifices.  That’s where Casey Cares shines. One of the kids favorite Casey Cares offerings was a pre-packaged movie night they sent us, with pajamas for all the children, gift cards for pizza and movie rental; creating a special night for us to spend together. They are always offering tickets to events that when you are swamped with medical bills, you’d just never be able to justify or consider. We pass on the vast majority of the offerings because I want them to go to those less fortunate. But the ones that we have accepted have really really been nice. The focus is on the family.

Here we are a year into her treatments and Casey Cares is still messaging me weekly, looking for ways to help make my family’s experience better. I really can’t hold them in any higher regard. And this year, Capri is coming to do her part, swinging her own little kettlebell to help raise money for other struggling families.Thank you so much for reading this and considering donating to this amazing, thoughtful charity ❤️💪🏼