Spring Blossoms
Catie Team,
Spring is popping out all over. The illegally planted crocuses in front of Catie’s grave, (Christine made me do it) are popping and so are the prayers for Catie’s Kids and an end to pediatric cancer. (We planted purple, Catie’s favorite and they are coming up yellow which is the color of Hope). Just a few days ago, we asked that you join us in prayer so that we could record one million prayers for the eradication of pediatric cancer. With Catie’s birthday April 23rd just over a month away, we are pulling out all the stops, contacting prayer groups, colleges, Adoration Societies, Convents, Nursing homes etc. to invite and inspire people to join us, and it is our humble request that you do the same. We have been blessed by the Sisters at EWTN who will be in 24 Hour Eucharistic Adoration until Catie’s birthday praying for a future when no child ever has to hear the words that Catie heard, “you have cancer and there is nothing we can do to stop it.”
I can remember when we met with Dr. Phillips at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and were trying to determine what kind of tumor Catie had and what the best options were. There was the St. Jude protocol, (the one Catie eventually participated in at St. Jude), and a protocol from Boston Children’s Hospital. Like all parents faced with two options and only one chance to save our child, we asked which one offered Catie the best chance at survival and a future. Dr. Phillip’s answer was that it would take fifty years because of the rarity of Catie’s tumor to have enough patients on the two protocols and be able to determine which one had a greater degree of success. While we were crestfallen, Catie chimed in from across the room, “that’s ok, I’m only seven, we have time.”
What childlike faith, hope, and optimism. Unfortunately, doctors and parents are having similar conversations to the one we had with Dr. Phillips at hospitals across the country today and they need our prayers. Over 20,000 prayers have been said in the last 3 days. We may never know God’s response. Perhaps there is a child today that we will never know about who had one rogue cell that was about to begin to rapidly reproduce, and because of you storming heaven, that cell died instead and that child’s life was spared. Perhaps a parent, under the strain of having a sick child, daunting financial responsibilities, chose not to abandon his family and leave his marriage, because of your prayers.
Please log on today to www.catieswish.org/praytoday and say a prayer. Say a Rosary and log 60 prayers. Go to church for an hour and log 60 prayers. If you go with someone else, log 120 prayers. If you sing a prayer, log it twice because singing is praying twice. Know that as you pray for Catie’s Kids, we are praying for you. We have one seventh grade Religion class who are praying at the beginning of each class together. That is 44 prayers. They add up….once you start!!
Pray today and pass it on. The prayer you say today will make a difference in a child’s tomorrow and it will make a difference in your life as well!
Christine, Kevin, Maggie, Max, Mia, Molly, M.E., and always Catie
