Tuesday, August 5, 2014

State of Kind - Vermont: "The Adventures of Super Davin"




"The night is darkest just before the dawn, and I promise you, the dawn is coming." 
-The Dark Knight

When Cohen was in the hospital, and things kept seeming to get worse and worse, I kept thinking about this quote from The Dark Knight.  When he was hooked up to the ventilator in the medicated coma, I kept telling myself that this was as bad as it was going to be, and soon we would be looking back at this as a distant memory.  Well, almost 4 months since that scariest time of our lives, I can say that the quote above couldn't have been truer.  With each passing day since returning home in his Batman costume, I see my boy transforming before my very eyes in ways that I couldn't have imagined months ago.  His personality is starting to shine through (he is quite the flirt and joker), he is starting to pack on the pounds (we have to spend extra bath time cleaning out his fat rolls like he's a Shar Pei), and he has a non-stop smile that lights up every room he enters.  Recently, he had a sleep study done which will hopefully lead to a lowering of his oxygen intake and my wife has done a great job of getting him interested in feeding by mouth (like his sister Isla, he is a huge fan of avocados).  Physically, he is still a few months behind, but due to the efforts of my wife and Cohen's physical/occupational therapists (shout out Erin and Richelle!), he is starting to do a lot more. He will continue to grow, he will continue to get stronger, and he will continue to be an inspiration to my family and many others.  Because, like Batman is to Gotham, Cohen is the hero 22Q deserves and needs...along with his friend and fellow superhero, Davin.

In the fall of last year, Lindsey and I were still trying to wrap our heads around Cohen's 22Q deletion syndrome diagnosis.  We had done hours and hours of research on The Dempster Family Foundation website, prepared mentally for all of the different symptoms that could present themselves, and got medical journals from a friend of ours, but what we really needed was someone who has gone through a similar experience that we could relate to.  My wife joined many different groups on Facebook associated with 22Q /VCFS/DiGeorge in order to be a part of a community of people going through the same things.  At random, my wife reached out to a woman in one of those groups and asked if she might have some time to chat.  Thankfully, the woman, a single mother from Vermont named Kimberly, reached back out and quickly became Lindsey's go to resource for questions, concerns and for a shoulder to cry on.  Kimberly's son, Davin (or as he is known on the superhero circuit, Super Davin), was a fellow 22Q-T who had been going through his own journey (See Below) with the syndrome, so Kimberly seemed to have the answer to almost all of our questions.  Without Kimberly's help, who knows how ill prepared we would have been when Cohen was finally born.  Since Cohen's birth, Kimberly and Davin have been a source of inspiration and guidance for our family as we navigate our 22Q journey.  While Cohen was in the hospital, we became frustrated by the fact that the doctors didn't have any answers and didn't know where to turn.  Luckily, we had Kimberly there to give us ideas and questions to ask the doctors, and more often than not, she pointed us in exactly the right direction! Because of all of their help and the stress they helped take off of our chests, we wanted to be able to use the State of Kind platform to be able to thank them.

The demands (mental, financial, timewise, etc.) of a 22Q diagnosis are no easy things to navigate.  Between the doctor's appointments, hospital stays, and strict schedule/needs Cohen requires, we have had to make many changes to our lives to ensure that Cohen and Isla have the best lives possible.  I can only imagine how difficult it is for Kimberly and thankfully, her brother, Scott has been there to assist her, but again, I can't imagine how hectic life is for her.  We reached out to Scott to get an idea of some of the things that might make things easier for Kimberly and Davin.  We found out that Davin was a huge fan of NASCAR and race cars in general.  We also learned that one thing that Kimberly had always wanted but had been unable to get was professional photos done of her and Davin.  Finally, Scott told us that Davin has responded really well to certain iPad apps, but didn't have one of his own to utilize (and insurance wasn't keen on paying for one even though it helped).  At that point, we had enough information to become kindness superheroes, and we leapt into action!  First, I researched photographers around the Bennington, Vermont area and came across Carrie Ann Photography.  I sent Carrie an email inquiring about packages and pricing for a mother/son photo session.  I told her Kimberly and Davin's story and rather than responding with prices, she offered to do the session at NO CHARGE and give all of the images to Kimberly FOR FREE!  (Side note: Thank you so much Carrie for doing this. I know how much our own family photos mean to us, so I know what they will mean to Kimberly).  Next, I reached out to my mom because her company does some work with NASCAR and asked if she had any connections.  She hopped on the phones immediately, and got in touch with the team for NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.  She explained Davin's story, and Ricky sent over an autographed model of his car for Davin to have.  Finally, back in December, during an appearance on Windy City Live, I was surprised with a gift card to use on future acts of kindness.  It had been burning a hole in my pocket, and now the opportunity had presented itself for me to use it.  We would take the gift card to purchase other gift cards for Kimberly to use towards an iPad for Davin, as well as some additional funds to go towards everyday necessities, food, etc.  For his help, we also used the card to get a nice dinner at a local restaurant for her brother.  My wife reached out to Kimberly to set up a virtual playdate on Skype between Davin and Cohen as a way to present everything.  I spent the first couple of minutes pacing back and forth, nervously excited to reveal State of Kind - Vermont.  When I did, Kimberly was initially speechless, but then couldn't have been more thankful.  Kimberly, we are forever indebted to you for helping us through some of the toughest times of our lives.  You and Super Davin will continue to inspire us and many others who learn about your story!

Speaking of that story, here it is in Kimberly's own words:

"My amazing little guy has had many ups and downs during his short amount of time that he has been in this world. You could say it has been similar to riding a never ending roller coaster. As such, I’m not quite certain where to begin and where to end. So I’ll start by telling you that I have an amazing miracle who is my own personal super hero. He inspires me every single day and I am so proud of my special little man who radiates love and inspiration. He has touched more hearts and lives in his 4 years than many people do in a lifetime.  

After carrying Davin to full term, he became distressed during labor and was taken via C-section after 23 hours of hard labor.  It was three hours before I was able to even see or touch him, much less hold him in my arms, but was it worth it when I did.  He was so beautiful and I was so completely in love. However, the best day of my life quickly turned out to be one of the scariest.  Shortly after birth, Davin was put on oxygen and within 48 hours, he was transferred to another hospital that was more equipped to deal with his potentially serious issues. I had to remain in the hospital where he was born by myself because of my own complications during his birth. Shortly after, I learned how severe his issues were.  I was told over the phone at 5:30AM, alone in my room, that there was in fact something severely wrong with Davin's heart and he would require open heart surgery.  5 hours later I received yet another call telling me they were unsure if he would even be a candidate. He underwent a myriad of tests. It was a whirlwind when I was told of his multiple severe heart defects, which include TOF (Tetralogy of Fallot), severe pulmonary atresia, a VSD (ventricular septal defect), an ASD (atrial septal defect), MAPCAs (major aortopulmonary collateral arteries), right aortic arch, and a severely enlarged heart. The TOF alone was 1 in 10,000 and with everything else, he was one of the most difficult cases they had seen.  He was then also diagnosed with 22Q Deletion/DiGeorge Syndrome.  Davin is on the more severe end of the 22Q spectrum. So far (more and more issues can and have presented with time) it has been severe cardiac defects, tracheobronchomalacia, immune system issues that leave him very susceptible to becoming sick and it is harder for him to fight off illness, vaccinations don't always take or give him the amount of protection they should, pulmonary dysfunction, feeding difficulties, multiple GI issues, endocrine issues that make it necessary for regular blood draws to keep his levels balanced with medication to prevent seizures and deal with deficiencies affecting his bones among other things, ortho issues- he has osteopenia, hypotonia, pronated ankles, leg length discrepancy, bone density issues and pressure fractures in his lower back, eyes he has a stigmatism in both eyes, and exetropia. that mostly affects him when he is sick or tired.  He has survived 4 major heart surgeries, of which 3 were open heart and one was a thoracotomy. The thoracotomy saved the lower lobe of one of his lungs. Davin also has had 9 cardiac catheterization surgeries, which will always be a part of his life. He will need at least one more open heart surgery when he gets a bit older, or more.  

The first time Davin crawled was when he was 2 1/2 and began to walk a bit on his own at exactly 3 years and 2 months of age. He still doesn't speak and I am hopeful that he will someday, even though with his syndrome it is not guaranteed. He has been taking some food by mouth and has begun swallowing liquids. He is developmentally delayed in many ways due to being diagnosed with autism. Communication is a big issue.   Physical and developmental delays have honestly been a huge struggle and still are though they are improving.  He has spent almost a year and a half of his life in the hospital. He has been in and out of heart failure at times. He was also in an induced coma for 33 days after almost dying in front of my eyes from lung issues which doctors still can't fully understand and cannot explain how he pulled through.  Davin will most likely have learning disabilities, he does have some sensory issues and there is a higher chance of the development of mental issues including depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Like Davin, many children with his disorder fall on some sort of spectrum of autism as well. Davin can never be "cured" of his DiGeorge syndrome. We will always live with it and we will try to keep it in balance. His heart will never be all better but it will be better than it was and god willing, it will now sustain him with a normal life span.  Keeping him healthy is a fine balancing act but we have been doing it.  He makes many trips to Boston to see his many many specialists and they are doing a great job of keeping him stabilized. He doesn't have the nick name Super Davin for nothing!!! 

I tell people don't feel sorry for him; be proud of him and his accomplishments!! Let him inspire you as he inspires me everyday. When you look at this amazing resilient happy little boy you would never imagine the struggles and battles he has gone and still goes through.  He has a zest for life and is one of the happiest people I have ever known. He sure puts the meaning of appreciation of life into perspective. And no, if I had known then what I know now before I had him I would not change a thing. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me and the world is a better place for having him in it.

Being able to help others that are going through similar situations is also something that helps me to deal with all we've been through.  It gives the struggle a sort of purpose, a reason, a positive.  Knowing that Davin's struggles and all we've battled through can help ease those of another families is comforting. To be able to give support and help guide another family through this journey brings a sort of peace and happiness to my heart.  I feel blessed to have met the many families I would have never known if not for our journey with 22Q and the Garcia's are one of those at the top of the list." 

Sunday, June 15, 2014

State of Kind - Illinois: "The 22Q Brew"

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there.  I hope you were able to spend some time with your loved ones like I was lucky enough to do.  Becoming a father was the reason that I started 366 Random Acts and State of Kind, so today is a reminder that I needed to get to work on my acts of kindness.

A quick update on Cohen: he has been home from the hospital for the longest stretch of his young life, and we intend to keep it that way.  He is still on oxygen and a feeding tube, but is quickly chunking up, so hopefully soon those things will go by the way side.  For everything that this little boy has been through, it is amazing to me that he is probably the happiest human being that I've ever seen in my life.  If you make eye contact with him, it takes less than 3 seconds for him to glow with the widest smile ever.  These wide smiles are seen mostly when his big sister, Isla, dances and sings for him.

As I mentioned earlier, the reason for starting all of these random acts was the birth of my daughter.  I always had the idea and intention to continue them coast to coast, but I was rejuvenated after welcoming Cohen into the world.  After learning of his genetic disorder I wanted to do anything and everything in my power to make as many people learn about 22Q Deletion Syndrome as possible.  I wanted to come up with creative, abnormal, and crazy ways to get the word out there to try to reach people.  I intend to come up with a ton of new ways to get 22Q in the minds (and web browsers) of as many people as possible, so if anyone has any ideas, feel free to send them to 366RandomActs@gmail.com.

A few months back, I was having a brainstorming session for State of Kind trying to come up with what I was going to do for certain states while enjoying a beer from a local brewery here in Chicago called Pipeworks.  Pipeworks is well known for making incredibly delicious small batch beers, and one thing all of their beers have in common besides outstanding taste, is a little blurb on the side of them that tells a story.  I thought to myself "Self, wouldn't it be awesome to have a fundraiser beer with a picture of Cohen on the bottle and a little blurb to raise awareness for 22Q?," so I sprung into action to see what I could figure out.  A couple of friends of ours knew one of the owners from Pipeworks, so I reached out to her to see if the brewery might be down for something.  She said they are definitely the types of people who would be willing to help out with the cause, and so she introduced me to Beejay Olson.  I told him my family's story and what I was trying to do, and I heard back quickly from them that they were more than excited to help out.  I went to meet Beejay and his co-worker, Mike, at Pipeworks one day, and I could tell that the excitement was legitimate.  They've made it one of the goals of their business to give back to the community around them, so we are kindred spirits in that regard.  We came up with the idea to do a fundraising brew called Cohen's State of Kind, a Belgian style Witbier flavored with blueberry, hibiscus, and chamomile (due to the fact that, understandably, it isn't kosher to use the image of a baby to sling beer, we went with the awesome logo below).  Some of the proceeds from the sales of the beer would be donated to The Dempster Family Foundation (the 22Q foundation I have partnered with for SoK), and they were also donating a keg of Cohen's State of Kind to a fundraiser we will be putting on with DFF on July 12th.  Everyone was even cool enough to allow me to come in on Memorial Day to help with the actual brewing of the beer.  This past weekend, my wife sent me off to the store and as I was walking by Pipeworks (they are right around the corner from us) I saw pallets of the beer stacked up ready for distribution.  The guys were nice enough to send me home with a case, and let me tell you, the beer does not disappoint.  It is the perfect summertime brew.

The beer will be available this week for purchase around the Chicagoland area.  Here is a partial list of the retailers, but be sure to call ahead because it looks like it is going to sell out fast. The aforementioned fundraiser with Pipeworks and The Dempster Family Foundation will be on July 12th from 3-5 at Howells & Hood here in Chicago.  Tickets are available at this link.  You will have the chance to try Cohen's State of Kind as well as hang out with World Series Champion, Ryan Dempster and 2011 Chicago Sport and Social Club Kickball Champion, Ryan Garcia (me).  Also, you would be helping to raise funds and awareness for 22Q which is close to my heart.  So as the blurb on the bottle tells you come "sit back, relax and enter a new State of Kind!"




Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Where To Buy Cohen's State of Kind

Next week, Pipeworks Brewing Co. will be releasing Cohen's State of Kind to the general public.  This beer is going to help raise awareness and funding for 22Q Deletion Syndrome.  I've been asked by many people where they will be able to buy it, and I have a partial list of the locations around the Chicagoland area (in addition to those listed, all Binny's locations will carry it).  Be sure to call ahead to make sure they got their order.  Also, don't forget to buy your tickets for the fundraiser/release party on July 12th!


    
Lifes a CabernetChicage
Plum Market Old TownChicago
Prestige Wine and SpiritsDes Plaines
Binny'sGlen Ellyn
Lillies QChicago
Binny's NilesBinny's
CaponesChicago
ARMANETTI AURORAAURORA
BinnysBloomingdale
Foremost LiquorOak Forest
Liquor WorldKankakee
BinnysDes Plaines
Liquor DepotMonee
Liquor ZoneBourbonnais
Binnys Beverage DepotEvergreen Park
Sal's Beverage WorldElmhurst
Malloy's Finest Wine & SpiritsLisle
Binny's BolingbrookBolingbrook
Binny's South LoopChicago
Binny'sAlgonquin
Beer TempleChicago
BinnysBuffalo Grove
Gennaro LiquorsOak Lawn
NevadaChicago
Binnys beverage depotOrland park
Andersonville Wine & SpiritsChicago
Noble GrapeChicago
Grand & WesternChicago
Tribes AlehouseTinley Park
binny's ahArlington Heights
Binny's Grand aveChicago
Printers Row Wine ShopChicago
Lush West TownChicago
E&B LiquorsTinley Park
Lush Roscoe VillageChicago
Binny'sSt. Charles
green eye loungechicago
Vas Foremost LiquorsChicago
Go TavernChicago
Torrence LiquorsCalumet City
The Grape n Grain CoHomewood
S&A LiquorsCrest Hill
Vintage WinesBarrington
Bottles and CansChicago
Binnys Downers GroveDowners Grove
Cardinal Liquor DepotJoliet
Everett'sSouth Beloit
puerto ricochicago
Famous LiquorsLombard
Foremost LiquorsArlington Heights
The Beer CellarGlen Ellyn
Evolution Wines & SpiritsChicago
Warehouse LiquorsChicago
AMARNETTIroselle
Olivia's MarketChicago
Liquor BarnWheeling
Gene's Sausage ShopChicago
Binnys Beverage DepotNaperville
cardinal winescrystal lake
D&D Finer FoodsEvanston
Roots Handmade PizzaChicago
Gentile's Wine ShopChicago
The Art of BeerHighwood
Binny'sElmwood Park

Monday, May 5, 2014

Melanoma Awareness Month


I wanted to share the story of my fraternity brother's wife.  Recently, I have seen a few Facebook posts detailing her battle against Melanoma, as well as pictures, etc. trying to raise awareness for the disease.  I thought I would reach out in order to get her story, and to see if I could use this platform to drive even more awareness since the month of May is Melanoma Awareness month.  So I present to you Jessica's story:

"I was diagnosed with stage IV Metastatic Melanoma at age 30 in October 2013, only 3 weeks after giving birth to our first child. My symptoms started out as severe back pain at 5 months pregnancy, that the doctors just assumed was pregnancy related. The pain got even worse after Max was born and landed me in the ER, where they discovered a 2 inch tumor on my spinal cord. A biopsy revealed that it was malignant Melanoma and even worse, a PET scan showed that it had metastasized and spread to other bones in my body.

My treatment team immediately put together an aggressive treatment plan. I was to have spinal cord surgery as soon as possible to remove the tumor, followed by radiation therapy to the surgery site. In addition, I was to start an immunotherapy drug that builds up your own immune system to attack the cancer. On top of all this, we learned that Melanoma is one of only two cancers that can spread to the baby while pregnant via the placenta. Although it is extremely rare, we decided to have Max scanned regularly to be extra safe. His pediatric oncologist recommended getting him scanned via CT every 3 months until he is one year old. I ended my regular treatment at the end of January and my most recent scans have shown significant improvement and that the cancer appears to be stable, at the very worst. We are so thankful and happy that the cancer is responding to the treatment! I have started rounds of maintenance treatment, where I received one more round of radiation and will receive the immunotherapy drug once every three months to keep my immune system beefed up to demolish the cancer. We have also decided to get Max [their son] checked for Melanoma, even though it is extremely rare. We wanted to be extra safe and are happy to report that so far, he is healthy as can be and growing like a weed! We are so happy that the treatment seems to be working and are so thankful for our amazing friends and family who have bonded together to help us out in this horrible time of need. We truly believe that our wonderful support network helped make this nightmare a little easier for us. They have come together to help out with things such as babysitting during my marathon of doctors appointments and treatment, provided dinner and entertainment when we were down, raised money for medical bills, and even helped me spread awareness about Melanoma, which is very important to me! Lastly, please, please, PRETTY PLEASE go get checked out by your dermatologist! It is so important to catch this deadly, aggressive cancer as early as possible. So many people are under the impression that Melanoma is "just skin cancer" and no big deal, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Please go get checked by your dermatologist, wear sunscreen, and stay out of tanning beds! It could save your life!"

So take her advice.  Go get checked out when you see something and don't put it off.  Read more about signs of melanoma here and to book an appointment with a dermatologist, visit ZocDoc to get in ASAP!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

State of Kind Georgia: "Peachy Keen Kindness"

Things have been a little crazy on our end as of late.  Our son, Cohen, has spent most of the first 4 months of his life living at Lurie Children's Hospital here in Chicago due to complications from 22Q Deletion Syndrome (Read about it.  Learn about it.  Talk about it.).  At one point it got really scary to the point that he was in a medicated coma on a breathing machine, but he is a little tough guy and is doing a TON better at this point.  So much so that there are rumors we may actually get to go home in the next couple of weeks!!  My wife and I have had an insane schedule where we rotate days and nights in the hospital so that we can give our daughter, Isla, the attention that she deserves.  We finally got approval to bring her up to see him and both of my kids were so happy to see each other.  I'm really looking for the day when the 4 of us can be home together for good!  Since things have been kind of hectic, and I haven't been able to get away from the Chicagoland area, State of Kind has had to take a little bit of a back seat.  However, just because I can't go to the different states for each one, doesn't mean I am going to stop this journey.

Typically, I am super possessive of this blog and like to do all of the writing myself.  But for State of Kind: Georgia, the story I received from a woman named Holly was something I didn't feel as though I should (or could) change/edit it at all.  Holly is the sister of a friend and former co-worker of mine, Ashley.  Ashley emailed me near the end of last year to see if there was anything that I might be able to do to help out her sister's family.  I told her I wasn't sure exactly how I could help but I would do everything in my power to, so I decided that I would base the state of Georgia act of kindness around them.  Here is Holly's story:

"My story with cancer started in November of 2011 when my husband, David, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Prostate Cancer. It had metastasized and spread throughout his entire skeletal system, making it extremely painful for him to walk. The very same day of my husband’s cancer diagnosis, we received notice that his father passed away from bladder cancer. As we mourned his father's passing and the news of David’s cancer, incredibly a little miracle was only a day away. I gave birth to our second son Brody, a sweet, calm and healthy boy.

The next months were filled with constant testing and trips to multiple doctors in order to get a better understanding and course of treatment for my husband’s late-stage, terminal cancer. We stayed strong, prayed, but understood that our lives and relationship had changed forever overnight. We knew we would have to be strong for each other, as well as our two young sons.

Pray as we might, our journey seemed to become more muddled than clear. Over Memorial Day weekend 2012, my father passed away from pancreatic cancer. Then in June 2012, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colorectal/Colon Cancer. Talk about feeling like your life was spinning out of control! When I heard my diagnosis, I didn't cry. All I kept thinking was I have to be strong and I HAVE to fight this! I HAVE to be there for my babies. At least one of us needs to be around for our young children I remember telling myself.

Things quickly progressed with my treatment. Brody was six months old at the time and I had to stop nursing him in order to undergo treatment. That was especially emotional for me, but I knew I had to take care of me in order to ultimately take care of him and his older brother. I had many procedures and tests, including six weeks of both chemotherapy and radiation that started in the middle of July. Considering the location of my cancer; radiation was really tough, but I made it through and continued to work every day. I would teach my third grade class, then drive to radiation (25 consecutive days), drive home and take care of the kids, house, and husband. We ultimately had to give up our two dogs, Ginger and Peanut because we could no longer give them the love and attention that they needed. It is and has been a crazy and physically painful time, but God gives you the strength you need, when you need it!

In October of 2012, I had surgery that removed my entire rectum. My surgeon rebuilt a new one for me using the healthy parts of my colon. I then had 17 lymph nodes removed and a total hysterectomy, due to the cancer spreading to my reproductive system. A temporary colostomy bag was attached to my abdomen to take over the job of my colon and digestive system.  In December 2012, I started an additional 6 months of chemotherapy.  I had my last chemo treatment in May 2013 and my colostomy reversal performed in June 2013. Throughout my whole treatment I continued to work, only taking Thursdays off. I had treatments every other Thursday, but returned to work each Friday.  God blessed me and allowed my body to endure the treatments. Though I had side effects of nausea, fatigue, etc..; I never became too sick to post pone or prevent treatment.  I am proud to say that today I am cancer free!

My husband underwent various treatments to help slow his prostate cancer and rebuild the strength of his bones. He had ups and downs and ultimately passed away on December 25th, 2013 after a courageous 2 year battle.  David was such a champion and fought hard and was so strong.  He always stayed positive, had faith, and never gave up hope.  David never felt sorry for himself and rarely told anyone of his or my battle with the disease.  He never wanted cancer to define who he was… In fact, he amazingly continued to work and provide for his children and myself until 3 weeks before he passed away. Most importantly David and I were a team; we helped each other and loved each other unconditionally and especially during our illnesses. We kept each other and our family going, which was our first priority.


The lesson that I have learned through all of this is to never give up hope and to always be grateful for the blessings that God gives you… especially during your darkest moments.  Remember, no matter how dark that tunnel seems, look for the light…there will be one to guide you to the other side…"

The fact that, even with everything that she has gone through over the past year, Holly can still remain positive and hopeful for the future is extremely inspiring to me.  It is especially touching to me given everything that has been happening with our son over the past few months.  Any time I've had negative thoughts creep into my head, or when I get dejected, I think about how Holly has remained positive and it helps me.  

Since I was stuck here in Chicago, I needed help if I was going to be able to pull of a State of Kind all the way in Georgia, so I reached out to some friends, new and old, to assist with it.  The first thing I thought was that, with her husband gone, there were probably things around the house that needed to get done that he may have done in the past.  So I reached out to Adam Loggins from Sunnyscapes LLC of Roswell, and he offered to provide monthly lawn care and maintenance to Holly for 2014.  This will make it so Holly doesn't have to worry about her lawn turning into the African Serengeti, though I am sure the "frigid" Atlanta winter may keep that from happening as well.  I also wanted Holly to be able to get away from the stress of everyday life, and relax to take a day just for herself.  So thanks to Tom Winegar and the folks at Renew Day Spa in Marietta, Holly will be able to get a day of spa services, massage, etc. where she can just unwind and chill out for a bit.  Finally, I wanted to be able to do something for Holly's two sons so that they could have an awesome day as well.  During 366 Random Acts, Kyle Korver, then of the Chicago Bulls, and his brother Klayton donated an autographed pair of shoes to be used for a fundraiser that I was attending for a young boy fighting liver issues.  I reached out to Klayton because Kyle is now on the Atlanta Hawks, and they, along with Marissa from the Hawks, were more than happy to help out.  The team has invited Holly and her sons to be guests of honor at tomorrow's game vs the Cleveland Cavaliers.  They will have the opportunity to come down to the court for pre-game shootaround, meet Kyle and the players, and watch the game from awesome seats! 

As is the case with all of my acts of kindness, I wouldn't be able to do them without the help of awesome, giving people, some of which I've never even had the opportunity to meet in person!  So thank you so much to Sunnyscapes, Renew Day Spa, and the Hawks for helping to put together the State of Kind: Georgia. Also, thank you to Holly for being an inspiration to me, and probably many others who are going to read this.


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The Story of My Wife

The past few months have been incredibly difficult due to the hospitalization of my son.  You would think with a child in the ICU and sleeping on a hospital couch for most nights, I would have lost my mind by now, but that hasn't been the case.  The biggest reason for the maintenance of my sanity has been having my wife by my side to keep me positive and grounded.  I love her so much for being the driving force in balancing time spent with my daughter at home and making sure my son is getting the best possible care/treatment possible.  Her birthday was this past Sunday, so I wanted to do something special for her to show her how much she means to me.  I reached out to the awesome folks at Jokes 4 Miles, a terrific non-profit whom I had done a couple of my 366 Random Acts with before, and they helped me in the creation of my wife's present.  So without further adieu, I present to you The Story of My Wife by No Direction.


Thursday, March 6, 2014

The Final Stretch/Cohen Update


The picture you see is of a little boy who has been through a ton the past couple of months.  This was taken while he was awake after being sedated and on a breathing machine.  It shows that, regardless of everything that has happened to him (ventilators, surgeries, assorted procedures), he hasn't lost his smile.  It is because of that smile that I am going to do everything I can to raise money for the hospital that has given him incredible care since the day he was born.  In 2 days, I will be participating in the Chicago Dance Marathon to raise money for Lurie Children's Hospital.  If you have the ability to donate, it is much appreciated.  If not, please help by sharing, tweeting, emailing, etc. to anyone you know who may!

http://foundation.luriechildrens.org/goto/SteppinForCohen

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Please Help Cohen Say "Thank You!"

My son is finally home, hopefully for good this time, after a lengthy stay at Lurie Children's Hospital due to a number of complications due to his 22Q Deletion Syndrome.  The care that we received during our stay there was incredible, both from a medical standpoint and from the way the personal treatment of the doctors, nurses, social workers, and case managers.  I could thank them every day for the rest of my life, and it wouldn't fully express the gratitude my wife and I have for their help.  Since it would be difficult to say "thank you" to each person, I've decided to show my thanks the best way I know how, through an act of kindness.  So on March 8th, I will be strapping on some comfortable shoes and an obnoxious outfit, and will dance for 13.1 straight hours for the The Chicago Dance Marathon benefitting Lurie Children's Hospital.  All proceeds raised will go to the institution that helped my son, and so many other children across the Midwest and beyond.  If you have the means, please donate to the cause here.  If things are tight right now, please share on Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Now I must work out my quads and hamstrings so I don't lock up while trying to pop N lock. 


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Coming Soon: State of Kind #2

Hello all!!  I apologize for being off the grid the past few months.  I will have a full update when I post the next state of kind, but life has been crazy hectic since my son was born November 29th.  As I stated on the last post, he was born with a genetic issue called 22q Deletion Syndrome (learn more about it here) and that has lead to us spending most of the past 2 months at Lurie Children's Hospital.  The care we have received there has been tremendous, and I have a couple of things planned to give back as a thank you for everything they've done to help Cohen (especially those wonderful nurses).  In the mean time, I have an awesome, super easy, and free act of kindness for everyone to take part in.  Lurie (my son's hospital) is trying to get 10,000 people to send over a Valentine's Day message for the kids who will be in the hospital on the holiday.  There are many children there who are not able to see their friends or family for an extended period of time, and receiving a special message will be wonderful for them.  As I said, it is incredibly easy and can be done here.  So keep an eye out for the next State of Kind...it'll be a real peach.