Anything You Can Do

I had a busy weekend, chock full of family, assorted social events, and my introduction to the cinematic atrocity that is Howard the Duck. And of course, I attended the dinner in the “winning” outfit that you selected.

And while I will write about all that very soon, it’s going to have to wait for a bit. You see, I need to ask you all to help me with something. Something much bigger than me, and something much more important than the types of things with which I usually request your assistance.

As many of you know, I went to BlogHer this past summer, and roomed with the lovely Emily. Not only did we have a great time together in Chicago, but we’ve also maintained a close email/blog friendship since then. Unfortunately, Emily recently emailed me with some very sad news: Her good friends, Brian and Katie, have a little girl (also named Emily) who has just been diagnosed with cancer. Specifically, a cancerous tumor the size of a baseball at the base of her brain.

Emily is 16 months old.

She’s a trooper, though, and miraculously made it through a 12-hour surgery, where doctors were able to remove 50 to 70 percent of the tumor. Still, the cancer has spread to her spine, and she has a long road ahead of her which will likely involve a lot of chemotherapy.

Although they live in the DC area, Brian and Katie have decided that Savannah is the best place for Emily’s treatment. They are going to be staying there for an undetermined amount of time while the doctors do what they can to get Emily cancer-free. In order to make this work, Brian, a teacher, had to take an unpaid leave of absence. Katie is a stay-at-home mom. Obviously, their priority now is spending as much time with Emily as they possibly can, and doing whatever it takes to make sure their little girl gets better.

Just thinking about their expenses right now has my mind reeling. Their bills are going to be staggering, particularly considering that they have no income right now. And so, when my friend Emily asked me to spread the word about their situation, I of course told her I would. I wanted to help in any way I could, and publicizing it here is one of the ways I’m doing it.

And as for what I wanted from you? If nothing else, please go to Emily’s blog and read the full story of this wonderful family, and this unfortunate situation they're going through. Please have them in your thoughts and prayers. They’ve told Emily that--more than anything else--that’s what they need right now. If you want to help out with their expenses, anything would help, and Emily has set up a “donate” button on her site.

Should you want to spread the word even more, consider linking to Emily’s post in one of your own this week, and getting the word out to your own readers. I truly thank you so much in advance for anything you do.