Today marks the 3rd anniversary of Zoe’s transplant. She’s healthy, she’s happy, and we really do know how fortunate we are. Zoe and I baked brownies yesterday, cut them into hearts and frosted them pink for school today. Generally we do cupcakes but I happened to have brownie mix instead so we went out on a limb this year. She promptly called me from her Dad’s phone after school today to tell me that our pink heart brownies were a hit. She gave 23 away to her teachers and classmates. She has one left over which she said she is giving to  her Dad.

As I sit and type this little note, I am charging her Heartiversary present, a Nook simple. It was originally planned as a Christmas gift, but I’ve decided it’s better suited as a Heartiversary gift instead. While she is away at her Dad’s this weekend I’ll get it all charged and loaded with some books for her to come home to Sunday. Her ipod touch was stolen a little over a month ago and I’m hoping the Nook helps make-up for the fact that some people just suck. Plain and simple.

You know who doesn’t suck though? (nice segway huh?) Organ donors! Everyday that I get to look at Zoe and marvel at the young women she’s becoming, I say a little thank you to the boy and his family who have made this all possible. Today above all other days I wish I could personally give thanks to our donor family and attempt to find the words to express my undying gratitude. I wish they could look at my Zoe and see a little of the boy they loved so much in the girl that I love.

Quick update on past events: This school semester has been especially gruelling for me which is why I am just now telling you all about the amazing opportunity we were given at the end of September. Apparently our little talk at the LifeBanc walk was such a hit that we were asked to do it again at Lifebanc’s 25th Anniversary Gala. The event took place at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel. Zoe was asked to escort the 3 award winners to the stage and later in the evening we were asked to speak again. It was an unforgettable evening and we were truly honored to be a part of it.

Zoe and I with Bobby, our escort for the evening.

Race times have been posted. Here’s how our team faired in the 5k race:

5k Men 13-18:

Ian Jones 24 out of 25 with a finishing time of 0:38:15

5k Men 45-49:

Tom Jones 6 out of 17 with a finishing time of 0:29:06

5k Women 30-34:

Meg Ashdown 7 out of 27 with a finishing time of 0:29:05

Christina Snider (Woo Hoo) 12 out of 27 with a finishing time of 0:31:18

5k Women 40-44:

Sharon Keischer 5 out of 23 with a finishing time of 0:30:15

Also, According to the listing on www.lifebanc.org Team Zoe’s Heart had another runner. I don’t know how accurate it is since my name and Sharon’s name weren’t listed as being associated with a team and we obviously were.

Also in the Womens 5k 30-34: Danielle D’Andrea 24 out of 27 with a finishing time of 0:41:28

Danielle – If you did indeed run for my daughter please contact me! I’d like to thank you.

Sharon, Ian, Med, and Tom – I’d say we represented pretty well for Team Zoe’s Heart. I can’t thank you enough for doing this and I hope we can all do it again together next year. I promise I’ll try to keep up a little better. ;)

If you want to see some photos taken during the event you can view them here http://www.proeventphoto.com/main/lifebanc-gift-of-life-walk-run/. I can’t post them since they are copyrighted. I can tell you where to find us at though. I was only able to sift through and find the runners finishing pictures. Under the runners category: Meg is photo 253 & 405, Tom is photo 254 & 407, Sharon is photo 258 & 428 , I’m photo 297 & 447,

The 2011 LifeBanc Gift of Life Walk & Run is over. Team Zoe’s Heart was an amazing success this year. I’m confident we exceeded my fundraising goal and I’m so proud of my team for all their hard  work including, but not limited to, showing up at Blossom at 7:30am. We joined more than 2,000 people who up for this event in its 13th year.

Our team included 6 runners and 21 walkers. I’ll post our times in the 5 & 10k as soon as LifeBanc releases them.

I was honored that LifeBanc would ask Zoe & I to speak at the event and share our story. I managed to sum up our gratitude to both LifeBanc and Zoe’s donor in under 3 minutes and Zoe took her microphone and gave her own little speech of thanks. That little girl routinely amazes me. She has no fear. Cool as a cucumber she gets up in front of 2,000+ people and thanks LifeBanc for giving her a second chance at life. Nothing shakes this kid and she is my gift everyday.

LifeBanc: I’ve walked for them, I’ve run for them,  I’d fly for them if I could.

Team Zoe's Heart 2011

The interview with Lynna from channel 19 news went fantastic this morning! Zoe was such a star. The interview will be broadcast Thursday August 11th during the 5 and 10pm newscasts.

Also, LifeBanc has asked us to speak at the Walk & Run event on Saturday!

Zoe, Nikki, and I will be doing an interview on Wednesday August 10th regarding the LifeBanc Gift of Life Walk & Run and Team Zoe’s heart. Hadie from LifeBanc called me earlier this week and asked if I would be willing to share Zoe’s story and talk about why we participate in this event. I couldn’t dial the phone fast enough to return her call! I’m honored that they would ask me and Zoe to do this. Naturally, I included Nikki in this because she is a driving force behind everything we do. Without my sister and her crazy networking skills we wouldn’t have the success we have in getting Zoe’s story out there and educating people about the importance of organ donation.

So watch ch. 19 news next week to see Zoe, Nikki, and I talk about the importance of organ donors and why we walk/run for LifeBanc!

It’s that time again everyone! Time for the LifeBanc Gift of Life Walk & Run. This year I will be running the 5k. I have a few potential fellow runners for the team and quite a few walkers for the event. We’ve got team Zoe’s Heart back together and my hope is to make it bigger and better than last year. Here are the event details:

When: Saturday August 13, 2011

Where: Blossom Music Center

Time: Registration begins at 7:30am and the opening ceremony is at 8:30am. The runs and walk kick off after that.

To join our team or make a donation to the team please visit our team page: http://lifebanc.donorpages.com/2011GiftofLifeWalkRun/ZoesHeart/

My sister has been on me to update the site soooooooo here you go Nikki! I apologize in advance but this will probably be long. My lack of update hasn’t been for lack of happenings. It’s been due to laziness pure and simple. I’ll start at the beginning and do my best to keep things in order.

Zoe’s Birthday: Zoe turned 9 back in March. We celebrated at Build-a-Bear Workshop then had cake and ice cream at home with the whole family.

This is the whole Motley Crew with their new additions to the vast build-a-bear family

Little Solider Girl with her marching buddies

Zoe’s persistent cough is finally starting to go away. 3 and 1/2 months, 6 doctors, 4 rounds of antibiotics, 1 round of steroids, an inhaler, 2 eye drops, and 1 nasal spray later. The transplant team sent her over to see a pulmonologist a few weeks ago. He ran some tests and wanted to try a short course of steriods. If that didn’t work he wanted to schedule her for a bronchoscopy. Bronch’s are unpleasant procedures at best. The patient is awake, but under light sedation. Their nasal passages, throat, and vocal chords are sprayed with a numbing agent so that a tube with a camera (scope) can be passed into the nose, down the back of the throat, and into the lungs. The doctor can then biopsy the lungs if needed, see any growths/fungi/general yucky stuff growing, and do a saline rinse to clean the lungs out. The Pulmonologist got in contact with Dr. Boyle since he’s Zoe’s “gate keeper” about scheduling the procedure. Dr. Boyle is opposed to this procedure for Zoe. It’s unpleasant and kids can come out worse than they went in. It’s just not a good idea to introduce foreign objects into the lungs of an immuno-suppressed but otherwise healthy child. He says maybe someday down the road, but not now. He met with the transplant board and they decided to take her off her blood pressure medication instead of doing a bronch. We stopped the norvasc last Tuesday and her cough has continued to improve all week. She didn’t cough all day yesterday and only 2 or 3 times this morning. Once again, Dr. Boyle saves the day.

Zoe had her biopsy last Friday. The results were 1a and 0 again, which are as  perfect as we could possibly ask for. The only way they could get better is double 0′s. She’s past another transplant milestone, the 2 year mark. She sees Dr. Boyle in April (4 months as opposed to 2) and her next biopsy in June/July (6 months as opposed to 4). She’s pretty psyched. We are blessed and grateful.

While recovering in the unit from her biopsy Zoe made a new transplant friend. His name is Lane and he is also 8 years old. Her received his new heart last month just before Christmas. According to his mom he was a pretty sick little boy before transplant and was placed on the Berlin Heart while he waited for a heart to become available. He’s had some complications with rejection so far but to look at him you wouldn’t know he had ever been sick. He’s a very lively kid and his biopsy results from Friday were improved. The kids exchanged phone numbers and Zoe is pretty happy to  have another transplant friend. After losing Melanie and Aly, I think she’s been a little lonely for someone who understands what it’s like to be her.

Zoe stayed up to watch the ball drop last night much to my dismay. I was ready to hit the hay by 11pm but she went strong until midnight. It’s been a few years since she’s watched the ball drop & I think she was a little let down. lol The countdown started and the ball dropped and I looked at her and said Happy New Year! Her smile drooped a little and she looked at me & said, “That’s it”?! Yup. That’s it. Poor kid. I don’t what she expected but I’m thinking what she got wasn’t it. She did inform me that she would like to see the ball drop in Times Square sometime. Gabe was game until I told him that you have to stand around in that crazy crowd for a loooooooonnnnnngggggg time before the ball drops though. Naturally that didn’t deter Zoe. She still wants to go. We’ll see.