Tragedy to triumph.
Have you ever looked around and realized that one of the most tragic things in your life may have also become the greatest blessing?
Today, Chris and Brady made the eight hour trip back to Philadelphia.
Tomorrow morning Brady will have the first of several more biopsies thought the year to monitor the status of his HuCart fighter cells and see if he gets to be one of those patients marked in the “cured” column thanks to this clinical trial.
But the eight hour drive wasn’t the remarkable thing from today.
The remarkable thing was again realizing how much good has come from this cancer we have been faced with.
It is high risk.
It is one of only 65 cases in the world.
It is refractory (meaning resistant to treatment).
It has relapsed.
It has caused us to look to outside the box for treatments and trials.
It has also lead to the most meaningful mission we could have imagined.
And tonight it is on the brink of becoming more than we could have ever hoped for.
Tonight, tucked in at the hotel with Chris and Brady are 300 Battle Pups.
In our first trip to Philly the child life team asked that we bring 50. So they could get a feel for them and learn more about our mission.
Once we arrived and got the first 50 pups delivered, the team was so excited.
We talked to one of the social workers at length and were dreaming together of what this mission could evolve into.
For them, in the hospital, so many foundations have specifications on who or how many are allowed to receive donated items.
There is so much legality and red tape that it is so hard for them to meet the needs of this hurting in a moments notice.
We, however, are the first ones who are looking to reach hospital wide through each and every department.
Pulmonary. Heart center. Mental health. Physical therapy. Oncology. Optical. Sports medicine. Grief counseling.
You name it. We want to help.
Why? Because everyone is fighting a battle. And most them go unseen.
There is no special month or ribbon dedicated to the battles that so many are faced with.
There is no month for the kid that lost their parent.
There is no month for the siblings ripped apart because of addiction.
There is no month for those paralyzed after an accident.
There is no month for “the weight I’m carrying feels too heavy for me and I feel like I can’t breathe.”
So after seeing the impact that the first 50 Battle Pups had on the patients and families that recovered them, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia wanted as many pups as we could fit to bring.
The first, and one of the most prestigious, pediatric hospital in the country, wants our pups for their brave families.
And they want to tell other hospitals about them too.
I’m going to just let that sink in for a minute.
Sometimes we need reminded of just how much God loves us. And how much he desperately wants to use every single part of our story to further his kingdom.
Nothing takes Him by surprise.
He is the creator. The healer. The way maker.
He plan’s everything according to his purpose.
And.
He will use everything for the good of those who love Him.
His word says it so we know it to be true.
“we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Brady’s cancer began this calling, this mission.
And his relapse is making it soar to new heights.
We have over 2,000 battle pups that are sitting in our garage ready to meet their warriors, and 3,000 more being delivered this week.
We are ready.
Ready to fly.
Ready to grow.
Ready to watch miracles unfold.
Armed with strength.
Shields up.
Swords out.
It’s about to get real,
Kristin
“You have brought blessings out of a tragedy”
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If you know of a warrior going through a battle or would like to donate towards our mission, you can go to our website www.waytobattle.com
If you are a school, counseling office, hospital, or agency and would like to discuss becoming a Way to Battle partner, shoot us an email at waytobattlebrady@gmail.com
Together, we will make sure no one battles alone.