Mighty Hero Alanya

Meet Beautiful Alanya our Mighty Hero for January. Below her mother Kristine shares her story.

Alanya had been sick for a couple of weeks in May 2014, throwing up each morning and then being fine for the rest of the day. I took her to her pediatrician every week and they said it was ear infection, then stomach bug after some blood tests. Memorial weekend I took her to ER and they did CT scan since that was the only option we really had left. They found a mass in her brain and gave the option of life flight to Las Vegas or Salt Lake City children's hospitals. It was no brainer and we were on a jet to Salt Lake City to Primary Children's Hospital. She went into surgery first thing the next morning for a 7 hour brain surgery. The mass was almost as big as a baseball. The next day there was an MRI that showed there was still some tumor left and they felt it was best to go in and get as much out as possible. The next morning Alanya went into her 2nd brain surgery, 4 hours this time. The tumor was about the size of a deflated grape. There was another MRI and the doctors were confident they got as much as they could. She was in the hospital for over a week as the drain for the fluids in her brain had to be weaned out and she needed to show signs of progress for movement, speech, and eating. On June 5th we were able to take her home where her 4 year old brother was a great motivator in helping her stand and start walking again. We then had to wait for the final pathology to come back and it was Stage IV Medulloblastoma. The most common type of brain cancer in children. The oncology doctors plan was to start high dose chemotherapy right away to kill any cancerous cells left behind. In July 2014 I took Alanya to Primary Children's Hospital to start her first round of chemo where she was hospitalized for 3 weeks. It was so hard on her little body and being stuck in the small hospital room was hard for her to understand. She went on to receive 5 rounds of chemo over five months. In January 2015 she received a Bone Marrow Transplant, her own, and we stayed at Ronald McDonald House for the 100 day waiting period for her to be released to go home. Her brother, Markus (5), came up to be with us and try to have a somewhat normal life with weekly visits to PCH. On March 10, Alanya's 3rd birthday, we were able to leave and go home. Her 3 month scans were as perfect as we could ask for! Her doctor's were all optimistic for her future and having beat the cancer. Diagnosis. Alanya had her 6 month followup MRI in August 2015 and it was not good. She had tumors in her brain and it had spread to along her spine. The most worrisome tumors were in her spine pressing against what controls bladder and her ability to walk. We knew she would need radiation and chemo and asked if it would be possible to do her Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World to meet the princesses. After an amazing week in Florida Alanya and I headed to PCH for port placement and the start of radiation. She was quickly losing her ability to walk so after only 3 radiation treatments she was hospitalized to get a quick MRI and the plan to get her in for a 7 hour surgery the next morning. The drastic changes and spread of tumors along her spine was shocking. Her surgery with neurosurgeon and orthopaedic surgeon ended up being a long 10 hours. Followed by 48 hours of her having to lay flat and trying to keep on top of her pain with morphine. After a week in neurotrauma unit the doctors agreed they needed to not wait the 2 weeks they normally would after such a major surgery and begin the radiation again. 2.5 weeks into radiation they did another MRI and there were not enough changes in the right direction and the doctor said it was UNLIKELY she would BEAT THE CANCER. Not zero but not great. That was the hardest thing to hear since her original diagnosis was pretty strong that she could beat cancer with high dose chemo. She finished her full brain and spine radiation in October (6 weeks staying at the Ronald McDonald House). The first time driving home after her spine surgery was almost 1.5 months after surgery and instead of 4.5 hour drive it was almost 8 hours because of all the extra stops. She is doing so much better now and it takes about 6 hours still but she doesn't scream it is hurting anymore. She did get a lot of her function in her legs back and her bladder function has gone back to normal. All things the doctors were unsure if she would ever get back.

Alanya loves to sing, dance, and play with her brother. She plays dress up as Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel, and Cinderella. Since the spinal surgery she is able to stand against our couch and will sing and move arms to the Kinect game for XBox JUST DANCE. She is still unable to walk on her own but has come so far and is holding my hands and walking carrying her own weight. HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Alanya absolutely loves princesses. She looks up to her big brother Markus. In my own mind she is the hero and I have told her and asked if she understands what it means. She says yes and I have explained it to her. Again she is young and has favorite people and things. Markus who is almost 6 years old and adores his sister. He wants to help her walk every day and when she is only moving around crawling he is down on the floor beside her. He is supportive in his own way. He loves all the marvel super heroes and has worked hard to learn all the Princesses his sister likes.

My life revolves around the kids and it is Alanya's journey that I have to be right there beside her through the good and the bad. I have not had a job since Sept 2015 when I was let go from my marketing job for the second time when I realized I would be gone at least 6 weeks with radiation treatment. I am blessed to have had friends and a great mother help me financially to allow me to be the mom at home with the kids because of all Alanya's extra needs. It is difficult for me at times just because I know I am able to provide for my kids but have needed so much help recently. Looking for part-time work so I can be home and still be paying bills, which are still part of life even when cancer hits.

Through all of this cancer journey my children keep me going. I have also met so many families with different trials and obstacles of their own child health issues and we use each other for strength. We have experienced so much support from family and friends. I try to make every day with the kids positive and I try to be positive about the here and now as well as the future. It has been much more difficult the second time around because I truly thought she beat it the first time. I do believe in miracles and we pray that Alanya gets her miracle and we do everything possible to keep her happy.

Go to www.psiadoreyou.com and donate to Alanya. Every penny of your donation will go to Alanya and her family. All our love and prayers are with you. Stay Strong pretty girl!

Most Popular Baby Names of 2015

Via gramfeed

Baby names, oh, baby names... Why is it such an addicting topic? It seems like everyone loves to talk baby names, whether they have kids or not. We even know tons of single men who have baby names queued up for the future!

So naturally, we're always excited to read up on the most popular baby names of the year. By now you've probably read at least one report on the top baby names, so we decided to round up all of the lists out there for an ultimate guide to baby name lists and trends from 2015. We added in some baby name predictions for 2016, too — so if you've got a baby on the way next year, you can avoid all the overly popular names. :-)

First up, we have the Social Security baby name list. This one is considered the most accurate/official because it comes from data of parents applying for social security cards for new babies. According to their list, the top 10 boy and girl names are as follows:

1	Noah		Olivia
2	Alexander		Emma
3	William		Sophia
4	Michael		Isabella
5	Liam		Ava
6	Jacob		Mia
7	Benjamin		Emily
8	Mason		Sofia
9 10	Logan Daniel		Charlotte Abigail

What do you think? Any surprising names on the list? We know quite a few Noahs and Olivias, so those weren't at all surprising to us!

Next we have a list from Baby Center, as reported by the parents who visit the site. (Not quite as official, but still fun to see!)

1	Liam		Emma
2	Noah		Olivia
3	Ethan		Sophia
4	Mason		Ava
5	Lucas		Mia
6	Logan		Isabella
7	Oliver		Charlotte
8	Jackson		Amelia
9 10	Aiden Jacob		Madison Harper

Nameberry also came out with a list of baby name trends from the year, including names ending in "o" sounds and names with "x" in the middle.

But perhaps our favorite trend of the year is this: naming your baby after Instagram filters. Too funny! The names aren't bad, but the influence of social media on our culture can be a little scary!

The always-fabulous Mother Mag came out with a list of baby name predictions for 2016. In typical fashion, Mother Mag came up with a list that is hip but not overly trendy. We love the name inspiration!

And now it's time to sound off! What are your kid's names or what do you hope to name future children? Are any of them on these lists? And how do you feel about having a child with a popular name? Tell us in the comments!

Tips for flying with kids during the holidays

Via @alexandramctigue

The holidays can be stress-inducing for a whole slew of reasons, but holiday travel with kids seems to represent the absolute height of stress for most parents. You've got long lines, bad-weather delays, extra luggage...we could go on forever!

Though flying with young kids will never be a walk in the park, we do have a couple tricks up our sleeves to make your holiday flight at least a little easier:

1. Schedule your flight at an ideal time for your child. If you're lucky enough to have a kid who will fall asleep out in public, schedule a flight during their nap time and you'll be golden. If you have a more particular napper, fly during a time they'll be happy and then have them nap upon arrival.

Via @jetsettingkids

2. Check all possible luggage at the front desk. Though you do have the option to check strollers at the flight gate and bring small carry-on duffle bags, we say drop off all you can as soon as possible. If you have a snoozing newborn, carry them in a front carrier. No need to be dragging mountains of luggage across the airport!

3. Board the plane as late as you can. We've always thought it was a little backwards to have parents with small children get on the plane first. Though it's nice to get settled in, the less time spend in confined area, the better. If you have a reserved seat, stick to the back of the line so your kids have less time to get bonkers before takeoff.

4. Greet your neighbors and try to keep a friendly face. If there's any time you need to make friends with strangers, it's now. Even the holiday Scrooges should warm up if you make enough effort to kill them with kindness. Chat with your neighbors and they may help you out in a moment of crisis later in the flight!

Via @whole_kids

5. Bring on the treats. Flights are the time to bring out all the foods and toys that are usually reserved for special occasions. It could make a difference between sanity and epic breakdowns! Pick up some of your kids' favorite candies and sacks, as well as some new inexpensive toys to keep their interest. (Thank you, Target $1 section!)

6. Bring time-consuming food/activities. Speaking of treats...stick with the ones that will take your child a LONG time to eat. Big lollipops, very chewy taffy will be your lifesaver when you need a spare minute to go to the bathroom. We also have found tons of time-consuming activities on Pinterest, i.e. playing with magnets, Post-it notes, stickers, window clings, Play-doh, etc.

7. Give the kids a technology binge. Normally we are pretty restrictive about screen time, but during a flight...eat your heart out, kids! Load the iPad of even your phone with videos and games that can be viewed offline, then let your kid watch to their heart's content.

10 holiday neighbor gifts (that don't involve sugar!)

Image source

In the days leading up to Christmas, our kitchen counter seems to get cluttered with never-ending mounds of treats, kindly dropped off by friends and neighbors. We sample some, devour others...but most of them end up going in the trash after a week of contributing to the holiday clutter.

Sound like a familiar scene? If so, you'll be as excited as we are to have some ideas for neighbor gifts that don't involve sugar. (And are also fun, useful and inexpensive!)

Via Evermine

1. Holiday soaps. Because who doesn't get all kinds of warm fuzzies when they wash their hands with a Bath & Body Works scent like Iced Gingerbread? Pick a bunch up when they go on sale, wrap them with a cute bow and you're good to go!

Via Craftinge

2. Redbox coupon + popcorn. This one tops the list several reasons: it's super affordable, unique and something everyone will love putting to use! Check their website to see how to order bulk coupon codes, write them out on cute stationary and pair with a bag of popcorn (as fancy as you want to go on that one!)

Via The Crafted Sparrow

3. Homemade salsa. There's nothing to offset the sugar binge like some salty snacks. Make a huge batch of yummy salsa and package in small Mason jars. We love this recipe!

Via Our Peaceful Planet

4. Ornament and story. Everyone loves having new ornaments to add to their tree every year. If you make it a yearly tradition to give out inexpensive ornaments and a meaningful message to go with it, you'll score points for spreading Christmas cheer every year! See here for ideas.

Via On Sutton Place

5. Homemade bread. Warm, fresh homemade bread + butter and jam is pretty much heaven on earth, and it makes for awesome on-the-go breakfast during the busy holiday season. This is the easiest, most delicious recipe ever!

Via The Crafting Chicks

6. Potpourri set. Just because we're tired of having counters packed with baked goods doesn't mean we don't want our house to smell like baked goods, all day every day! Potpourri is the perfect fake-out. Package up some cinnamon sticks, cloves, cranberries and oranges for your neighbors to simmer on the stove all day.

Via Pretty Providence 

7. DIY coasters. 'Tis the season for drinks all around! These tile coasters are inexpensive, modern and totally adorable. Your neighbors will love whipping them out for guests on Christmas Eve.

Via our site

8. Cute gift wrapping supplies. There is never enough tape, gift tags or wrapping paper to go around, right? Save your neighbors some time (the ultimate gift!) and give cute wrapping supplies - like this adorable washi tape from our site!

Via Think Garnish

10. Frozen cookie dough. Okay, so this one does involve sugar, but we love that it is meant for later, once all of the binging is over with. Eventually the craziness will come to an end and we'll be left exhausted and craving a treat again...but won't want to put any work into it! Enter this heaven-sent frozen cookie dough recipe.

Zach

This handsome little boy is Zach and he is the month of December's Cancer fighting hero! Lets show some love and donate to Zach and his family. Stay strong bud you have a army behind you!

Our 10 year old Zach has a rare form of leukemia. He already had a bone marrow transplant, which rejected after a year.

Now he's only the 90th patient in USA and the 2nd child with the rare hypodiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia, to undergo a new treatment called T-cell therapy at Primary Children's hospital, Salt Lake City. He's undergoing treatment & fighting for his life. Please pray & donate for our amazing Boy Zach. We're praying for miracles.

You can donate to Zach at www.psiadoreyou.com and every penny of your donation will go to him. We love and adore you Zach!

Logan

Meet this months handsome Cancer Cutie Logan.
The bravery and strength that all these kids that battle cancer is incredible. Lets all show our love and support to our little super hero Logan.You can donate to logan and 100% of your donation will go to him and his family. Go to www.psiadoreyou.com
All our love and prayers are with you! You got this!

Logan Beckstrom was your typical 7-year-old boy.  He loved sports, playing with friends and wrestling with his older brother.  So it wasn’t abnormal to find an occasional new bruise every now and then.  Logan’s dad is in the Army and they had just received new orders and were preparing to move across the country.  In the days leading up to their move, Logan became more tired and complained of reoccurring leg pains.  Assuming it was more than likely growing pains, we proceeded to pack up our worldly goods and move across the country.

We made the 4-day trip from North Carolina to Utah safely and by all purposes, it was uneventful.  However, the very next morning, Logan awoke in horrible leg pain.  We took him into the local Emergency Room.  I just felt the need to share with the doctor the lack of color in Logan’s complexion.  He had a grey tint to his sweet, little face.  The x-rays came back negative but the blood work came back very wrong.  We were sent right away to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.  Here Logan began a series of blood and bone marrow tests.

On October 15, 2013 Logan was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  He was admitted and began chemotherapy right away.  Now 9-years-old, Logan has fought bravely for the last two years.  He has 14 months left of treatments before he can hang up his boxing gloves and take a much needed rest from fighting this unseen enemy. 

Looking at him now, he looks like a healthy boy.  But every moment of every day, his body is fighting.  And unless you saw the handful of pills he takes daily or witness the week long after math of his monthly IV chemotherapy, you would never know that this boy has cancer.  Logan is a fighter and a warrior in every sense of the word.  He still has an uphill battle to climb but he faces this obstacle with pure determination and an iron will.  He is #LoganStrong.

October Cancer Cutie Alexis

Meet Alexis This months Cancer cutie. What a beautiful and strong girl she is. Read her story below. You can donate at www.psiadoreyou.com  We love and adore you Alexis! Stay Strong!

On September 11 2015, after attending two practices and performing three routines with her drill team, Alexis was taken straight from the homecoming game to the hospital with what she thought was appendicitis.  An ultrasound revealed that she had a large, abnormal mass in her abdomen. A biopsy was performed and pathology revealed that the mass was malignant.  

On September 15, exactly one month after her 15th birthday, Alexis was diagnosed with stage 3 Neuroblastoma and classified as high risk. Within a two week period she had gone from being a regular high school sophomore – whose biggest worries were boys, dance practice, and what to wear- to having two procedures, being diagnosed with cancer, and completing her first round of chemo. 

 The doctors have said that she will have to endure at least 6-7 months of intensive treatment including 6 rounds of chemo, surgery, stem cell transplant, radiation, and oral chemo.  Lexi’s life has changed drastically over the past two weeks, but she remains ever the optimist.  This is not a trial that she would have chosen, but it is one that she will bear with kindness, grace, and love.

Mille's Princess Foundation

As you may know, September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. To do our part, we have chosen to raise donations for Millie's Princess Foundation (MFP) all throughout September. The beautiful Millie Flamm was PS I Adore You's very first Cancer Cutie almost 3 years ago. She continues to inspire us daily and has left a huge impact on us. She is in our Hearts forever and Always. 

Millie Flamm was a spunky, fun-loving, generous little girl. She had a smile that lit up every room she entered. She loved to draw, paint, sing, dance, and design clothes. In December of 2009 Millie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. She fought courageously for three and a half years. Even in the darkest of times, Millie had a smile on her face. Millie chose to be happy and lived by her own motto, “The grass is greener on our side, even with leukemia.” Sadly, she passed away on June 18, 2013.

To help the Flamm family with the financial burdens of Millie’s leukemia treatments, several of their neighbors organized a 5K run fundraiser. The event was such a success that a second run was planned for the next year, this time to help other families fighting cancer. From these races, the Millie’s Princess Foundation was formed. Every June, the foundation holds a 5K which honors a prince and princess who are fighting cancer. They also hold other fundraisers throughout the year. The foundation allows Millie’s memory to live on through the children they help.

Childhood cancer is expensive. There are medical bills, transportation costs, babysitting fees, and so many more unforeseen costs. The Millie’s Princess Foundation’s mission is to help families with the financial fallout of childhood cancer. The foundation is run completely by volunteers. Because of this, 100 percent of the money raised goes to families who are fighting for their children’s lives. You can find out more atMilliesPrincessFoundation.org.

MFP's mission is to help families with the financial fallout of childhood cancer. Because they are run completely by volunteers, 100 percent of their proceeds go to these families.

To encourage donations to MFP this month, we are entering all of our donors into a drawing to win a $100 Visa card. Donors will be entered no matter how big or small their donation amount is.

Please join us in helping many families feel of our love and support as they overcome burdensome medical bills by donating at www.psiadoreyou.com

Wear your gold this month and show your love and support!

August Cancer Cutie Emily!

Meet this brave and beautiful little girl Emily who is our Cancer Cutie this month. We love hearing that she is now in REMISSION! What a beautiful word to hear. Below is her story by her mother.

On June 12th 2014, after being sick for about a week and multiple doctors visits during that week, we were very concerned and decided to take her to Primary Children's Medical Center.  That evening we were told she had cancer and after about a week of tests and scans the doctors diagnosed Emily with Stage 4 Burkitts Lymphoma.  The scans revealed Emily has tumors growing at a rapid rate in her kidneys, liver, spine, face and a large 9 cm mass in her abdominal cavity.  

 The doctors wasted no time in starting her very aggressive chemotherapy treatments.  Her treatments consisted of 8 rounds of high dose chemotherapy back to back.  Five of the 8 rounds were done as a patient in the hospital due to the complications and side effects of the chemotherapy. The side effects from the first round made Emily critically ill.  She developed a serious condition called Typhilitus, as well as other serious complications and had to be moved to the ICU for several days until she could be stabilized.  She spent about 6 weeks in the hospital just recovering from the side effects from that first round. 

Each round was a little better than the last.  Her last three rounds she was able to complete in clinic and at home. On January 24 2015 Emily completed her last round of chemo and on Feb 2 2015 her scans revealed that all the tumors have cleared and we are very grateful and happy to say that Emily is officially in remission.   

Emily is six years old.  She is the youngest of 6 children, three girls, and three boys. She is such a delight to her family and we are so blessed to have her with us.  She loves to play soccer, ride scooters, wrestle with her brothers, play dolls and dress ups with her sister, pretend to be a ninja and fireman, have her nails painted by her oldest sister, and help her mom cook.  It's safe to say she is very "well rounded".  Emily just learned to ride a bike without training wheels.  Emily was also able to finish up the last half of the kindergarten year with her classmates and hopes to be ready for 1st grade in Augus 

Emily you are such an incredibly strong and brave littler girl. That smile of yours lights up the room. We are sending our love to you and are so excited for you to start 1st grade. To donate to Emily go to www.psiadoreyou.com Every donation made this month will go to Emily.