TRUE FRIENDSHIP NEVER DIES
Rimsha and Naina were bosom friends means such like soul mates. They were so much close to each other. Their friendship was more famous among all students and teachers of their school. It was so strong that all classmates and neighborhood swore by their friendship. Rimsha was more intelligent and prudent than Naina. Rimsha always used to help Naina in studies. One day a new student Bilawal was admitted in their class. He was too intelligent but not more than Rimsha. Since he’d been admitted in their school, he had decided to beat Rimsha’s record in studies by hook or by crook. He always tried to beat Rimsha but all times in vain. He started jealousing her. He started inquiring enviously about Rimsha. Then one student enlightens him about the faithful friendship of Rimsha and Naina. Suddenly an idea poked in Bilawal’s mind that if he would break their friendship so Rimsha’s concentration on their studies might also break. He started planning that how would he break their true friendship. Then he started demarcating Naina against Rimsha. He said to Naina that: “yesterday Rimsha was uttering that you’re so much duffer and you has bored from your so called friendship. Naina is nuisance. She is so much arrogant girl when she will break her friendship with me.” Naina filled with exasperation. She started hating her best friend. On other side Rimsha was so much worried about Naina, because their annual examination was going too held. When Rimsha said her to study for exams, Naina reacted so badly. Naina said to her: “How dare you to say me about studies. Am I not intelligent or not worried for exams? I can understand better than you that what is good for me…..so leave me alone and be gone. Rimsha became stunned on her reaction. She meekly walked away from her side and so much disheartened. She was so much prudent and sharp minded. She thought that if was anyone wanted to broke their friendship. She determined to go at the sole of that mater. One day she was passing from library. She saw Bilawal and Naina together and also heard her name from Bilawal’s mouth. She became curious that what were they discussing about? She went to there side and pretended of reading books. Bilawal didn’t know that Rimsha was seated behind them. She heard their all discussion and perceived that Bilawal was fueling at the fire. Bilawal’s envious discussion was infuriating her. She filled with exasperation. She turned to their side and slapped Bilawal and said him: “Tell the truth to Naina otherwise I’ll complain about you to principal.” Bilawal begged from Rimsha that please she didn’t complain to Principal. He was telling the truth to Naina. He told the whole story to Naina. She became so shameful on her attitude. She apologized from Rimsha and said that: “you’re such a true friend. I behaved badly with you and you even didn’t say me one word in return. You are my benevolent and I couldn’t understand it. Please forgive me.” Rimsha condoled her and said to her that if she could had wanted to left her alone so, she could had left her alone but she was her true friend and TRUE FRIENDSHIP NEVER DIES.
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Child abuse and child maltreatment are acts by a parent or caretaker that results in or allows the child to be subjected to death, physical injury, sexual assault, or emotional harm. Emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse are all different forms of child abuse. Child abuse has been known to be around more than ever in the last 18 years in the United States. There is about over 300 cases on child abuse per million people that are reported each year. 84 percent of prison inmates were abused as children. One in three girls and one in five boys are sexually abused by an adult at some time during childhood. (Most sexual abusers are someone in the family or someone the child knows, not the proverbial stranger with a lollipop). Families with four or more children have higher rates of abuse and neglect, especially if living conditions are crowded or they live in an isolated area. More than 80 percent of abusers are a parent or someone close to a child. Child abuse is far more likely to occur in the child's home than in a day care center. One in thirteen kids with a parent on drugs is physically abused regularly. (Drug and alcohol abuse in the family makes child abuse about twice as likely). One out of ten babies born today is born to a mother who abuses drugs. Drinking and smoking heavily during pregnancy also endangers the health of unborn children.

Child abuse is wrong. A child doesn’t have to be treated like an animal just because the parents don’t know to discipline their children right. Child abuse runs from birth until they are old enough to stand up for themselves. I want to make clear, in my peace, that people consciously know child abuse is wrong. If you don’t know how to control your hands, then give your kid to somebody that knows how to treat a child better than you. Why hurt a child? Do you think it's right to act in this manner? I want to make a point that if you hurt a kid there has to be a reason for you to do it. You don’t go around hitting children just because you want to take your stress out. People need to know that when hitting a child, you have to make sure you tell the kid why you hitting them. Just don’t hit them and except them to know you hit them for no reason. I noticed when a child gets abuse; they tend to be to themselves and don’t trust anybody. They think people are going to judge them for not standing up for themselves when they tried. They also think by talking to a counselor, it’s not going to help them get over what happen to them. It just going to be worse for them and the counselor is going to tell the whole world. When being abuse as a child, it’s hard for the child to grow up normal without letting anything go. It’s like a book being read to you a million times until; you decide to stop the person that is reading it to you. The child would show some signs its being abuse but it’s up to you to notice on time before the child goes crazy and start doing something to him/her self.

Child Abuse is such important in society now because it’s catching people attention hearing about males/females harassing little kids. They cause the children’s to have trauma later on in life. It puts thought into the kids head to do that to other children’s & probably their own when they have a family. I remember a point in my life when I was being abuse & I thought it was the end of my life. The reason why I thought that was because I wasn’t able to open up to people and tell them about it. I was shame that they might think different about how I am or even think badly about me. Imagine a child; let’s say 6 or even older is being abuse by like their father or even cousin. Their child is known it tell their parents what’s wrong but they choose not because it their own family members. So they tend to keep it to themselves. So getting back to what I was saying, I was abuse at one point.

When it’s known about child abuse, it’s taken in many different ways. First when a child says him/her is being abuse. Right away you need to know in which way. A child can be abuse by a parent, friend, neighbor, or stranger. The child needs to be help right away with counselor. Try to figure since when the child is being abuse and if it’s affecting the kid a lot. Does child show some kind of signs? Does the child need some professional help? See who your child is being left with. If the child acts different when left with the person its being let abuse by. When being abuse, it takes time for the child to react to it. It starts by playing around without people being seeing, and then it goes from there until the child is left alone with the pervert in a room, closet, house, or car. And the child can’t do nothing about it so it makes the child hard to tell somebody if they got threaten at any point, then its worse. In this world there are organizations that are being known to help children’s that are being abuse.

Here are some: Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA), American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence (NCCAFV) & etc. All theses organization help children’s that are being abuse by family and family members. They send the people to jail for life sentence. The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children is the leading national organization supporting professionals who serve children and families affected by child maltreatment and violence. The child abuse prevention association mission is to prevent and treat all forms of child abuse by creating changes in individuals, families and society that strengthen relationships and promote healing. The National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence (NCCAFV) is a nonprofit corporation serving all fifty states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as a resource center on family violence prevention services. NCCAFV is committed to assisting victims of child abuse, spouse/partner abuse, and elder abuse and to prevent family violence through public awareness, education, and program development. Child abuse is known to be around for a long time but have we done to stop it?!! Do we try to make a change and help children’s face theses stages in life that abuse has been done to them? People like making changes but, should we do to make sure kids are safe? We need to put cops and parents on the look of anything with their kids and talk to them about this stuff. Let me ask you something:

If your child was being abused, what would you do? Let me tell you my story. I remember I was on my way to church like every other time. I was always attending church since I was a little girl with my grandmother. It’s funny because I remember was like it was yesterday. The guy that abuse me was a stranger let’s say he used to visit my church. He was a male religious leader. He used to preach and show studies about the bible. I didn’t know what I lead for him to want to touch me or verbal abuse me. He knew I live with my grandma so she wouldn’t listen to me for nothing because I was a little girl. Sadly for 4 years from 6-10, the guy continue to abuse me secretly. When I hit the age 11, I decide to make known by telling the guy that I’m going to tell my cousin I live with. He told me if I dare to talk my life was ended. As a little girl, I kept the abuse to myself. Children’s tend to do that. They keep secrets to themselves. They might tell friends but only the ones they know to trust. But some just can’t trust anybody that they keep it to grave. Some parents find out too late and are not able to help their kids because they already been traumatize. They try putting them in professional care but it gets worse. When telling somebody a secret; you don’t want the whole world to know. You want it be taken care of and put in the past.

In my case, there was point; where I got that I didn’t want to go to the church. I used to beg my grandma to go to my friend church and she would yell at me no!! This is our church we can’t change. Once she said that I got so sick mentally and physically. I didn’t want to go nowhere because everywhere I went. I felt like I am going see him. My grandmother didn’t understand why I got sick, so she took me to the hospital because it got to the point where I couldn’t got to the point where I couldn’t get up for my bed because I was so weak from not eating from months. I would pretend to eat and feed my dogs my food. When the episode of me getting after being at the hospital. I started to open up to my cousin about why I was sick. When she heard this, she broke down and cried. She asks me a thousand times how come I didn’t tell her what was happening. I told I went to counseling to see if it help but I didn’t feel to protected so I started to keep it inside. She asks me why I told her. I said “because he threatens me”. I don’t like to be threatening even when saying if you don’t keep your mouth close ill kill your family members. That’s something you don’t play with. A lot of kids get abuse and are not able to come out their shells and talk about. Try to sit down with your kids and explain to them. So getting back to what was happening: She yelled at me my cousin. She even went to church with me that night. She phones the police and told what had happen. She had the police there and everything but from that day that I yelled at the guy to leave me alone. I never saw him again. He never showed his face at church. Police still had on search just in case but that been it. This is why we need to make sure our kids are protected. People would pretend to be nice and all to our kids but you always is careful. Child abuse is the worse that could happen to child.

Darius Weems, 19, is living on borrowed time. He should be spending the months he has left hanging with family and friends in Athens, GA, or playing video games (his favorite pastime).

Weems is on a mission: spreading awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a disease that took his brother’s life at age 19 and will soon take his own life, too. DMD is the number one genetic killer of children in the world, and yet, many people have never heard of it, particularly young folks not familiar with Jerry Lewis and his annual Labor Day telethon.

Weems is changing all that. He’s the star of a documentary, Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life. This film tells the story of Weems leaving home for the first time at age 15 with 11 of his best (college age) friends. Their goal: to reach Los Angeles and convince MTV’s popular show “Pimp My Ride” to customize Weems’ wheelchair. The movie has won an unprecedented 28 film festival awards. It has also struck a chord among teenagers. For this reason, Weems and his crew’s recent travels have focused on visits to middle and high schools across the country, where Weems, with his megawatt smile, is consistently treated like a rock star. “This is better than the Jonas Brothers!” remarked one sixth grader upon meeting Weems and his “band of brothers.”

In fact, two schools Weems and his crew visited this year recently decided to handwrite letters to every middle and high school in the country (that’s 50,000 schools!), encouraging them to watch the film and rally around Weems’ cause. Thanks to a sponsor, a DVD of Darius Goes West was included in every packet. Check out a short video of this inspiring letter-writing campaign and the effect Weems has on teenagers by going here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHPjTTTGDLg


Weems grew up in the projects and is being raised by a single mom who is also disabled. Financially, they barely scrape by. His movie has been so successful that Weems could easily be living the good life. Instead, he’s donating all of the film’s proceeds to DMD research. To date, he and his crew have raised a whopping $2 million (students who’ve watched the film have contributed over $100,000 of that sum). “Scientists are close to finding treatment or a cure for DMD,” Weems says, “I know it won’t happen in time to save me, but I want to prevent the next generation with this disease from going through what I have.”

To view a short trailer on Darius Goes West, visit www.dariusgoeswest.org

More than a decade after being the first recipient of a cord blood transplant for Krabbe Disease (leukodystrophy), a fatal genetic disease of the nervous system, at the University of Minnesota and just the seventh in the world, Erik is a normal young man who loves donuts and riding his bike.
The Treatment – An Amazing First

Erik’s diagnosis as a toddler more than thirteen years ago came just two weeks after his younger brother Adam’s. His parents, Kim and Paul, were shocked — their elder son showed none of the symptoms. Sadly, Adam died nearly a year later, but the umbilical cord blood transplant (UCBT) was a success for Erik, now the longest living survivor of a UCBT from the University of Minnesota.

Back in 1994, Dr. William Krivit, the physician who oversaw Erik’s transplant, was not hopeful about the outcome of the treatment. Krivit said the best case scenario would be that the medical team could save Erik’s life, but that he would likely have severe physical and mental problems. Six kids had received transplants for Krabbe’s disease, and three had died during or shortly after the transplant.
Life Today – Amazingly Normal

Today, although Erik walks on his toes and doesn’t have perfect balance, he excels in his favorite subjects at school. In the words of his parents, Erik’s life is “so close to normal that no one would know anything unless told.”

With his brown hair, Erik resembles his father’s side of the family and has a great sense of humor. Sometimes he seems wise beyond his years, but is still a kid at heart who enjoys magic and has a growing collection of piñata parts that even includes Bob the Builder’s head. Erik plays golf with friends in a summer league and often patrols the neighborhood on his bike to see who else is home.

According to his parents, Erik says he remembers “absolutely nothing” about his transplant and seldom asks about it. Just like a typical teenager, he’s concerned with the present and being normal like everyone else.

http://www.childrenscancer.org/stories-of-hope/kids-stories/erik.html

What is it like to watch your child grow up all the while knowing she will one day need a life-saving treatment? That was the situation 10-year-old Cameron and her family faced for years. Diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia (FA) at just 10-days-old, Cameron and her family spent volumes of time researching the disease, investigating treatment options and ultimately, preparing for the day that Cameron would finally need a bone marrow transplant to save her life.

Fanconi Anemia is a genetic blood disorder that results in bone marrow failure and an extremely high risk for leukemia. Without treatment, FA is fatal. However, if diagnosed at an early stage, patients can be closely monitored and treated appropriately when initial stages of bone marrow failure are noticed. The only proven cure for FA is a blood or marrow transplant.
Treatment at a World-Leading Institution

Although treatment could have been done many places, this family learned that the experts in the treatment of Fanconi Anemia are located at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center. In fact, the Fanconi Anemia Comprehensive Care Program at the University of Minnesota is the single largest treatment center for FA in the United States and follows the largest number of Fanconi anemia patients in the world.

Upon arrival at the University of Minnesota, there was not much new information the doctors could tell Cameron’s family except Cameron’s blood work had begun changing and it was time to act. As Cameron waited nervously in her hospital room decked out in all things pink (her favorite color), the umbilical cord blood that had been saved from her younger brother’s birth seeped into her body and such began the second chapter of her life journey.

She progressed through the entire treatment with barely a hitch. In fact, only six days after her cord blood transplant, her mother caught Cameron dancing on her hospital bed to the latest Hannah Montana chart-topper. As her mom said, “Through the entire process, Cameron never lost her spunk nor her feistiness!”
New Friends and New Beginnings

Cameron made many new friends during her stay in Minnesota, including Nance Alexander, a Children’s Cancer Research Fund Care Partner’s volunteer. Just two short months after her transplant, Nance arranged a special trip for Cameron to one of her favorite places in Minnesota, the Mall of America. Through the generosity of Nordstrom’s, Cameron was able to visit the Mall of America store an hour before it opened and armed with her very own personal shopper, pick out a perfect pink “going home” outfit - a fabulous ending to their stay in Minnesota.

One week later, Cameron boarded a plane and arrived safely to her Memphis neighborhood lined with balloon-tied mailboxes and a giant welcome home banner hanging over the front door of her house. With an incredible attitude and unending support from family and friends, Cameron celebrated Christmas at home with her loving family. She is now back to school full time and thriving in the normalcy of her childhood.

Cameron was one of the lucky children who had very few complications as a result of her treatment. Unfortunately, many bone marrow transplant patients face side-effects, occasionally severe. Children’s Cancer Research Fund is currently supporting research focused on improving outcomes of blood and marrow transplants, including reducing the risk of graft-versus-host disease, one of the dangerous side-effects of this procedure.

http://www.childrenscancer.org/stories-of-hope/kids-stories/cameron.html

Levi is the fourth child of Roseanne and Mark so trips to the doctor for a fever or sore throat were not uncommon for this family. With 3-month-old Levi fighting a higher than usual fever, his parents decided to bring him to Urgent Care for what they expected to be an ear infection. Doctors were immediately concerned and admitted young Levi to the hospital for additional tests.

After a sleepless night, doctors decided that Levi's condition required a higher level of care than the local hospital could offer. Upon hearing the news, Levi's mom felt numb. Before she knew it, she and her precious child were rushed to a waiting helicopter and being air-lifted to a Minneapolis Children's Hospital. After landing on the hospital roof, they were quickly escorted through the halls while nurses yelled "sick baby move." Roseanne vividly remembers everyone stopping and staring as they went running by. Within minutes Levi was on a ventilator and in a drug-induced coma. For four days Levi's parents sat in wonder and did nothing but pray and cry. No one had any answers to what was wrong.

A Rare and Frightening Diagnosis

After a multitude of tests, Levi was finally diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). HLH is a rare disorder usually affecting infants and young children. While the exact cause is unknown, it is thought to be caused by a disorder of immune system regulation, which leads to the activation of infection fighting cells called histiocytes and lymphocytes. These cells normally travel throughout the body and destroy foreign material and fight infections. However, patients with HLH have too many of these activated histiocytes and they begin to accumulate in normal tissue and cause inflammation and damage to a variety of organs. The only known cure for HLH is a blood or marrow transplant.

Preparations began for Levi's umbilical cord blood transplant. In order to give this procedure the best chance to cure Levi's HLH, they needed to get the disease into remission. For the next four months Levi fought infections and endured surgeries and chemotherapy. Finally, the HLH went into remission and he was ready for his transplant at just seven-months-old.
Treatment at a World-Leading Hospital

The transplant alone is a relatively quick procedure and takes only 20 minutes to complete - Levi and his mother smiled the whole time; although, Roseanne's smiles were accompanied by tears of joy and relief. Levi received his umbilical cord blood transplant at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview. Physicians at this hospital are world renowned for their innovation in the field of blood and marrow transplants. They conducted the first successful pediatric bone marrow transplant in 1968 and the first successful double umbilical cord blood transplant in 2000.

Doctors and researchers at the U of M have paved the way in development of new standards of care using this procedure. In fact, the University of Minnesota recently completed their 5,000th blood and marrow transplant. Although thousands of transplants have been performed, the after-effects can be dangerous and sometimes deadly. Researchers are investigating different therapies and preparative regimens that may mitigate these after-effects and ultimately improve cure rates for diseases like cancer and Levi's HLH.
Hoping and Praying for their Healthy Baby to Return

Unfortunately, Levi experienced complications after his umbilical cord blood transplant. For weeks after the procedure he battled high blood pressure, vomiting, breathing issues and fevers, sometimes needing his bed stuffed with ice packs to help bring down the fevers. He was also diagnosed with veno-occlusive disease, a complication caused by the high doses of chemotherapy, which can cause the liver to shut down and result in death. His tiny body was invaded by tubes and lines, ventilators and dialysis machines, all necessary to mend this baby back to good health. Doctors worked diligently to maintain the delicate balance required to help Levi survive.

During the most trying of times, Roseanne would often look at pictures of Levi before he was hospitalized and think, "how can this be, where is my Levi?" Even though she spent nearly every waking hour with him, she missed him and yearned for the day when she could once again hold him, play with him and love him outside of the hospital walls, free of tubes and medication. That day came, a little more than two months after Levi's transplant; he was able to leave the hospital. Although not yet free of all tubes and medications, Roseanne and Levi moved into a tiny, temporary apartment near the hospital.

100 Days Later and a New Beginning

100 days after a blood or marrow transplant is often considered an important day. Typically, a spinal tap is done to measure whether or not the healthy, donated marrow has engrafted and become part of the transplanted patient’s body. Day 100 brought joy to Levi and his family. After receiving the test results, Roseanne wrote in her journal, "Levi is truly a miracle! The results from his spinal tap said NO disease at all --- ANYWHERE --- GONE!!"

One year after that dreadful diagnosis, Levi is home and thriving. The family recently returned from a restful trip to Florida where Levi thoroughly enjoyed watching the ocean and playing in the sand. Life is returning to normal and his family will never forget the journey they have been on, as Roseanne said, "It has been one year since my world changed. Now I see a rainbow, but what a storm it was..."

http://www.childrenscancer.org/stories-of-hope/kids-stories/levi.html

Watching your child grow and move forward through developmental milestones – learning to sit, to crawl, to take the first tottering step – what a joyful process for a parent! How frightening, then, to watch your child suddenly seem to “grow backwards.” That is what Kyle and Jamekka experienced when in 2005, shortly before Thanksgiving, their two year old son Alijah stopped walking.
Going Backwards from Milestones

“He just started crawling again,” recalls Jamekka. “He would go for four or five days crawling with his foot up in the air like it was hurting. Then he’d walk for a few days, then go back to crawling. Sometimes his right ankle hurt, sometimes his left, sometimes it was his wrist. We thought something might have happened at daycare . . .” but that turned out not to be so.

Soon, Alijah started running a high fever at night and Jamekka took her son to the family’s regular pediatrician. After repeated visits, with tests and x-rays coming back negative, the pediatrician referred Alijah to a rheumatologist, suspecting his mysterious pains might be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis. Once again scans and tests showed no problems. Alijah definitely did not have RA. However, the rheumatologist thought Alijah should be seen by a hematologist. She was concerned that a blood disorder might be causing his symptoms. She referred the family to Dr. Joseph Neglia, section chief of pediatric hematology-oncology at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. The next day, January 20, 2006, Dr. Neglia diagnosed Alijah with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) after performing a bone marrow biopsy and finding leukemia cells in his marrow.
A Cancer Diagnosis With A Good Prognosis

Coincidentally, Alijah’s cousin was in University hospital at the same time, being treated for a heart problem; so, many of Alijah’s relatives were present when Alijah was diagnosed. Dr. Neglia broke the news to a crowd of parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, who have been Alijah’s support group and cheering section since that day. He told them that Alijah was lucky to this extent: though it was once almost always fatal, ALL is now a very treatable disease. Thanks to research like that sponsored by Children's Cancer Research Fund, today more than 80 percent of children with ALL are cured.

Dr. Neglia started Alijah’s treatment immediately. The medical team inserted a “port” in his chest through which he would receive chemotherapy drugs. A physical therapist coached Kyle and Jamekka about ways to get Alijah walking again. The family began the long journey, marked by terrors and triumphs, that is cancer treatment.
Life After Cancer Should be Pretty Simple

Today, Alijah is still being treated for leukemia. He has about a year of therapy to go. The little boy who once seemed to be growing backwards is now quite an advanced four-year-old. For Alijah, infusions and transfusions are facts of life. The steroid medication he takes five days a month can make him irritable and emotional but on most days you can’t tell he’s not completely healthy boy – a high-spirited one with a precocious interest in golf! “If there’s a good thing in all of this,” says Jamekka, “it’s watching Alijah grow up. He is a brave kid and we admire him so much. He’s only four-years- old, yet he knows how to put his own medicine in his port! We figure the rest of our life is pretty simple. When we look at what Alijah has done and how he has stood up to this we know that we’ll be able to handle whatever comes.”

http://www.childrenscancer.org/stories-of-hope/kids-stories/alijah.html

The summer before he was set to start Kindergarten, Mathew, an active boy from central Minnesota, fell ill with what his family thought was the flu. Most of his symptoms were not out of the ordinary, his tummy hurt and he had the chills. But there were a few oddities. He was hungry and at one point was actually craving chili dogs. How odd, his parents thought, he has the flu, but is craving CHILLI DOGS? His stomach also felt hard and it was swollen.
Lives Changed with a Few Words

After a week without getting any better, Mathew’s parents took him to the emergency room. There the doctors found a large mass in his abdomen and he was later diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma. Mathew went through six months of intense treatment that was supposed to dissolve his tumor. Unfortunately he needed surgery to remove the reminder of the tumor and a stem cell transplant, which was performed by the University of Minnesota, Children’s Hospital Fairview, one of the best transplant programs in the country due to the support of Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
Attitude is Everything

Mathew maintained an incredibly positive outlook and did not even consider death as a possibility when he was going through his treatment, even though his cancer was not responding as they had hoped. Ever inquisitive, he always wanted to know everything that was going on when he was going through treatment. He wanted the doctors to talk to him, not just his parents.
Taking a Unique Path

Mathew took his own unique route to get to a cure. Mathew’s treatment was a success. Today, after having won his battle with cancer, he is pursuing acting, sports and at just age eleven, is considering a career in medicine. Again, Mathew demonstrates that he is wise beyond his years. Those who love him just want him to grow up to be happy and fulfilled.

http://www.childrenscancer.org/stories-of-hope/kids-stories/matthew.html

When three-year-old Drew was just 9-months-old, his parents, Heidi and Tony, noticed a slight glow in the pupil of his eye. They also noticed that his left eye appeared to be lazy and it would frequently fade up and to the left. At first they thought he may just need glasses. Their referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist gave them a diagnosis they had never anticipated– their son had Retinoblastoma, cancer of the eye.
Fearing the Worst

These young parents were devastated when they heard the word “cancer.” They couldn’t help their minds from going down the path of loosing a child. “While you hear this all the time with tragedies, it is so true, we never thought in a million years it would happen to our child or us,” Tony said.

The pediatric ophthalmologist referred the family to the University of Minnesota Amplantz Children’s Hospital to seek treatment as he indicated that “the best of the best” were there. There Drew underwent treatment and surgery to destroy the cancerous tumors that were present. The little boy who loved Elmo and Pooh, made it through his initial treatment.
A Cancer that Continues to Grow

Retinoblastoma has the tendency to grow new tumors until the child reaches the age of six. True to this disease’s tendency Drew did have a reoccurrence and there is always a possibility for future tumors developing. If a new tumor pops up, the eye surgeons will use a combination of laser and freezing therapy to destroy them. Drew will continue to be seen at the U of M for many years on an every two to three month basis until he reaches the 6-year milestone.
A Promising Outlook

Though he will be monitored for new tumors for years to come, his outlook is looks promising. Tony and Heidi hope that his vision will remain the same that that Drew will be like any other person that can read, write and drive a car. He will be the one with glasses and people will not know half the story of. They won’t know he beat cancer when he was just a little boy.

http://www.childrenscancer.org/stories-of-hope/kids-stories/drew.html

Connor was only six weeks old when he began suffering from recurring choking episodes and violent vomiting. Knowing that something was terribly wrong with their newborn son, Mindy and David sped him to the hospital, where doctors discovered a massive tumor that had taken over the entire left hemisphere of his brain and was shutting down his vital organs.

Within two hours, Connor was rushed into brain surgery in an urgent effort to save his barely started life. The diagnosis was particularly grim. Connor had stage IV congenital glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Innovative Treatment for a Tiny Child

After he recovered from the surgery, he received four rounds of high-dose chemotherapy and 14 blood and platelet transfusions, followed by a state-of-the-art stem cell transplant from his own bone marrow. Connor was the youngest child to benefit from this innovative technology that was pioneered through your support of Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
Birthdays and Breakthroughs

Connor is now healthy, happy, cancer-free and soon will celebrate his second birthday. Past support from generous people like you made Connor’s survival possible. Continued support will allow us to move forward rapidly and deliver lifesaving treatments to the remaining 20% of childhood cancer patients for which there still is no cure.



Connor and his parents during his treatment for brain cancer.


During Connor’s battle, his mom, Mindy, wrote a poem:

These feet are not as little as they might seem to be,
They’ve traveled down paths unknown to you and me.

Can you see the angel wings tucked beside each one?
They’ve carried him every day thru all that he has done.

We’ve witnessed so much beauty, faith, grace and joy.
He’s quite the little man for such a baby boy.

http://www.childrenscancer.org/stories-of-hope/kids-stories/connor.html

Bianca Ryan’s dream to become a singer became real two years ago, when she was only 11 years old. She first auditioned for the television talent show Star Search on a whim. Her dad Shawn Ryan admits he didn't realize the true breadth and depth of Bianca's musical talents until that first completion. The producers and judges called him into the room after she auditioned in a private audition room. They asked if he realized the extent of Bianca's talent...and at first, he thought they were kidding with him. In turn, the producers thought he must be joking with them, since they had never heard such a voice on an 11 year old girl!

The result: Bianca's father realized just how talented Bianca truly was, and he supported her as she began to audition for other competitions in earnest. Finally, it was her audition for the first season of America’s Got Talent, a television show and talent competition in 2006, that crowned Bianca as the world-class musical talent she is known for today all around the world.

After giving the performance of her life live on America's Got Talent, Bianca dazzled the audience and judges alike with her incredible and wonderfully versatile voice and won the competition, hands down! This 11 year old singing dynamo was awarded the unheard of cash prize amount of one million dollars and a five CD recording contract with Sony! That night, millions of people in the United States and around the world heard and fell in love with Bianca’s powerhouse of a voice. Incredibly, several videos of Bianca's America's Got Talent performances on the YouTube website, one of the world's most popular video sharing websites, have gotten over 40 millions views over the past two years!

After her big win, Bianca's career took off and her schedule became quite full. Bianca was invited to go on tour in Europe, singing for a European audience for the first time. Last summer in 2007, she traveled to 29 U.S. cities on a summer tour with Disney artists Aly & AJ, Corbin Bleu, and Drake Bell of Nickelodeon.

Despite Bianca's full schedule, Bianca has a caring heart and always manages to find time to participate in special charity events. For example, she was invited to perform with Jennifer Holliday at an Operation Smile benefit which helped raise money for medical operations for children born with cleft lip. Bianca participated in a special Build-a-Bear charity event, both volunteering and singing for the event in order to help raise money and support for the building of a playground for underprivileged kids. Most recently, Bianca has joined Amazing Kids! as our first-ever Celebrity Youth Ambassador.

Most importantly, Bianca is blessed to have a very close-knit, loving family and supportive parents, who give her a solid and stable base at home. This kind of loving support enables young talents of growing celebrity like Bianca to go out and meet the world, and all that fame can bring, with confidence and a good head on her shoulders.

We wish you all the best in your musical career, Bianca!

http://www.amazing-kids.org/akom6-08.html#top

When the public school system in Salem, Massachusetts was hit with a very large budget deficit, the city decided to layoff eighty members of the school community and to close the school library in order to meet this shortfall. Ten year old Jonathan Marrero overheard his mother talking about this on the phone and was very upset.

The following day, he brought in a box of money that he had been saving for some time and gave it to the librarian with a beautiful note. She was very moved, but could not keep the money and returned it to Jonathan. Word got out about Jonathan’s sacrifice, others were motivated, and a fund was established by city officials to help the schools through this budget crisis.

That weekend Jonathan got his brother and a few friends, made sandwich board signs and went through the neighborhoods of Salem collecting donations to help keep all school libraries open. In three days, Jonathan and his friends collected $1500.00 for the school libraries in Salem.

“We would go out whether it was rain, sleet or snow or any kind of weather. Sometimes I would ask people if they wanted to donate and I’d tell them how the school system needed money to pay teachers and paraprofessionals because we had a big deficit and the libraries might get closed.” Jonathan explains.

He then continued to raise funds selling hot chocolate and homemade lollipops in front of his house during his school vacation and raised another $750.00. A snowfall during the vacation gave Jonathan yet another idea. He went out with his shovel and started a new business and raised another $245.00 for the general fund.

Because of Jonathan’s efforts and those of many other people and businesses in the community, only 33 jobs were lost.

“Jonathan inspired both adults and children to donate their savings, piggy banks and allowances. In our school he is referred to as an activist and he seems to like that title. He has done so much for both the morale and the finances in the Salem Public Schools and he did it all within a period of three weeks! What a huge difference this ten year old boy has made,” says his music teacher Kristine Wilson.

Jonathan also got an opportunity to meet the Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick this summer during a grass-roots activism effort.

"I wish we weren't asking 10-year-olds to go out and raise money to keep the librarian in the school," Governor Patrick said to the crowd, and then turned to Jonathan to say "I love that you stepped up."

http://www.amazing-kids.org/akom9-08.html#top

When Ashlee Smith's father, a firefighter, was battling the Angora fire that devastated South Lake Tahoe, California in 2007, she wanted to help. But her idea for helping was different from the way people have traditionally helped fire victims in the past, something she knew from first-hand experience.

“Everyone helps the adults, no one helps the children,” Ashlee explains. She could empathize with the youngest victims of the disaster because she had herself lost all her toys in a house fire in 2005. After the fire, she was forced to get rid of everything in her room. She never really said anything to anyone at the time, but Ashlee knew she had to do something for the victims of Angora fire. “I know what those kids feel like and I need to help them,” she told her mother.

Even as Ashlee started collecting new toys and gift cards for the victims of the devastating wild fire, her mother, Ericka, was skeptical. “I thought toys were the last thing these kids needed. But, wow, was she right, when you look at it from a kids point of view,” Ericka admits.

And thus, Ashlee's Toy Closet was born.

Soon after, Ashlee started collecting toys for children affected by other natural disasters. In July of 2008, she delivered thousands of toys to children devastated by wildfires that raced through the hills of Chico and Concow in California. Recently, she gave toys to a 7 year old boy who lost his home when a fire ravaged his neighborhood in Reno, Nevada.

Ashlee makes sure that the toys that these kids receive are not just any toys, but their favorite ones. "That is why I have an account; I can use the money to buy something specific just for kids like him," Ashlee emphasizes.

She thinks of her parents as her biggest mentors. “Mom and Dad help me with well...everything,” Ashlee tells us. She really looks up to her dad. “Dad's job is done when the fire is out, but my job begins right after that.” she explains.

Not surprisingly, Ashlee's Toy Closet has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to the amazing amount of energy Ashlee pours into her project to make it successful. In 2008, Ashlee earned the 'Red Cross Youth Real Hero's Award' for her "endless dedication to helping children." Also in 2008, she received the 'Outstanding Northern Nevada Youth Heroes Award' and 'Kohl's Kids Who Care' scholarship and was featured in People Magazine.

When she is not collecting and distributing toys for young fire victims, Ashlee loves school, rodeo and helping others. Her goals include becoming a vet and a barrel racer.

As far as Ashlee's Toy Closet is concerned, Ashlee has big plans in mind for her organization's future. Extremely dedicated to her mission of helping children who have been affected by disasters, Ashlee wants her organization to grow so that she can help children in other communities and states as well. She wants to take Ashlee's Toy Closet to the national level and be able to help each and every child that suffers a disaster.

“You do not have to be an adult to make a difference and you never know until you try,” she says.

Thank you for the important reminder that anyone can make a difference, Ashlee. You are an inspiration to us all! Keep up the amazing work!

Comprised of a highly talented group of 16-year-old musicians, Comic Book Heroes is a rock band with its roots in classic rock, yet flavored with their own unique sound often described as “retro, yet modern rock mashed up with a bit of grunge and arena rock.”

Their distinctive sound can be heard at theaters, stadiums, festivals, night clubs, parks and beaches across America. They have performed nationally in venues of all sizes, for audiences of up to 10,000 people! They’ve performed at The International Pop Festival (NYC and Hollywood), American Music Theatre, Six Flags Amusement Park, Hershey Park, The Knitting Factory and more. Currently most performances consist of a 60-minute set of songs played from their new CD, Take a Seat. These dedicated young musicians work very hard, typically rehearsing 3-5 times a week.

Having caught the ears and hearts of a wide group of fans, Comic Book Heroes has been invited to perform as the opening act for many successful bands like Foghat, Steppenwolf, Jealousy Curve, REO Speedwagon and others. CBH is fortunate to have musician Craig MacGregor, father of CBH drummer Collin MacGregor, the bassist for the 1970’s band Foghat, as advisor to the band. Both Craig and his wife, Lisa, the band’s manager, have been supportive and extremely helpful to the teenage band.

CBH currently has two self-released CD’s, both available for purchase on iTunes and CD Baby: http://www.comicbookheroes.info/wst_page6.html. Their first CD, released March 2006, is titled Comic Book Heroes. The second, titled Take a Seat, was released this past July, 2008.

CBH has been interviewed and has performed on TV and radio, as well as in newspapers and magazines. In February, 2007, the band appeared in a music video on Nickelodeon’s Noggin channel’s hit series, Jack’s Big Music Show” (Check out the video of their appearance on the CBH website at: http://www.comicbookheroes.info/wst_page8.html. Scroll down to the section that says: “Comic Book Heroes 'Purple People Eater'as seen on Nickelodeon's Noggin channel hit show Jack's Big Music Show,” and click on the video image to watch.)

Recently, the CBH band was chosen to showcase and participate in a panel in this past October’s CMJ Music Marathon in New York, the largest and longest running music event of its kind which helped launch the careers of many successful bands including R.E.M. and Green Day. The event attracted over 1,200 artists and 120,000 fans in more than 75 of the city's nightclubs and theaters!

This past August, 2008, CBH was honored by ranking in the Top 10 in the National Song Contest on OurStage.com! Then, i n November, CBH's single "Catch Me if You Can" won the national song contest on OurStage.com, placing 1st place in the rock category, out-charting more than 800 other songs! CBH was also one of the youngest band's in the contest's history!

http://www.amazing-kids.org/akom12-08.html#1

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease in which loss of nerve cells in the spinal cord called motor neurons affects the part of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movement. Resulting muscle weakness is most severe in muscles closest to the center of the body, such as those of the shoulders, hips, thighs and upper back.. SMA is one of the neuromuscular diseases that falls under the umbrella of diseases for which the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) supports research.

Alexa Dectis of Allentown, Pennsylvania was diagnosed with SMA Type II (SMA2) when she was 14 months old. At first, hearing this news was devastating for her parents, Peter and Julie, as they realized that their daughter would never be able to walk. But as amazing Alexa grew older, her parents realized that her resilience and determination to fight the odds were much stronger than the debilitating affect of her condition.

Alexa and her parents began volunteering for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) since she was just two years old. She became the MDA State Ambassador for Pennsylvania when she was four and she has just agreed to once again be the Pennsylvania State Ambassador for 2009 as well.

This will be her fourth term as the MDA Pennsylvania State Ambassador and she is as excited as ever to have the honor of serving in such an important position for the association:

“Raising awareness will ultimately find a cure for neuromuscular diseases. This cure will get me out of my wheelchair and all those other kids out of their chairs,” she remarks.

http://www.amazing-kids.org/akom1-09.html#1

According to United Nation's World Food Program, 25,000 people across the world die every day from hunger and related issues. Among the key causes of hunger are natural disasters, conflict, poverty, poor agricultural infrastructure and over-exploitation of the environment. There is a lot that needs to be done to eliminate world hunger and everybody has to be involved.

When ten year old Katie Stangliano of Summerville, South Carolina learned about this, and about hungry children right in her own community, she decided to do her part. “I think it's important to help stop world hunger,” she notes.

So when a cabbage seedling she planted in her backyard grew to an amazing 40-pound size, she decided to donate it to the Fields to Families program, which brings fresh produce to the needy. Her cabbage was ultimately utilized by Tricounty Families Ministry in North Charleston, South Carolina to feed nearly 300 people.

Katie was further moved to learn that 12 million kids in the U.S go to bed hungry each night, and that so many children today do not eat enough to be healthy. Inspired by her experience with Fields to Families, Katie decided to do more. She decided to help teach other children about how they, too, can make a difference.

“I think it is important to have something to strive for. By planting a garden or just some seeds in a pot you can make a difference. My cabbage alone fed 275 people. If more kids did the same, we all could be helping to make a long time dream of no hungry people possible.” she explains.

http://www.amazing-kids.org/akom3-09.html#1

As the senior setter for the Lady Cougars volleyball team at Chatham High School in New Jersey, and standing at 5- foot 11-inches tall, Marika Racibarskas, age 18, is an athlete with a great attitude and a laser-sharp focus on the court. As the team captain, Marika helps keep her team in their game, and is always a strong presence and support for her teammates.

But becoming a winning athlete isn’t easy. Throughout her high school years, Marika has worked incredibly hard to become the best she can be at the sport. She has been fortunate to be able to train with devoted coaches, exceptional trainers and to be able to play with outstanding team members. She also has spent much of her life playing the sport.

Marika began playing volleyball as a young child while attending a Latvian summer camp in the United States each summer. In fact, she attributes her Latvian heritage as being key in fostering her interest in and passion for the game. Marika explains that in Latvia, volleyball is a popular sport for men and women of all ages. Children, teens, adults, even grandparents play volleyball, and everyone seems to be equally enthusiastic about the game!

Marika attended a Latvian Language School and continued playing volleyball at the Latvian summer camp for six weeks every summer. Last summer was her final summer at the camp, and Marika was pleased to be able to end her camping days at the camp on a high note: the team she played on won the summer championship!

Although she completed the language program and graduated from the language school last summer, Marika says she is grateful to have had so many wonderful summer experiences.

http://www.amazing-kids.org/akom4-09.html#1

12 year old Michele Ann Johnson is an example of one bright, mature and motivated young lady who isn't afraid to face tough challenges and come out a winner. Her story, written in her own words, will help inspire you and make you want to get involved in something positive and rewarding in your life!

Michele is not only an amazing golfer, but she makes sure she gets good grades in school too! That is part of the rules for junior golfers who belong to junior golf associations. They know how important it is to have a good education too! Michele is a member of several junior golf associations, including the Western States Junior Golf Association (WSJGA), the Southern California Professional Golf Association (SCPGA), the Ladies Professional Golf Association/Urban League (LPGA), the Young Golfers of America Association (YGAA), and the Junior Golf Tournament Association (JGTA). She takes lessons from Mr. Alton Duhon, an amazing golf pro and teacher, and plays in several tournaments throughout the year. Check out the many tournaments she has played in below!

Michele lives with her amazing grandparents in Los Angeles, California. As you'll read in her essay, they give her lots of love and guidance, and support her love of golf. Let's hear it for grandparents! Yeah!!!

Below is an inspiring essay she wrote on golf, and a report she wrote on her favorite professional golfer, Nancy Lopez!

http://www.amazing-kids.org/kids2-00michele.htm#michele

Cristina has been politically active throughout her high school career. "I used to envision myself as Cristina Lara, Attorney at Law--to fit my grandparents dreams. Or maybe, Dr. Cristina Lara--to suit my parent's desires. But Cristina Lara, the community organizer? It just didn't fit my expectations."

Now, the Executive Director of Cristina Lara, Inc., she's one of the most prominent social activists in her community. She won the Brave Nation Young Activist Award this past summer. And, most amazingly, she founded her own nonprofit organization that aims to achieve social/political/economic justice.

Cristina Lara, Inc. is launching two campaigns this year: (sex)uality, and Abolish the B Word. The (sex)uality campaign will call for reproductive justice; the Abolish the B Word campaign will confront the music industry and demand respect for all women. This includes prohibiting the use of the "B" word to label women in today's rap music. This nonprofit organization will pool in some of America's best youth activists and train them how to effectively advocate for these campaigns. For example, an activist who attends the (sex)uality conference will be known as a "(sexuality) Advocate" for his/her community.

Cristina Lara, Inc. not only hosts these conferences but pays for them entirely!

"I've been writing grant proposals left and right," the young activist says. "But I mean, if I want to bring young people to gather in DC, then I can't expect them to pay. It wouldn't be fair!"

When asked about how she started Cristina Lara, Inc., Cristina replied, "I've been discussing it with my parents for a really long time. But the days kept turning into weeks, and weeks into months. When I was taking a late-night shower, I realized that I can't expect other people to do things for me. So when I got out of the shower, went online [the internet], yanked out my debit card, and within an hour, LegalZoom was processing my order for non-profit status. It didn't hit me until the next day, when my balance was several hundred dollars lower than before! But I definitely don't regret it. I'm going to expand Cristina Lara, Inc. as much as possible."

So, fellow Americans, don't lose hope just yet! If a 16 year old can grasp the concept of "social justice", then what does that tell you about the youth population? There is hope afterall.

You can visit Cristina Lara, Inc. at www.cristinalara.com. To sponsor, award, or provide grants, contact info@cristinalara.com.

http://www.americanprofile.com/kids/article/29177.html

One afternoon a few years back my little sister (who was 7 years old at the time) and my little brother, had gone off to a religious study class. When she returned home and entered the front door, she was balling her eyes out and red faced like the most terrible thing had happened. I rushed over to her thinking maybe some other kid may have hurt her feelings or maybe even hit her. So I asked her "What's wrong why are you crying? What happened?"

She was so hysterical that when she spoke I couldnt understand a word she was saying. My brother came up from behind laughing so hard that he was gasping for air. I immediately thought that he had done something that an annoying little brother would do.

So I asked him angrily "WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!" Then, my sister finally managed to speak, in between tears. "It wasn't him." She said. So I asked her what happened and finally...."I was walking home and then I saw these two cute little kittens and-and-and....they started CHASING ME!!!!"

The thought was so hilarious that I couldnt keep from laughing. The ironic things is that my sister LOVES animals and kittens and any baby animal are her weak spot. So yeah...the kittens followed her and made her cry.