Another reason I fight!

This is the face of Hodgkins Disease:

And this is the face of leukemia:


Today, we are not here to talk about me (for once...lol). The second photo is Taylor Walling, she is nine years old, the daughter of my friends Marcy McClellan and Billy Walling, and she was just diagnosed with leukemia. She was barely diagnosed last week and is already putting on her gloves and is ready to fight. She is the face of a fighter, she is one of the reasons that I am a fighter through "Team Joni".

I have been talking to Marcy and trying to give her as much advice as I can to help her through what is going to be a very trying time for her. In just the few short days since the diagnosis, I have been watching Taylor on Facebook and via Marcy and am seeing a remarkable little girl. She has been very positive from visiting with princesses, to ordering up pancakes for breakfast and watching her favorite shows on TV. She is going to be in the hospital for 2 weeks to start and then her treatments will resume on a schedule of outpatient and clinics. I think at her young age, she is handling her situation with grace and a great attitude - she has been brought up very well :o)

Taylor is surrounded by great people! Her family is a great support to her - I can tell just by seeing her face in the photos. She has step-parents, brothers and sisters, aunties, uncles....the list could go on forever. I love to see the out pouring of well wishes, prayers and happy thoughts that are shared on her FB page. Here are a few more pictures of this amazing little girl and her family...




So, why am I dedicating a blog to Taylor you ask? Well, I know that my blog has generated a TON of support for me and I have been added to so many prayer chains and groups that I cannot even count. Although Taylor has a great prognosis, I would like to ask that you add her to your prayers too. For those of you that do not pray, think a happy thought for her, raise your glass in a toast to her or just send a positive vibe her way once in a while. Whatever it is that you have done for me, send it her way as well. I believe in the power of positive thinking and what it has done for me, I would love to be a part of helping Taylor by sharing my support team with her.

Thank you everyone for your constant support and love, you will never know just how much it means to me! I will do a separate entry on my progress - this one is for Taylor :o)

xoxo - Joni