Posts filed under: Why you Live

Going Gold for Grace

Posted on September 05, 2018 | Posted under Battle, Childhood Cancer, Gold for Grace, How you Live, Story behind the Bat, Why you Live | 16 Comments

 

Crafting our first-ever gold colored bat back in 2015 was about so much more than a pretty color.  It was about honoring one of the smallest and bravest heroes we have met.   

In May of 2015 the Byrd family was busy juggling work and family as they raised their 15-month-old triplets Grace, Elizabeth, and Thomas.  On May 22, their world was turned upside down when Grace was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Nothing can prepare you for a cancer diagnosis.  Especially a cancer diagnosis for your own young daughter.


Surviving triplets is one thing, but parenting triplets while navigating chemotherapy treatments, multiple hospital visits, a weakened immune system, etc. is almost impossible to comprehend.  But the Byrds used every ounce of energy to help Grace fight the battle and in September of 2017 she took her last dose of chemo and she has been free of cancer since.  We will never forget attending the End of Treatment Party for Grace!  It was the best kind of celebration!

In baseball, every “at-bat” is a battle.  But “winning the battle” took on a new meaning for us as we watched Grace fight for her life.  It was our sincere honor to craft a gold bat for this brave warrior!  And yet, since making her bat we have seen that fighting cancer is really not a battle.  It is life-changing and complex.  To say somebody lost their battle to cancer implies that person could have done more to win, but we know that is not the case. Cancer outcomes are determined by the tumor type, stage of cancer, and available treatments.  “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live” – Stuart Scott (former ESPN anchor who died of cancer). 

As we witnessed the Byrd’s battle with cancer, we were shocked to learn how little funding goes towards childhood cancer research.  Only 4%!  September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so please spread the word and let’s do better than 4%. The Childhood Cancer Awareness ribbon color is Gold.  Let’s Go Gold for Grace and all the other brave children fighting to win the battle! 

The Byrds have registered a fundraiser with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer to help make a difference in the fight against pediatric cancer.  If you would like to donate, please use this link: http://cookiesforkidscancer.org/fundraiser/rockwall2018