Update 12/15/13: There has been a great response to Fallon’s fundraiser and the list of silent auction items are blowing me away. You can bid on things like a trip to Orlando, photo session, Myrtle Beach Pelicans tickets…and those are just a few examples. They’ll also have these really cool #fiercefallon t-shirts for sale. I love them!
Erin Dietrich of Erin Dietrich Photography is organizing the event. If you have a items to donate, drop them off at Erin’s studio, 3087 Deville Street in the Market Common.
God bless you and your loved ones, Fallon! <3
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On Saturday, December 28th from 1-3 p.m. there is a fundraiser at Longbeard’s in Carolina Forest for a very special little girl. Fallon, a 4th grader at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, had surgery, and is about to begin radiation in the coming weeks.
According to the Fierce Fallon Facebook page, the news isn’t good. With no treatment Fallon may be with us for six months. With aggressive treatment, she may be with us for two years. I’m going big and hoping for many, many more years than that.
I’m not sure how much I’ve conveyed this about me, but I believe in miracles. Sometimes things happen that just have no explanation. They defy logic, rational thinking, and science. Even the smartest of the smart can try to figure them out, but can’t succeed. Why? Because there is some higher power at work. Choose to believe it or not, but you can’t shake my faith in miracles and I’m hoping on one right now.
You see, I’ve got this dear friend. She’s my age and has three beautiful little boys, loving husband, and amazing family who are her world. Over the last seven (7!!!) years she’s battled two brain tumors. There have been surgeries, two YEARS of chemo, and a recent six weeks of radiation. I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed and the best news she’s heard in a few years is that her tumors are “stable” meaning they didn’t change, but they haven’t gotten smaller. I feel ashamed to admit this, but when she went for her most recent MRI I felt certain the news would be the same. In fact, I had adjusted my hopes from “major shrinkage” to ” stable” and was willing to settle for “not worse.” She traveled to an out-of-state hospital where she receives her care and I waited to hear the results. Even as I writing this, I’m tearing up. The news was 80%. More than three-quarters of the masses in her head were gone. Just as I began to accept that not much more could be done, it was. My prayers that she would grow old enough to hug her kids’ kids feels much closer and possible. And I’m praying for the same for Miss Fallon.
Since I heard of Fallon’s news from a mutual friend, I can’t get her and her family out of my mind. I don’t even know them! But what they’re going through is incredibly anguishing and my heart and prayers go out. It’s obvious they’re loved because the response to their Facebook page has been tremendous. One of the things I love most is the YouTube video put together by Fallon’s classmates at St. Andrew’s Catholic School.
God bless all children and families dealing with cancer.
Want to read more? Check out the latest on the Myrtle Beach for Families blog.
Thank you so much Melissa. I do know the entire family and they are “good people” actually I’ll say they are GREAT people. Fallon has traveled to TN with my family and her and my oldest daughter have had many, many afternoon play dates. I too believe in Miracles. God Gives doctors the knowledge and ability to discover what’s wrong, sometimes he just unselfishly does their work for them. #fiercefallon
Hi Melissa,
Melanie is a friend of mine and I’m devastated about the news of Fallon’s condition, but I too believe in miracles as we have experienced them in my family. My husband is the VP for Holiday Inn Club vacations, they have a beautiful resort Orange Lake Country Club in Orlando, Fl and he is going to donate a 5 night vacation in a 2 bedroom villa available for you to auction at Fallon’s party. He is working on the details and making a certificate. Please let me know what you need from me to make this happen and anything else I can do to help with fund raiser.