Continuing the fight...

So, I've had some eye-openers this fall already with a senior that's battled lymphoma, and a senior that lost his mother to cancer recently.

Sobering sessions, to be sure.

Then there's Melissa.

Mel should be enjoying her senior year at GMG. She should be "worrying" about things like homecoming dates, downloads to her iPod, going to football games, pep rallies, late night dashes to Taco John's...

Instead, Melissa is spending far too much of her precious youth at University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City..... receiving chemotherapy.

Since September of 2004, this young lady has been in the fight of her life against leukemia. Doctors have gave her a 60% chance of survival back in 8th grade when this battle began. She thought she was in the clear once..... but it's back again.

Somehow, someway... Melissa mustered up the strength to visit us between sessions and was surprisingly upbeat. In fact... I had to tell her when NOT to smile! :-)

Reality is that Melissa doesn't want my sympathy or pity. She'd love nothing more than to have her real hair back...... to never be hooked up to a machine again..... to just be a teen just like her peers.

Let's all pray for that to become a reality.