Battle4aCure - Because We Can't Imagine Life Without Them.

2011 CureSearch Walk Battle4aCure Teams!!

2011-04-07T16:31:00.022-05:00

As most of you know, Battle4aCure was born and raised in Austin, Texas. However, our love and efforts extend all over the WORLD.

Every year in the US, CureSearch holds walks to raise money for Childhood Cancer Research! And Every Year that it has been in Austin, TX, Battle4aCure has participated in this event! 2011 will mark our 3rd Year...and we're hoping to make it our BEST year!

This year we had a friend of ours, Ashley, asked if she could have a Battle4aCure team in the Denver, CO area...we said OF COURSE!

Below you will find a list of ALL of the Battle4aCure Teams participating across the US this Year! Be sure to check back often for New Battle4aCure Teams!

AUSTIN, TX
9/24/11
The Austin, TX Team Page
Team Captain- Amanda Harbin-Bartlett
amanda@battle4acure.org

DENVER, CO
8/20/11
The Denver, CO Team Page
Team Captain- Ashley Green
ashleygreen86@gmail.com

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
9/17/11
The Oklahoma City, OK Team Page
Team Captain- Sheila Wilson
sw8706@gmail.com

If you would like to start a Battle4aCure Team in Your Area please contact amanda@battle4acure.org! Wondering if there's a walk in your area? Click here - List Of CureSerach Walks - to find out!

Mark Your Calendars!

2011-02-22T09:47:00.004-06:00

Check it out! Battle4aCure t-shirts 2011! We can't wait to see you wearing them and helping us raise awareness! The link to purchse is on our website.

Later this week we'll be announcing the date of our spring Garage sale to help us raise money to continue shipping gifts to kids all over the US fighting cancer. Thank you in advance for helping us make this a success! Stay tuned to our Facebook page for announcements!

Battle4aCure on K-LOVE

2011-02-16T15:19:00.000-06:00

Battle4aCure was honored to be featured on K-Love's Make a Difference Monday about our Christmas Hope Boxes and Kimberly's Hope Program. Have a listen!

Why is it called "Kimberly's Hope"

2011-02-09T16:35:00.007-06:00

Since we have expanded our Kimberly's Hope program beyond Christmas, we have had quite a few volunteers contact us wanting to know "Who in the world is Kimberly?"

I'm very excited to share this with you:

Kimberly Shaw was a sister, a daughter, a mother, a friend and a cancer fighter. She was an incredible person!

At just 25 years old she touched so many lives! Everywhere she went she shared the love of God and she told everyone she met that she refused to give up hope because she knew with all of her heart that God was going to give her a miracle.

She believed in our program and she was one of our biggest supporters. Her HOPE was to give love and smiles to all of the children fighting cancer. She wanted to extend the love that people had shown to her during her fight with cancer to the littlest fighters of all. She cared deeply for all of the children that she met through us.

To say that Kimberly will be missed is an understatement. We think about her every minute of every day; she's in every song, every butterfly, every whisper of wind on a sunny day.

She will never be forgotten and we know that she is in heaven, surrounded by tons of children, smiling down on all of us and the love that has been given in her name!

I know that she has been on the welcoming committee of all of the children that have earned their angel wings since her passing. She was an outstanding mother to her 1 year old son Barrett, and we know without a doubt that she carried that love and compassion for children on to the next life.

Kimberly earned her angel wings on August 27, 2010. She lives FOREVER in our hearts.

Please continue to keep Kimberly's son, Barrett, in your thoughts and prayers.

Upcoming and Current Events

2011-01-24T09:57:00.009-06:00

Right now our Kimberly's Hope Valentine's Day program is in full swing! You can 'adopt' a little fighter for Valentine's Day and send them a card and a small gift (teddy bear, book, etc.).

You can also sign your little fighter up for our Kimberly's Hope program so they can be adopted throughout the year! Contact Mariesha with your child's name, age, address and sibling information to sign up.

Please contact Mariesha at fightcancer@battle4acure.org to 'adopt' a fighter or to sign up your little fighter!

Our Sewing for a Cure project is also in full swing! We are taking donations of cotton fabric to be sewn into handmade quilts to auction off on our facebook page. Our goal is to raise the remaining money we need to file our 501(c)(3) paperwork. Each adult quilt will start at $100 and each child's quilt will start at $50. We hope to have the first group of ten up for auction before Valentine's Day. This deadline depends on how many fabric donations we receive over the next week. If you would like to donate fabric or have questions about this project please email Mariesha at mars@battle4acure.org

AUSTIN, TEXAS: We are also in the beginning stages of planning our Spring Yard Sale! Our Winter Yard Sale raised over $700 for toys and shipping! We are hoping our Spring Yard Sale will bring in even more funds for our shipping costs and toy costs!

To Donate items for the Yard Sale please contact Amanda at amanda@battle4acure.org or Sarah at sarah@battle4acure.org. We are accepting any and all items!

Date is TBD. We'll post as soon as we have something set!

Updated Contact Info!

2011-01-23T09:12:00.006-06:00

Hey everyone! It's been a while since we've updated anything. I wanted to give you all some updated info/contact information.
For a long time all requests and emails have to come battle4acure@gmail.com. These days we have a Board of Directors that are very involved with everything going on, so you will find their contact info below.

Sarah updates most of the posts/prayer requests on the facebook page. She is also very involved with everything else. Feel free to contact her at sarah@battle4acure.org with anything concerning the facebook page or just general questions.

Dena does all of our Hope Boxes. If you would like to sign your little fighter up to receive a Hope Box you'll want to email Dena at dena@battle4acure.org with your child's name, age, address and sibling information. Dena is also working on our Sewing for a Cure quilts project, so feel free to contact her with any questions concerning that.

Mariesha heads up our Kimberly's Hope program in memory of our friend Kimberly Shaw. This program enables volunteers to "adopt" children throughout the year and send them cards and gifts. To sign your child up for this program or to "adopt" a little fighter you will want to contact Mariesha at mars@battle4acure.org. (Mars is a childhood nickname that is a lot easier to spell :D) Mariesha is also working with Dena on the Quilt project, so you can contact her about that as well.

Amanda is still answering the emails that come through the battle4acure@gmail.com. We're trying to transition everything over, so if you have any questions or concerns for Amanda please contact her at amanda@battle4acure.org.

We will be updating the blog on all of the new projects that we're up to in the next few days so keep an eye out for those!

We would like to thank each and every person who has helped us become the organization that we are today; your generosity, love and support does not go unnoticed. We love you all and appreciate you standing with us during this journey.

Love,
The Battle4aCure Team

Yard Sale for Shipping Costs

2010-11-14T15:25:00.004-06:00

This picture represents just a small fraction of the items donated for the garage sale. This was a few hours into it and we had just consolidated what was left. It was a very long day, but well worth our joint efforts. THANK YOU so much to those who donated. We had a huge amount of clothes, toys, and books.

The crowds came in spurts and there were other garage sales in the area, so that was an added draw. Chad and Amanda were up and at 'em and thanks to the posters they placed and numerous ads/updates on Craigslist lots of folks made their way over to the sale.

Some of our "big ticket" items were a set of Lexus rims, a beautiful cherry sleigh toddler bed w/mattress and other baby gear such as a jumperoo carseat and play pen. A 27" TV and Stereo were also high sellers. High priced items such as a remote control B-2 bomber plane and a framed Thomas Kinkade print are being sold on eBay. We raised just over $700 and hope to earn another $100-$200 with the eBay items. All remaining items were donated to Round Rock Volunteer Center as suggested by a garage sale go-er.

While that sounds like a large amount of money (and it is) but everyday our list is getting longer. Shipping costs to over 100 children will average between $15-$20 per box. Our toy donation drive has been off to a very slow start. We appreciate every dollar donated and promise to stretch it as far as we can to make these children smile! On Saturday Nov. 20th Amanda got permission from Storm's Drive-In in Lampasas to collect toys at their location from 11AM-2PM. We have high hopes people will give as much as they can so that we fill these boxes to deliver joy on Christmas.

Many, many thanks to all who donated their "stuff", time and energy/efforts! We couldn't do it without your support! ~Sarah

Saturday is the big day!

2010-11-09T16:48:00.000-06:00

To Understand an Angel

2010-10-28T17:16:00.005-05:00

Caeden Garcia's Mom Michelle, wrote the following poem in memory of their friend Chase, who a year ago today earned his angel wings at the age of two. Her poem is beautiful and a testament to the strong bond created between families affected by childhood cancer.

Fly high in heaven sweet Chase.

To Understand an Angel

God sends down angels,
the sweetest ones, its true.
they only have a little while,
yet they have so much to do.

Angels come to guide us,
to help us find our way.
they teach us how to live and love,
how to cherish every day.

The thing about Angels,
and it has to be this way..
they all return home above,
none of them can stay.

When their time with us must end,
the lord will call them home.
they will leave in happiness,
knowing, they'll never be alone.

If you are blessed to have an angel,
with the lord in heaven above,
you will always feel his warmth,
and find comfort in his love.

A little piece of this angel,
will always be in your heart.
neither time nor distance
can break that bond apart.

All Angels must return to heaven.
they need to spread their wings,
It hurts that we may not see them,
but they keep watch of Earthly things.

So do not be afraid,
and do not feel alone,
your angel is not gone,
he simply returned home.

When an angel must leave our world,
many sad will be left behind,
so until the day we meet again, remember..
good angels are hard to find.

Christmas 2010- Kimberly's Hope

2010-10-18T14:14:00.012-05:00

Kimberly Shaw was a wonderful mother, daughter and friend. At just 25 years old she touched so many lives! She always had faith and hope in miracles. Kimberly was one of our biggest supporters. Last Christmas she gave a large donation, even though she was struggling with chemo, bills and fighting her own cancer. She believed that these kids deserved more than we could give them. She believed in us.

To honor Kimberly, the fight she fought and the love she shared; we will be starting a new program this Christmas called "Kimberly's Hope" -

Kimberly's Hope is a program where volunteers (just like you) can request to "adopt" a little fighter for Christmas by using the contact us page on the website (www.battle4acure.org). You will get all of the info about your child so you can send them a Hope Box too.

*All gifts have to be age appropriate by the age on the box of the toy (Ages 3+, etc).
*We request that you only send new toys to the children and that you wrap each gift in the box separately. This makes it more exciting for the children!
*You will need to ship your Hope Box to your child by December 5, 2010.
*If you are unable to fulfill your promise to send a box please contact us immediately.

In Loving Memory of Kimberly Shaw
Kimberly earned her angel wings on August 27, 2010. She was 25 years old. She won her final battle and beat us all Home. She left behind a 1 year old son named Barrett. We are happy for her but heartbroken at the same time. To say she will be missed is a huge understatement. She is loved and treasured. We will never forget her, the love she shared or the lives she changed.

2010-02-09T17:29:00.000-06:00

For updated information please visit www.battle4acure.org

Remembering Reagan Richards

2009-09-16T15:08:00.002-05:00

We regret to inform you that Reagan Richards has lost her 10 month battle with brain cancer. Reagan was five years old and was a very loving and brave little fighter, she never gave up hope and didnt let cancer define her!
Please remember to keep her family and friends in mind while they embark on the difficult journey ahead.
Please remember to pray for every child suffering from childhood cancer, and do not forget to count your blessings every single day.

Our deepest condolences,
Amanda & the Battle4aCure Family

Trying to Update...

2009-05-26T16:30:00.002-05:00

We havent updated in a while...I'm going to try my best to get through this.

Since the last post, Katie Fitch has passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family as they attempt to cope with the pain and the days ahead of them.

We have a few other children on our list that have not been given much time. You will see those posts fly up quickly, and I'm hoping everyone will be praying HARD for them!

We now have a twitter account: www.twitter.com/battle4acure We have earned the support of Matthew West, NeedtoBreathe, Dave Hassell Band, Thriving Ivory and Patrick Swayze through this site, and we are not done yet! We love twitter :)

We were invited to "The First Annual Strike Out Childhood Cancer" Event in Durham, NC with Rock Against Cancer on August 8, 2009. We are very excited about this and fundraisers for merchandise to sell at the event has begun! We hope to see you out at one of them!

Many updates will follow this! I promise not to fall behind again!

Love!
Amanda

FIGHTING FOR KATIE FITCH

2009-01-28T14:33:00.010-06:00

Join me and the Battle4aCure crew as we pray for Katie Fitch!

A quick look around Katie Fitch's bedroom reveals a typical three-year-old girl. Lots of pink. Strawberry Shortcake, Spongebob Squarepants and Wonder Pets dolls litter the shelves, floor and any other available space. She likes Hanna Montana but Charlotte's Web is her favorite movie. Her favorite books are "Barn Animals Play Peek-a-Boo" and "Goodnight Moon".

But Katie Fitch isn't a typical three-year-old. She has hepatoblastoma.

Hepatoblastoma, primarily a childhood cancer, is a very rare cancerous tumor originating in the liver, but can also spread or metastasize to other areas of the body. The liver is one of the largest organs in the body, and its primary functions include filtering and storing blood. Hepatoblastoma affects about 1 in 1,000,000 children. About 70% are treated successfully with surgery and chemotherapy, and the survival rate is greater than 90% for early-stages.

Katie lives in Florence, South Carolina, with her mother, Stacie Williams, her father, Clayton Fitch, and two sisters, Allie and Kristin. She receives treatment at the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. The hospital has earned top ranking from U.S. News & World Report, American Health Magazine and The Best Doctors in America.

However, it is our understanding through a close friend named Brittney that the hospital has sent Katie home with little or no hope of survival. Katie's cancer has spread throughout her other organs including her heart. The tumor in her liver has tripled in size, and her body is no longer responding to treatment.

Please pass the word along to all of your friends and family to PRAY for Katie Fitch & Her Family!

"Another Little Girl"

2008-12-18T13:53:00.007-06:00

I thought of how Samantha's mother might have felt through Samantha's fight with cancer, and I wrote a poem about it. Again, this is from my point of view only, it was written for Samantha and her mother.

DO NOT COPY / DUPLICATE THE FOLLOWING NOTE.

(Property of Amanda Harbin)

"Another Little Girl"

by Amanda Harbin
In Memory of Samantha Hughes

March 18, 2003 - April 15, 2008

http://www.samanthahughes.co.uk/

I wont forget the day they said

"I'm sorry ma’m the cancer has spread"

My heart stopped beating

The world stopped spinning,

As I turn and see your face

Your gorgeous smile and baby blues

Take me from this place

You used to be so small in me,
Protected from the world

But now you’re here and all they see

Is another little girl

My baby girl what a fight it’s been

Since you were barely three

Being here takes me back

To a place I don’t want to be

Where tubes and wires become the ‘norm’

And we drive from place to place

It seems to feel like life’s a storm

When life seems like a race

You have chemo here and surgery there

And long nights in my arms

What I would give to take your place

So you would feel no harm

And my heart aches and my soul breaks

As tears roll down my face

And I can see that you look to Me

To save you from this place

What an evil fight it is tonight

As we lay here and cry

You’re in pain, and through tears I pray

“Lord, give her wings to fly”

My baby girl here we are again

Your cancer has spread and it might win

My selfish pride wont let you go

My baby girl you have to know

While you fight, I’ll fight with you,

But if along the way you’re feeling blue

Just look to heaven and always know

That it’s okay for you to let go.

I’m looking down into your eyes

I can see your pain swell through

This life is too much for a little girl

And I know you’re feeling blue

And my heart aches and my soul breaks

As tears roll down my face

And I can see that you look to Me

To save you from this place

What an evil fight it is tonight

As we lay here and cry

You’re in pain, and through tears I pray

“Lord, give her wings to fly"

2008-11-18T10:28:00.005-06:00

Well, Friends, I am in a quite a bind. I wanted to have Battle4aCure up and running before the first of the year...well, legal fees are just out of my reach right now. I was in a car accident, not my fault, and my car was totaled. Now, all of the money I have saved is going to have to go toward a down payment and any hopes of getting a loan are now shot.
I need a miracle and $800 to turn Battle4aCure into a 501(c)(3) non profit organization.

So, I got a wonderful idea from one of our friends...
IF 800 PEOPLE DONATE $1, I COULD MAKE MY DREAM FOR BATTLE4ACURE A REALITY & HELP THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER!
It's only $1...so, I thought I would try it! Some of the parents on our myspace page suggested this "Chip In Widget", so I thought I would give it a whirl!! (Keep in mind that your donation to the legal fees will NOT be tax deductible...which is why I'm encouraging you to only donate $1.)

Wish Us Luck!!!! =D

Have a Wonderful Day & God Bless!

If you have any questions, I would be MORE than happy to answer them- you can email me (Amanda Harbin- founder) at battle4acure@gmail.com!

If you would like to talk to my lawyer as "proof" of all of this, email me and I'll give you his contact information.

To learn more about the organization you can visit our myspace page (take a look at some of the children that the money Battle4aCure raises after we obtain our 501(c)(3) status will be helping)

http://www.battle4acure.org/ takes you to the myspace page.

Who Is That Little Girl? She's Samantha Hughes.

2008-11-12T20:17:00.037-06:00

If you're a fan or friend of ours, you've seen this beautiful little girl on our page. Even though I post her website with her picture, some people still ask "Who is that little girl?"

Well, I could tell you a lot of things that I've learned about Samantha Hughes from her website...like:

She was born on March 18, 2003 or that she lived in the UK or that her brother, Louis, was also diagnosed with cancer in March of 2001 at the age of 18 months old.

I could tell you that Samantha's favorite color was purple or that she loved Finding Nemo & Nanny McPhee. Or I could even tell you about all of the stories that were published about her in newspapers or about how heart wrenching it was to read her story on her website.

I could tell you a lot of things that I learned about Samantha Hughes...but instead, I'm going to tell you what I learned FROM Samantha Hughes.

When I first stumbled across Samantha's page, I was not looking for a story or a major life changing event in my life; I was looking for a picture. I wanted a picture to hang at my desk to remind me how often cancer steals a precious life. I wanted a reminder of how messed up this world is, so I would be reminded to be THANKFUL for everything in my own life. To help me find a way to help others; to find a purpose. That may sound terrible, but I'm just telling the truth. Please bare with me through this entire blog post.

During my quest to find the perfect picture to break my heart into Thankfulness, I ran across this picture of a beautiful little girl!

The Little Girl on the TOP is Samantha Hughes....The Little Girl on the BOTTOM.....

Is my niece, Preslie. Did my heart break into Thankfulness at that moment, yes and no, my heart was just BROKEN- for lack of a better word.
With her hair down, Preslie has that amazingly crazy curly hair that everyone is jealous of (that, of course, she hates), I was AMAZED. Their eyes look alike, and they are both the same age in these pictures and in real life. They have the same little smile! I was in SHOCK. They look so much alike!

These two little girls have NOTHING in common and are from 2 different sides of the world, but Preslie is, and always has been, a huge part of my life; and Samantha has changed my life forever. So, now, these two little girls have something in common- Me.

And in that moment of realization, something changed- This was no longer just a picture of a little girl, this was a beautiful LIFE...a baby that was birthed and cared for by her mother. A child that laid helpless in a hospital bed while there was nothing more the doctors could do to save her life. This was no longer a picture- this was a sickening possibility....not for just Preslie, but for ALL of the Children in my life! Cancer is a very random disease, it does not care what color of skin you have or how old you are. Cancer is a frightening possibility. It's a possibility for me, for my mother and father, for my niece and nephews and for everyone else in my life. Just the thought of one of my little ones having cancer tore me apart.

I spent the rest of the day reading about Samantha on her website (http://samanthahughes.co.uk/index.htm) and fighting back tears. It was like trying to stop a flood- impossible.

It was at that moment that I began to brainstorm on ways to help. I thought of MANY different possibilities...and then I thought of Battle4aCure. I thought about it a lot. I dreamt about it. A part of me was ready to dive right in, and another part of me kept saying "It's too big, you could never do that!" This went on for MONTHS. (And I never did anything except read Sam's website)

Then, I met Cameron. Long story short, Cameron and I work together and we started hanging out a lot. One day he asked me "What do you want to do with your life?" Naturally, I laughed. I have been nagged with this question since I quit college. So, he asked me "Amanda, what are you passionate about?" Quickly, my response was "Kids." Everyone knows this is the absolute truth. I LOVE KIDS! Then, I started telling him about my dreams for Battle4aCure...and something happened that day-

He Believed in My Dreams! He encouraged me to turn my dreams into a reality to help these kids and their families. And that's how I started Battle4aCure.

It all started with a picture. One picture has completely changed my life. However, I look at Samantha's picture as a celebration and reminder of LIFE, not death. She was an AMAZING little girl! There are videos of her singing "It's Too Late To Apologize" by OneRepublic and jumping on the bed with her brother, Louis, on her website. She reminds me SO much of Preslie.

And that's where the slogan came from-

"The Reason Why We Fight Is Simple...

We Cant Imagine Life Without Them."

I can not imagine my life without my niece or nephews. My heart aches for Samantha's family, she earned her angel wings on April 15, 2008. Her page is a celebration of her LIFE...as she lived hers to the FULLEST!

I know a lot about Samantha Hughes, but unfortunately she will never know how much she changed my life!

BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE AND FIGHT FOR WHAT'S IMPORTANT!

(In Loving Memory of Samantha Hughes)

-Amanda Harbin-

Founder of Battle4aCure

2008-11-12T14:36:00.001-06:00

Battle4aCure started as a dream to help Children with Cancer, and has evolved into a growing organization to raise money for Pediatric Cancer Research! We are in the process of filing paperwork with the government to obtain a 501(c)(3) non profit status! This road is long and full of road blocks, but it is nothing compared to the roads that Children with Cancer are traveling down!

You can visit us on myspace @ www.myspace.com/Battle4aCure or you can just type in http://www.battle4acure.org/

Thank you for your support!