Are You a Titan?

I first met Taylor online almost 5 years ago. Her mother, Gina, and I belong to an online mommy message board whose members all have a child who was due or born in March of 2005. We’ve shared our lives through messages, pictures, emails, phone calls and sometimes in person meet-ups. ‘The Board’ has become an important part of each of our lives, we’ve delighted in sharing our babies’ first steps, first teeth, and first words. We’ve cried over each other’s babies’ first falls, first broken bones, first sicknesses. We’ve cheered each other through dark times and rejoiced together during happy ones. We’ve all sat impatiently checking the board for updates during a ‘hatch watch’ (waiting for news that we have a new baby to love), or while a member weathered a scary storm, started a new business, made a long trip or nursed a sick child. I remember when Gina was first concerned for Taylor. We all thought it was a bad case of flu. Turns out to have been a much darker, much scarier monster.

I still remember hearing the stunning news and feeling the searing grief for a family I’d never actually met in person. I’ve prayed and sobbed for a child who I’ve watched grow up but never held in my arms. This beautiful, brave girl who faced down AML, a rare form of leukemia, has survived more pain and suffering than some people endure during their whole lifetimes.

As if dealing with this wasn’t enough, now Taylor’s father Shane has a real possibility of losing his job tomorrow.  This would leave the Jones family without benefits.  To continue benefits using COBRA will cost them $1,390 a month.  That is a staggering amount.  For that reason some of the amazing women from the mommy board put together this video below to post to our blogs, Facebook and Myspace pages in hopes of raising money to cover the costs for COBRA until Gina's benefits begin with her full time job in March 2010. Taylor clearly has the dreaded ‘pre-existing condition’, so they absolutely cannot afford to let their insurance lapse.

Gina has approved this video to be posted, please spread the word. If the 100 remaining members of our mommy board can get 20 people to donate $5 each then we can cover the costs and a little extra to help them out!!!!





You can read Taylor’s story and follow her family’s heartwrenching journey here on the Caring Bridge website. If you’re feeling generous you can click the button on the bottom of that page or click here to make a donation to help this family in their time of need. $5 would make a difference, I’ll be skipping an indulgence at Dunkin Donuts and contributing to this sweet child instead.