Week in and week out, members of Team Endure to Cure have made a choice to push themselves beyond their perceived limitations to reach the finish line of endurance events of all kinds.  They never ask why they are doing what they do because they know why.

Day in and day out, children are diagnosed with cancer or going through harsh treatments. They are forced to push themselves beyond their limitations simply to survive.  Their finish line may never seem near. They probably do not understand why cancer happened to them, or why their sense of “normal” has changed from playtime with friends to hospital treatments with doctors.

Part of our mission at Endure to Cure is to help children bridge this scary abyss. Gracious supporters combine with the efforts of our Team Endure to Cure members to help these children endure their treatments with a little more vigor and energy by fulfilling some of their simplest wishes.  These tiny wishes usually result in huge emotional boosts.

Our most recent grant went to Carolina, who is currently fighting cancer in a Chicago-area hospital. Carolina was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2011 at just 4yrs of age. Despite her illness, she is still happy and full of life. In an effort to keep Carolina healthy and germ free, she spends a lot of time at home with her family.

Since Carolina cannot go outside much, she spends a lot of time in her bedroom watching movies. Unfortunately, when she needed it most, her TV broke and her family could not afford to purchase a new one.  Carolina’s wish simply was to have a new TV and a DVD player so she could watch her favorite Disney movies.  Understandably, Carolina was quite excited to hear about her new TV arriving at their home while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Her mother described how she couldn’t wait to get home and watch a movie!  With tears in her eyes, Carolina’s mom hugged and thanked everyone who helped make Carolina’s wish come true during this difficult time.  She said, “In a time that is so hard, you have made my Carolina so happy. You have done something that I could not do, thank you.”

Thank you to all of our selfless donors and sponsors who supported our Team Endure to Cure members from around the world to make this possible.  If you are interested in becoming somebody’s hero today, click here to learn more!

Endure to Cure funded this via Bear Necessities in Chicago, IL.

Part of our mission at Endure to Cure is to help children and their families bridge the scary abyss of harsh cancer treatments and provide a little hope when it is needed most. Our generous supporters combine with the efforts of our valiant Team Endure to Cure members to help these children endure their treatments with a little more vigor and energy by fulfilling some of their simplest wishes.  These small wishes usually result in emotional boost providing hope beyond measure.

Our most recent grant went to Frank, who is currently fighting cancer in a Chicago-area hospital. Frank was diagnosed with a brain tumor in the summer of 2011. His diagnosis requires frequent and aggressive treatments. Frank was traveling to and from the hospital five days per week, with a three hour round-trip drive to the hospital.

He began having increased anxiety on these trips and the length of time in the car with no distractions and this added additional, unnecessary hardship on both Frank and his mom. Frank’s wish was for a Nintendo 3DS and some games to help pass the time. “Thank you and a huge hug to everyone that supports Bear Necessities. Frank was so happy to receive the 3DS gift, and surprised by all the games/accessories included.

Frank’s mother passes along her gratitude to everyone who made this gift possible:

“We drive to and from treatment five days every week. The gift has greatly improved Frank’s travel. We appreciate all the caring hearts involved with Bear Necessities, and the joy you’ve brought to Frank. Love and Thanks.”

Thank you to all of our selfless donors and sponsors who supported our Team Endure to Cure members from around the world to make this possible.  If you are interested in becoming somebody’s hero today, click here to learn more!

Endure to Cure funded this via Bear Necessities in Chicago, IL.

Like most kids twelve years of age, Emily loves to hang out with her friends, play basketball, and learning how to play musical instruments (she is already playing the piano and french horn!).  Similarly, she does not like to get stressed out about school or going to the doctor or the hospital.  This past summer, her carefree life took a turn when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Despite the challenges, Emily courageously continues to do the everyday things she loves to do as well as attend school while undergoing her treatments.

Part of our mission at Endure to Cure is to help children bridge the scary abyss of harsh cancer treatments with inspiring experiences to help them reach their own finish line–a cure for their cancer. Gracious supporters combine with the inspiring efforts of our Team Endure to Cure members to help these children endure their treatments with a little more vigor and energy by fulfilling some of their simplest wishes.  These tiny wishes usually result in huge emotional boosts.

Our most recent grant went to Emily in Chicago, IL.  Her dream was to ride in a Hummer limo with her friends and family and watch the Blue Man Group. Emily reported that her favorite part of her Bear Hug was just forgetting bout her cancer and treatments and simply feeling like a kid again.  She also loved coming out of the Blue Man Group show and feeling like a rock star because a lot of people from the show swarmed the limo!

Her family said, “This experience was awesome! It meant the world to Emily and she felt so special. She was so excited! She has been through so much. Watching her enjoy the experience was such a great feeling. The whole experience from start to finish was amazing and Emily loved it. The limo driver rolled out a red carpet for them to walk on before they got in.”  This was an event Emily surely will remember and help give her inspiration to keep fighting with hope to someday be cancer-free.  It also puts her family more at ease seeing her so radiant.

It was the first Sunday of April when the family noticed Emily was short of breath while playing basketball. The straight-A second-grader’s family took her the hospital for tests for possible asthma, but a CT scan only revealed a far worse situation. Emily had a tumor bigger than a softball in her left lung. It quickly collapsed her left lung and shifted both her heart and airway, leaving her breathing only with 20% of one lung.

Emily’s mom refers to her daughter as her “little rubber bouncing ball.” Whatever the challenge or situation, she tends to bounce back and keeps on moving. “That’s what she is. She’s 20 pounds underweight,” Emily’s mom said. “She is a stick. Her legs look like toothpicks, and that doesn’t slow her down. She does not care that she is bald; she keeps bouncing back.”  Even as she battles a diagnosis of stage III T-cell lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, this 8 year old is bouncing her way through chemotherapy and on to recovery…and since our Team Endure to Cure members have been out raising a sweat on her behalf, now she is stopping to hang out with celebrities along the way!

Emily and her family were treated to a limo ride, concert and backstage meeting with her idol, Selena Gomez. Meeting the Disney Channel starlet couldn’t have made Emily happier, said her mom. “She felt so special being in a limo, meeting a star. It’s every girl’s dream.  Emily is an angel. I feel like she is an angel walking among us. She brings out the good in people; she is so pure,” said her mom. “She just has the best heart in the world, and she inspires me every day. She gives me the strength.”

Thank you to all of our selfless donors and sponsors who supported our Team Endure to Cure members from around the world to make this possible.  If you are interested in becoming somebody’s hero today, click here to learn more!

Endure to Cure funded this “Bear Hug” via Bear Necessities in Chicago, IL.  BN’s “Bear Hugs” program supports cancer patients up to age 19 who face the many challenges that accompany the diagnoses and treatment of pediatric cancer.

Teagan Grace first said hello to the world on August 4, 2005. She loves ballet and gymnastics (she calls it “nastics”) and enjoys playing outside. Unfortunately, being diagnosed with and battling cancer from an early age has limited her ability to enjoy what most kids her age enjoy and take for granted.  But Teagan is beginning to return to doing what she loves: playing with her friends, saying her colors, and having fun at school.  We are glad we were able to help her get back to the basics of being a kid!

Teagan’s Bear Hug was attending a production of Beauty and the Beast, complete with a meet and greet with Belle and the Beast! Her parents wrote about how fulfilling this wish helped make the hard times just a little bit easier:

“Teagan was so excited to see the play, she even wore her very own Belle dress! Some of Teagan’s birthdays have been spent in the hospital, so getting the chance to have a real birthday is extra special for us. Before we left the house to go to the play, Teagan saw the picture of her birthday from last year. She pointed to the picture and said “then sick” then she touched her Belle dress and said “now better.” (That one made Dad cry) We will never forget this birthday. Thank you!”

Thank you to all of our selfless donors and sponsors who supported our Team Endure to Cure members from around the world to make this possible.  If you are interested in becoming somebody’s hero today, click here to learn more!

Endure to Cure funded this “Bear Hug” via Bear Necessities in Chicago, IL.  BN’s “Bear Hugs” program supports cancer patients up to age 19 who face the many challenges that accompany the diagnoses and treatment of pediatric cancer.