On Saturday, May 9th the campus of USF, Simba's college, will be hosting it's fourth annual Miles for Moffitt research fundraiser. You can click on the link to the right to get more information or make a donation. Tobey, Simba, Nappy, Chewie and I will be doing the 1 mile walk in memory of my Mom.

What can one say about Moffitt? Words fail me for the most part. I can tell you that everytime we drive I-275 and pass the Moffitt exit, I catch my breath. You would think after 4 years I would get beyond it but I haven't or can't or a little of both.

After Mom's surgery and stays at South Georgia Medical center in Valdosta, and the total crap care she received there; Moffitt was amazing. The staff was amazing. The doctors were amazing. The patients were amazing. The families were amazing. Mom really loved the atmosphere there. She loved when they brought the puppies in for her to cuddle during animal therapy. And for about two minutes, I thought she was going to beat her cancer(s). We brought her to Moffitt to be cured after all.

It takes a special type of person to work in the cancer field. To have to look at death everyday, to have to tell patients there is no hope and to still treat them as human beings, to not talk down to their families, to celebrate their patients lives....if you ever need proof that God exsists, all you have to do is look to Moffitt Cancer Center and her staff.

So on May 9th, we will walk for Mom. We'll walk for all who have suffered and passed or suffered and survived. We'll walk so no other daughter needs to know how to spell rhabdomyosarcoma for her mother's death certificate or knows how to define it or has to deal with losing their mother because of this bastard of a disease.

I'll walk because my Mom can't. And over time, as my back continues to deteriorate, I'll walk until Tobey has to push me. Because my Mom can't.

~ame