Thank You For An Amazing 2015!

Thank you for all that you have done in supporting our journey to fund research for OMS and pediatric cancer. It's still somewhat incomprehensible how far we've come in the past 5 years. I still remember setting a goal of $10K for my first Pablove Across America without a clue as to how we'd turn that into a research grant. Since then we've raised $300K+, ridden thousands of miles, hiked with friends and family, and have funded 4 OMS research projects that are still active. As 2015 comes to a close, we've tallied the results from our San Francisco hike, the St. Louis walkathon, and Pablove Across America 2015. With your donations, along with significant support from the OMS Life Foundation, we have raised another $100K for our Pablove OMS Fund and can renew or fund 2 more research grants in 2016! Thank you for your tremendous monetary support but also for all of the other ways you've rallied together to support our cause. You've brought us food and coffee to the hospital on treatment days, babysat so we can train or go to doctor appointments, fixed and tuned our bikes and gear for PAA and hiked with us in San Francisco, St. Louis and beyond. Keira's friends cleared their piggy banks this year, held walkathons, and Crystal's school community held their own fundraiser to support our cause. You've sent messages of support, words of encouragement, taken steps with us and turned the pedals along with us. We are humbled and grateful that you have joined us in this journey. Also, a special thanks goes out to our good friends Eric Cattell and Bill Begien who put in significant time training and fundraising this year for OMS, Mike Michaelis and the OMS Life Foundation for their generous support and for all they do for OMS, and of course, to our good friends at the Pablove Foundation who have helped us make this all happen throughout the years. Happy New Years and may 2016 be the best year ever!  Naveen, Crystal, Keira, and Akemi

Little Stompers Xmas Performance

Akemi was super excited about her performance this year. She's been practicing her songs at home with Keira since Thanksgiving. She told us that she might be the best because she's the loudest. :) 

There are a lot of "littles" this year so as Mrs. Louise said she gave them "free expression" to come and go to the performance. We were also missing one of the "bigs" so several kiddos were able to come up and fill in during some of the speaking/songs.

It's always a fun way to start the holidays. A big thank you to Mrs. Louise and her staff for organizing this event year after year. We love it!

 One of my favorite songs is the "Snow-key Pokey"(at about 11 minutes in).

 Akemi has a little solo with her snow hat.

 Happy Holidays!

 

Pumpkin Carving

We had a fun evening of carving pumpkins with the Del Vecchios!

The girls spent some coming up with their jack-o-lantern concept

while the guys took care of the guts!

Akemi was happy to help with the sweets

 

which were enjoyed by all the kiddos   

Happy Halloween!

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View photos in flickr

Halloween Parade - Portal

It's fun having Keira at Portal this year.

She's been to the Halloween Parade before but this time she's part of the Little Blue Village!
She was happy to get a quick picture with some of her teachers

 and her principal, Mrs. Rowe
 

 The staff theme was Kimochis... our focus this year is all about FEELINGS!

How could anyone be cranky with such a cute butterfly?!

Of course we also had to get a picture with her buddy Grayson.
Check out that cool costume that he made by himself!


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Pumpkin Patch - Webb Ranch

The best part of the pumpkin patch... riding the horses of course!

Keira went for a ride on Travis and Akemi's horse was Wink.





The dads took the kids on the train



and the moms found a few pumpkins to take home
 

Play slideshow - 31  View photos in flickr

Last visit with Dr. E

Saying good-bye is never easy.

Dr. Effinger has been a big part of our family for the last five years... today was our last clinic visit with her at LPCH.

 The girls wanted to make her something that she could take with her so we painted mugs.

 

They also made her sweet cards.
     

Although we are happy for Dr. E's new adventure we are going to miss her A LOT!
 The good news is there is no way we won't stay in touch... we have faith she will come back to the Bay Area someday or maybe we will see a random Dr. E sighing when we are in St. Louis someday. :)

 Regardless, our family is forever grateful for the love and care she has provided for Keira.

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Treatment Day #2

A week ago Naveen was riding up the coast with his PAA crew and today we're back at LPCH for Keira's next treatment.

It's always sobering to be back at the hospital with the hope that this will be her last treatment.

We spent the day together building and playing legos... and when we were done she didn't want to leave because she was having so much fun.


Also, thanks Mrs. Norman for the visit and the sweet treats.
Keira is lucky to have such loving teachers!

 

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View photos in flickr

St. Louis Walk-in-the-Park

For the past few years Naveen's parents have organized a Walk-in-the-Park in St. Louis to help raise money for Pablove Across America. Each year the group has gotten bigger and it's become quite an event! We are blessed to have people who continue to support our efforts to fund research for OMS year after year. We know that it would be impossible to do this alone... thank you doesn't seem like enough but it's all we can say... thank you St. Louis!

Ups and Downs, PAA Around The Corner...

PAA 2015 is right around the corner and much has happened since I last wrote, some ups and some downs. In my last email, I mentioned that Crystal wouldn't be joining me this year on the ride, but two amazing friends, Eric Cattell and Bill Begien, stepped in to join Team V and fundraise for OMS and ride with me from LA to SF. Thanks to the generosity and support of family, friends, and extended community, we are only $5K away from hitting our $40K team goal...Thank You!  And if you haven't donated already, there's still time, click here. Furthermore, many of Keira's close friends pitched in to support their friend -- from organizing a fundraising walk, to emptying their own piggy banks, to waiting until Christmas to ask Santa to make Keira better -- her little buddies have shown tremendous compassion. But unfortunately, there is also some sobering news to share. Last week we confirmed that after 9 months of remission, Keira was showing active signs of OMS again. After we got past the 6 month mark, and then started Kindergarten, we once again started hoping that her remission would last. But as has been her battle for the past five years, OMS reared its ugly head again. This time around, we aren't waiting and have decided to hit it hard again with a Rituxan/Dexamethasone combo. The trooper that she is, Keira is back at Stanford and sitting right next to me now hooked up to the infusion machine getting her medicine.  While the timing of this all may be coincidence, being on the heels of Childhood Cancer Awareness month and on the eve of PAA 2015, it's symbolic nonetheless. This is real and still a part of our lives even five years after cancer. Thank you for your gracious support, kind words, pictures, text messages, FB messages, emails, food, and donations. We are truly grateful for it all. And thank if you've donated to PAA already and if you have not, there is still time. Donate to PAA 2015 With gratitude, Naveen, Crystal, Keira, and Akemi