Team In-Depth...stickin' it to cancer...

Team In-Depth...stickin' it to cancer... Jul 21, 2010 by Torri Westmoreland

(Westmorelands, April 2009)

Team In-Depth's Light the Night Page...why we're going to Light the Night...

"Oh, THAT is the good cancer."

"If you had to pick a cancer, THIS is the one you'd pick."

"It's just a LITTLE cancer."

These are some of the things we heard after John was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma February 25. "Listen, it could be so much worse...this is a good diagnosis," the doctor said. Despite our trust in him, we found it difficult to process the word "good" in the same sentence as "cancer". But it is the research that LLS funds that makes these statements roll off the tongue of everyone who's connected to anyone who has had this disease. The chemo is a relatively short regimen (once every two weeks for 6 months) and it's "tolerable" ... which means that even though it's not fun, it could be much worse. It is the research on this particular chemotherapy regimen (ABVD) that makes doctors certain this is THE right mixture for Hodgkins...and that the risk of long-term effects is very small. It is the continuing research that leads to a 95% CURE rate for patients John's age with Hodgkins lymphoma.

Some of you are hearing this news for the first time, and it can be a little scary, we know. But know this. We are doing very well. We are treating this just like another fleet client (albeit a demanding one). We are Team In-Depth...stickin' it to cancer.

And...last week, John had his first PET scan after treatment and the result was "complete response" to chemo (which means there were no cancer cells found in the scan...but we have to finish the treatment to treat the ones that might be too small to show up). After this Friday's treatment, we'll be halfway there! Exactly three months left!

So,when did this happen? Actually, John felt his first symptom as we settled in at home after last year's Light the Night walk last October...the first in a long line of coincidences (or what I've been calling "gifts"). (We walked with a partner of ours, Enterprise, who is a huge supporter of Light the Night!) Even more remarkably, we've been supporting LLS for about 8 years now, never paying attention to the word "lymphoma" in the name...we usually called it the "Leukemia Society" for short at home. Not any more. It's true what they say, though...John's is a "little cancer"...so many we've known from LLS have had much tougher diagnoses...there are children facing YEARS of treatment...and though it's not an easy road, six months is really only a moment in our lives.

So some of you have been asking what you can do to help. Walk with Team In-Depth on October 9th! We'd love to have you as part of our LTN team ...show your support by raising $100 to be a "champion for Cures" ...or sponsor someone else to walk. Give to LLS... And if you can't give, tell somebody else to give. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn...post a link to our team page anywhere someone might see it.

October is my birthday month and Amelia's birthday month...and this is how we're celebrating. Don't you want to come to our party??? We'd love to have a HUGE group walk! When you sign up to walk with us, we'll give you (or send you) an LLS awareness band that says "relentless". We love it...we're relentless in stickin' it to cancer...LLS is relentless in finding a cure. (We're also planning Team In-Depth t-shirts to celebrate John's victory! And, just for fun, We are hoping that everyone who walks with us will wear their craziest hat to celebrate John's new hairdo...that just might be growing back a little by the walk!)

For those of you who are just learning about our latest client :), we want you to know that we struggled with how to share this news and we're sorry it took us a little while. For us, being at the halfway point and knowing that our children are thriving and our business has grown exponentially, despite chemo treatments, tests, and a little thing called cancer...was the inspiration we needed to "go public". As small business owners, you can imagine it's pretty scary making the decision to share this with your clients. We're so blessed to have amazing clients who have been way more than just understanding. We also have a wonderful group of family and friends who are making our world go around right now.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about Team In-Depth and how we're stickin' it to cancer. Read on for more about the Light the Night event and LLS, the organization, and how it relates to us...

(Westmorelands, April 2010)

Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's evening walk and fundraising event. It is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost.

Here's a video from last year's event...it tells the story much better than me! http://vimeo.com/8356688

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) funds lifesaving research that has contributed to major advances in the treatment of blood cancers and treatments for other types of cancer, such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. New targeted therapies that kill cancer cells without harming normal tissue are providing drugs and procedures that are improving quality of life.

In fact, in 2009 alone, LLS researchers were conducting more than 90 clinical trials, a critical step in the development of new treatments and cures that will help patients live better, longer lives.

So, if you choose to give, What will your money do?

A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options. We were the recipient of one of these incredibly informative packets! With everything online that can send your head in so many awful places, it was a comfort to receive information from a trusted source.
A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members. Amelia has asked to attend a group like this in June...where she will be able to learn more about the treatment of cancer, and talk about what it feels like to have a parent going through chemo.
A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures. We recently received an e-mail about one of the LLS-sponsored researchers. He made it to Time's list of 100 Most Influential People for his work on personalized vaccines as an alternative to general regimen chemotherapy. You can read more about him here.
• • • (side note: Why do we choose LLS vs. any other non-profit that fights against cancer? While we think that all of those organiazations are worthwhile, we are thrilled that LLS research benefits patients with all types of cancer!)

Take a moment to read this...it's our Light the Night page from last year (we were invited to walk with Enterprise). Reading it again this month took my breath away.

Why our family is walking in the Light The Night Walk.

In-Depth Wraps has had the privilege to help LLS for seven years now (through the statewide Light the campaign as well as the Rhubarb Jones golf tournament each Spring), and we are so impressed with the organization, the hearts of the folks running it here in Georgia, and their willingness to work unimaginably long hours to further this important cause.

We are blessed with a healthy family, but we also know that can change in an instant. How amazing to have an organization like LLS who can provide real answers and substantial help when a family faces a life-altering diagnosis.

Our first year working with LLS, we were blessed to meet an amazing little girl who had stage 4 lymphoma. She clapped and danced with the band that night, her tiny bald head easy to spot in the crowd. We were forever touched by her spirit. She also had a little guy (her buddy) at the event. They had met in treatment and now were "honored heroes" at the jam session. How incredible it was to stay in touch with her and her mom ... and to see her sweet smile at the next year's event - sporting curls! But that happy news was quickly followed by her little buddy's noticeable absence. It was then that we learned he had lost his hard-fought battle. We became even more resolved to help in any way we could to find a cure for this disease that affects so many, and to help the organization that links patients with resources that make the battle (if only a little) easier.

We've never had the opportunity to have a team in the walk (we're usually too busy making the banners!), but this year, we are going to walk with our corporate friend Enterprise who is celebrating their 40th year in Atlanta. (thanks for letting us tag along, guys!)

We're excited to bring our kids (almost 8 and almost 5) to this celebration of life and and thrilled to have the opportunity to share LLS and LTN with them. We walk in celebration of their lives, and in memory of several we've lost who should be here walking with us.

If you can offer support to this cause, that's great. We're happy to have you on the donor roll. If you've just read this, and you're not at a place where you can offer monetary support, consider posting this on your facebook or twitter site. Thanks for listening!

If you have the means, make a donation to support Team In-Depth and the Light The Night Walk ... and help save lives like John's. Be sure to check back soon, and thanks for your support!

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Team Name	Subteam	Walk Site	Date	Team Captain	City/State
Team In Depth		Centennial Olympic Park	10/09/10	Torri Westmoreland	Atlanta, GA

Supporter's Comments

"Your Aunt Susan was the BEST apt-mate I ever had in Athens! God speed to you and your family.Jacki Lucas Bedingfield"

jacki bedingfield

Sat Aug 21 10:45:11 EDT 2010
"This $2.33 is our sacrifice of two Lenny's white chocolate macadamia nut cookies...every little bit counts!"

John & Torri Westmoreland

Mon Aug 23 09:37:12 EDT 2010
"Because dinner's easy...but cancer isn't."

Dream Dinners - Cumming

Mon Aug 30 11:21:34 EDT 2010
"I am donating my Starbucks Venti latte (that i REALLY wanted this morning) to Stick it 2 Cancer. What will you sacrifice this week? Every penny counts..."

Lindsey Nelson

Tue Aug 24 09:36:45 EDT 2010
"Here is my $15 donation for seeing the Stick it 2 Cancer car 3 times around and about last week in and around Cumming, GA. "

Jason Simpson

Wed Sep 15 05:25:06 EDT 2010
"Captures for a Cure"

Amy Andrews

Sun Sep 19 11:03:12 EDT 2010
"This are $50 dollar donation related to the photo session with Rhonda today (09/19/10)at the park (5:00 pm appointment). Thank for letting us know and it was a pleasure to meet you. The Torres Labrador Family (Friends of Tracy Manning)"

Torres Labrador Family

Sun Sep 19 10:31:30 EDT 2010
"Captures For A Cure!!!!"

The Manning Family

Mon Sep 20 09:14:11 EDT 2010
"One of our amazing clients made a donation tonight and we - All About Painting - have committed to match it! Thank you for your generous donation!"

All About Painting

Thu Sep 23 11:59:10 EDT 2010
"I saw the Stick it 2 Cancer car 3 times!"

Jason Simpson

Fri Sep 24 01:50:02 EDT 2010
"eBay sales"

Burton1957

Mon Oct 04 10:25:25 EDT 2010
"Here's $12.00 for Neil, Cindy, Wright, Jose, Amelia, and Jackson - $2.00 each to try to raise $30,000"

Parents and Kids

Fri Oct 08 08:11:37 EDT 2010
"For his birthday, Oct 12th, in memory of my Dad, Lou Chacon, taken from us by AML on 9/11/09."

Bobby Chacon

Fri Oct 08 10:05:24 EDT 2010
"and also in honor of my 55th radiation treatment today and hopefully my my last! http://tommartinatl.com/"

Tom Martin

Fri Oct 15 10:54:12 EDT 2010
"Thanks to Rhonda Honikel for donating her photography services to help this cause! Too many kids with cancer and Praise Be To GOD for the miracles we are seeing each day in the lives of Creed & Ella!"

Kristen Bagwell of Mary Kay

Thu Nov 04 02:56:10 EDT 2010

Team Fundraising Total

Goal: $30,000.00

116 %

Donations: $34,675.24

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Thanks To

Kristen Bagwell of Mary K...
Stephen Bloom
Ken Cook
Tom Martin
Phil Hollows
Torri Westmoreland
Bobby Chacon
kathleen brooks
Parents and Kids
Deborah Harrell
Harvey & Vickie Johnson
Burton1957
SHERRY REYNOLDS
Jason Simpson
All About Painting
Kimberly Allen
The Manning Family
Torres Labrador Family
Amy Andrews
Jason Simpson
The Gareis Korslund Famil...
doug curling
Wright Westmoreland
Lindsey Nelson
Molly Simpson
Dream Dinners - Cumming
John & Torri Westmoreland
jacki bedingfield
Bryan Mulligan
Courtney Plunkett
The Green Bean Exchange
Jule Hamrick
Monica Skrove
Dawn McCloskey
Denise Marino
ClipZone
Jason Simpson
Emily McMath
Mark and Julie Novak
Edgar Johnson