My Voice, Scott's Voice, Your Voice, Our Voices....

I'm approaching the one year anniversary of Scott's death which will be on June 9th.  The anticipation of this date has been causing me to reflect upon the past year's journey and also to think about what I will do when this date passes.  All of the firsts will be over....first holidays, birthdays, seasons, vacations, get togethers, etc.  But life will continue to go on and Scott will continue to be gone from all those future moments - graduations, concerts, family dinners, Friday night movies, dinner dates, family games....I could go on and on.  You get the idea.  I still love Scott as much as I did one year ago and I'm sure I will forever love him as much as I do today.   But I'm still here and I can still make a difference in this world.  So I'm choosing to use my voice to hopefully help save another family from experiencing the same kind of loss that my family has experienced.  I am making a committment to continue to do what I've been doing for 10 years now which is to help to find a cure for cancer.

I believe we were close to finding that cure.  Scott did an immunotherapy treatment which wasn't approved for brain cancer at all....but it took all the tumors away, remember?  It worked!  But his liver failed, we had to stop the treatment, and then the tumors returned.  Maybe the dosage wasn't right?  Maybe he needed to take it longer?  I don't know.  But I want to help find out.

I've spoken directly with the founder of the Voices Against Brain Cancer organization, Mario Lichtenstein, who lost his son to brain cancer years ago.   I told him I wanted to decide where the money raised from the NJ VABC walk that my team raised would go.  He said OK.  We talked about MSK, Columbia Presbyterian and decided that funding research at either of those instutions is an option.  All of the money that the Spoerl Brainstormer team raises at the 2017 VABC NJ Walk will go directly to fund research to find a cure!!!!!! I am using my voice.....can you join me?   Let's join our voices together to find a cure and help save another family from suffering the same fate as mine.

Here is how you can use your voice:

VABC WALK ON June 11, 2017 in Brookdale Park, Bloomfield, NJ:

1.  JOIN OUR TEAM: Join the Spoerl Brainstormer team and walk or run with us at the Voices Against Brain Caner Walk in Bloomfield, NJ on June 11th.  To sign up with our team, go to:  http://www.voicesinmotion.org/goto/spoerls2017 .  Once you have signed up, ask family and friends to support you by donating to the team.  Use YOUR VOICE to help find a cure!

2.  SUPPORT OUR TEAM: Support our team or a specific member of our team by going to our team page: http://www.voicesinmotion.org/goto/spoerls2017 and clicking on the donate button.

3.  WALK VIRTUALLY!  Can't be with us on June 11th in NJ?  SIGN UP at http://www.voicesinmotion.org/goto/spoerls2017  and fundraise! Ask family and friends to support you.  Walk with us virtually from where ever you are that day.  Send me pics....post to facebook or instagram and tag Voices Against Brain Cancer.  

IMPORTANT:  AFTER WALK LUNCH FOR ALL THOSE JOINING OUR TEAM!!  For all those joining us in person on June 11th, we will be hosting a luncheon afterwards in Glen Ridge.  Be sure to sign up soon so I can get a count of all those who will be attending!  

And lastly, VABC, has created a NATIONAL AWARD IN SCOTT'S NAME! This award will be given to someone who exhibits a strong character like Scott.  Someone who is self-less, kind, courageous, strong...you know what I mean.  Someone amazing.  It might be a patient, doctor, caregiver, nurse but just someone who is amazing!  The first award will be given out at the Bloomfield Walk on June 11th.  

SO......won't you join the Spoerl Brainstormers on June 11th in Brookdale park and be a voice in the fight against cancer?  Let's continue to give Scott a voice by honoring him with our voices.  Don't forget to sign up asap and then I'll send details about the lunch in Glen Ridge where we will remember Scott, tell stories, and just be together as we honor his memory.

Love to you all!  

Thank you!!

xoxo,

Julie