Carter's Crusaders

Heartbroken

2011-01-14T23:05:00.002-05:00

It is with a very heavy heart that I share the news of Sweet Alexis Agin's passing. She passed peacefully in the comfort of her own home. Please pray for her family as they face the days, weeks, and years ahead. Alexis fought a hard fight- she is and will continue to be a pillar of strength and faith in the DIPG community. Her father has asked that donations be made to www.thecurestartsnow.org. Thank you all for your continued support!

Love Always,

Courtney

One Year Ago Today....

2010-12-14T08:37:00.005-05:00

One year ago today our loving God looked down upon us and decided our sweet boy had fought long and hard enough. It was time for him to go home. Although our hearts were ripped into small pieces, never to be restored again, we knew it was time to let him go...go to a place where there is no pain, no suffering, where there is unimagineable love, where his grandfather and great grandparents awaited him, a place we know he is today, smiling down upon us, a place where we know he is better than we could ever imagine. Don't mistake, I hate that he is not hear with us but my faith reminds me every minute that he is with his maker, the one who loves him more than we could ever imagine. It also brings us comfort that my father was waiting for him. I know how much my father loved children and his grandchildren would have been his world...now Carter is with him and I have no doubt that they are experiencing more joy than we could ever imagine and for that I am thankful.

One year ago today, we lost our precious son whom we adored. That day was painful, physically and emotionally. We both felt ill, as though we were truly coming down with a virus. The pain of losing a child is not just emotional but also physical. As this day has appraoched, I have felt that physical pain again. I feel it more now than ever. When Carter passed, we felt a sense of releif, not for us but for him. We hated to see him suffer...he could no longer talk, laugh, move, smile....it was a horrible way for a 6 year old to live. We had no clue what was to come. For me, it is more difficult now than then. I miss him more as the days pass. I miss his smile and his laughter, his amazing personality. I miss all of the things that we would be experiencing today....2nd grade, football, t-ball, swimming, Christmas with all 3 of our children...it hurts and I imagine this wil not go away as we watch other children experience all of the milestones that we so badly wanted to see Carter surpass. Our faith pushes us on. The sheer force of life pushes us on. Tommy and Caroline push us on! We pray for strength and rely on the prayers from others!!!

As we go throughout our day, we will have family here and we have something special planned for Caroline when she gets home. I want to thank the person or people who put the luminaries in our yard and the poinsettias. It was so very thoughtful and it reminded us that Carter will never be forgotten and how he touched so many peoples lives. Thank you so much! It truly means so much to us:)

I wanted to share a poem that my dear friend, Christine, sent to me after Carter passed. I read it often for reassurance!

"I'll lend you for a little time a child of mine," He said.
"For you to love the while he lives and mourn when he is dead,
"It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two or three,
"But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me?
"He'll bring his charms to gladden you, but should his stay be brief,
"You'll have his lovely memories, as solace for your grief,
"I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return,
"But there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn.
"I've looked the wide world over in my search for teachers true,
"And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes I have selected you.
"Now will you give him all your love, nor think the labor vain,
"Nor hate me when I come to call to take him back again?
I fancied that I heard them say: "Dear Lord, Thy will be done!
"For all the joy Thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness; we'll love him while we may,
And for happiness we've known forever grateful stay.
"But should the angels call for him much sooner than we'd planned,
"We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand".

There is also another poem I received this week from my dear friend, Dawn that I wanted to share!

Tiny Angels
Tiny Angels rest your wings
sit with me for awhile.
How I long to hold your hand,
And see your tender smile.
Tiny Angel, look at me,
I want this image clear....
That I will forget your precious face
Is my biggest fear.
Tiny Angel can you tell me,
Why you have gone away?
You weren't here for very long....
Why is it, you couldn't stay?
Tiny Angel shook his head,
"These things I do not know....
But I do know that you love me,
And that I love you so".

I hope that you all have a blessed holiday season!!!

Please pray for my dear friend, Jaime and her family, as her Dad was called home this morning!

Also, please continue to pray for sweet Alexis Agiun as she continues to fight!!

With Love,

Courtney

The picture below was the last picture taken before Carter was diagnosed. It is a true picture of Carter- his smile, his laughter, and his amazing personality!!! Thank you, Becca, for taking this:)

Christmas Parade

2010-12-04T13:02:00.003-05:00

Tonight is the annual Christmas parade in downtown Fredericksburg. This has always been a big event for our family. We all gather with hot chocolate and goodies for the children. We are all bundled up and ready to watch as the holiday season is truly kicked off. As I get ready for tonight, I feel the absence, the absence of my precious baby. He loved the holidays and especially the parade. There will be a huge void tonight but I know he will be watching over us! I have included pictures of him at the last parade he attended in 2008 and of Caroline and Tommy. We are so blessed with all three of them:)

Carter, we miss and love you more than words could ever express!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T08:24:00.003-05:00

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that all of you are surrounded by love, laughter, family, and friends!!

As I reflect on past Thanksgivings, I remember the wonderful memories I have of Carter. I remember his laughter, his contagious smile, and most of all his love of family gatherings. He always looked so forward to when we were all together. Carter had a tremendous love for his family. Also, I must not forget, his love for food, especially his "fweets". On holidays, he knew that where we all came together there was food. Carter LOVED to eat! He would anticipate what Grandma and Gagee were cooking. Yes, they normally do the majority of the cooking. He knew that there would be lots of things that he would LOVE. They always have made sure that there are several things that are "child-friendly". Oh how he loved Thanksgiving. Not only did it mean a family gathering, but it meant LOTS OF FOOD!!!! And boy did that make him happy!!!!! It makes me smile to remember and at the same time it breaks my heart into one thousand pieces. This will be our first Thanksgiving without our sweet boy. Last year we were blessed to have him here with us and for that we were so thankful. Over the last month, I have thought about things I am thankful for. I have to be honest..at times it was so difficult. All I could think about was the fact that Carter was not here with me..what in the world do I have to be thankful for? I prayed and I prayed and asked God to remind me of all the things I have to be thankful for and of course, he delivered. He reminded me of all of the blessings that I have...a family that is like no other- a mother who would do anything to assure my happiness, a step father that gives beyond measure and is always there for us, a husband who is remarkable in every way, a grandmother who God uses as a tool in our family to provide us with strength and comfort, an aunt who loves unconditionally and has provided a void in my life for many years, in-laws that are caring, loving and supportive, a brother and soon to be sister in law who are loving and always a phone call away, a sister who, although far away in distance, is always there when needed and close to us in heart, and most of all a daughter.....an energetic, full of life, compassionate, loving, independent daughter whom I love more than words could ever express. She is the reason that I am able to move on...When I rise in the morning, I know that she needs me and that gives me the drive I need to get up and go. The list could go on..when I asked God to remind me, he did and he did it beyond measure!!! My entire family was and still is amazing. They realize that some days are better than others....and they understand because they too have good and bad days!! We are all in this together and although no words may be spoken, we just understand!!! I am also thankful for the network of friends that God blessed me with. The majority of my closest friends have been in my life for 15-20 years and even more! I am so thankful for them and their support of Carter and our family. And I could not forget, the friends I have met along this journey. They are truly a God-send. Although none of us wanted to be in this "club", we are lucky to not be alone. I love them all dearly and am thankful for their love and friendship. So as you begin your thanksgiving day, please remember to be thankful...love your family, hold your children as tight as possible, assure them how much you love them, and most of all be thankful!!! There are families, like ours, that are spending their first Thanksgiving without their child and there are families who are not spending Thanksgiving like they should be..their children are struggling and fighting for their life. Please be thankful for the blessings in your life!!!!

Please keep us in your prayers today as we face this first nd all of the families spending Thanksgiving with a void intheir life! Please also keep sweet Alexis Agin and her family in your thoughts and prayers as she is in the midst of this horrific battle.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/teamalexis

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!

Love,

Courtney with Carter on my mind and in my heart!!!

Golf Tournament

2010-09-16T10:25:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, everyone! The golf tournament for Carter' Crusaders is rapidly approaching. It is October 7th at Lee's Hill Golf Course. I have about 10 hole sponsors but need many more. I am hoping to make this a huge success. Not only did little Declan lose his battle, there are 2 other children (that I know of) in the area that are battling brain cancer. One of those children is the child of someone who grew up on the same street as myself. He is 12 years old and was very athletic- he is now unable to play any sports. He is currently undergoing treatment. THIS HAS TO END!!! The only way for that to happen is to raise awareness and money for research. We have changed the way that we will split the proceeds- 1/4 will go to The Cure Starts Now, 1/4 to Just One More Day, 1/2 will be split between the 2 local families. Please help us make this a success. If you would like to register to play or sponsor a hole, please contact Chuck Harris at Lee's Hill at 891-0111. Thank you again for your continued support!!!

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!!!

2010-09-02T10:07:00.002-04:00

Please be aware that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month! I was reading on all of the sites of children that I follow and I found these statistics on a page in honor of a little boy, Declan (www.declansjourney.com). Declan's story has touched my heart in a very profound way. He battled AT/RT for about 6 months and then went home to Heaven just days before his 1st Birthday. There is also another local couple whose daughter is battling AT/RT. Visit www.evybeatscancer.blogspot.com! I wanted to share these statistics with you as we enter the month of September. Please wear a gold ribbon this month and share Carter's story with someone. Visit Declan's page and Evy's page and share their stories. Let others know that childhood cancer does exist and it is absolutely necessary that we find a cure!!!

- The American Cancer Society’s Annual Report shows $1 BILLION in total public support and it’s Extramural/Intramural Funding in Priority Areas shows only $4 MILLION is directed to childhood cancers. Less than half a penny of each of these dollars is directed to the #1 killing disease for kids under the age of 20

- For children between 1-19 years, cancer is the fourth leading cause of death overall, and the leading cause of disease related death. It remains responsible for more deaths from ages 1-19 than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and AIDS COMBINED

- Approximately 46 U.S. children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every single day

- 1 in every 330 children will develop cancer before the age of 19

- National Cancer Institute’s Federal Budget was $4.6 billion from this total ALL twelve major pediatric cancers received LESS THAN 3% of this budget

- For every six research dollars per patient with AIDS and every one research dollar per patient with breast cancer, a child with cancer receives only 30 cents

- Common adult cancers are extremely rare in children, yet there are many cancers that are almost exclusively found in children

- 1 out of every 5 children diagnosed with cancer dies

- 3 out of every 5 children diagnosed with cancer suffer from long-term or late onset side effects

- Common cancer symptoms in children are often suspected to be common illnesses and thus treated as such causing cancer to be found at later stages

- Attempts to detect childhood cancers at an earlier stage when the disease would react more favorably to treatment have largely failed

- Approximately 20% of adults with cancer show evidence that their disease has spread, yet almost 80% of children show that their cancer has spread to distant sites

- Cause of childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented

- Nationally, childhood cancer is 20 times more prevalent than pediatric AIDS yet pediatric AIDS receives four times the funding that childhood cancer receives

- On the average, 12,500 children in the US are diagnosed with cancer each year

- On the average, one in ever four elementary schools has a child with cancer

- 2,300 children and teenagers will die each year from cancer

- Several childhood cancers continue to have a very poor prognosis, including brain stem tumors, metastatic sarcomas and relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia and relapsed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

- Every day 9 children in the US are diagnosed with a brain tumor

- Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death from childhood cancer

- There are more than 120 different types of brain tumors, making effective treatment very complicated

- Because brain tumors are located at the control center for thought, emotion and movement, their effects on a child’s physical and cognitive abilities can be devastating

- At this time, brain cancer research is underfunded and THE PUBLIC REMAINS LARGELY UNAWARE of the magnitude of this disease

- The cure rate for most brain cancers is significantly lower than that for many other types of cancer

- The funding for pediatric cancer clinical trials has gone down every year since 2003, and is currently $26.4 million. By comparison, NCI funding for AIDS research was $254 million in 2006; funding for breast cancer topped $584 million the same year

- We may spend 3-5 times the amount of research money per patient on most adult cancer cases than we do on children with cancer

- In general, children with Central Nervous System (CNS) cancer do not share the favorable prognosis of those with many other common pediatric neoplasms

THESE STATISTICS ARE ASTOUNDING!!!! WE HAVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR CHILDREN!!

Happy 7th Birthday, Carter-Man!!!

2010-08-29T09:11:00.002-04:00

Dearest Carter,
Seven years ago today God gave your Daddy and I the most precious gift- a beautiful, precious, happy, healthy baby boy and that was you! You and your sister, Caroline are the most precious gifts I have ever received. I knew from the moment that you were born that you were very special! I told everyone close to us that you were special- they,of course, thought I was just another new mother doting over her newborn. However, I knew different. There was a certain thing about you that told my heart you were different- I knew God had huge plans for you. The day that you were born there were 43, yes 43, people waiting for you to be delivered. Your Aunt Jenny counted for me so that I would know just how very special you were!!! She also told me of a man who stopped to ask her if everyone had come on a bus- she just laughed! He also asked her if a king was being born- of course she replied yes and she was right- YOU ARE A KING, sent from the Greatest King of all time, our loving God! Today marks 7 years since that day. I am glad that I did not know then what I know. In your short 6 years here on earth, you touched more lives than I knew possible. Even before you fell ill, you melted the hearts of everyone you met with your sweet smile, your contagious laugh and your zest for life. Anyone who met you loved you. Throughout those short 6 years, I longed to watch you grow up and do the things that little boys do- play baseball with the big boys (as you would say),continue to play football (even though it made me soooo nervous), swim on the swim team (which you LOVED), climb the grade ladders at school, learn to read, loose your 1st tooth, have your first girlfriend, go the Homecoming and Prom, and eventually spread your wings and fly and go on to college and get married and have children. Unfortunately for me, God had a different plan- a plan that breaks my heart daily, although I trust in Gods plan and know that although short in years, your life was rich in many other ways! You are the bravest, most courageous child I know. Throughout your battle, you still showed us that sweet smile and amazing personality. You always made me so very proud and you continue to do so. I continue to see your impact on this world and it brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye.

Today and every birthday hereafter, we will celebrate your life just as I know you would want us to. We will eat spaghetti (your favorite food) and have cake. Although sadness will be present, we will celebrate- celebrate your life and how very thankful we are for the time that we had with you here on earth. We will look forward to the day we get to see you again and touch your sweet face and kiss you!! I know that you are dancing with the angels today, including Dad, Papa, Gran, and Nanny, and that, my sweet boy, makes me happy!!!! Happy Birthday, my sweet Carter-Man! I love you and miss you so very much!!!

Love you with all of my heart,

Mommy

RAISING AWARENESS!!!

2010-07-20T10:16:00.004-04:00

Hello Crusaders! I must apologize again for not posting recently. I have been very busy and very emotional. I am trying to get myself back in the swing of posting. I am very excited about some of the things that are happening right now. Carter's Crusaders is currently applying for our 501(3)(c)status. For those that do not know, this is the IRS status for a non-profit organization. Skip and I and our family and closest friends are determined to do as much as we can to raise awareness and funds for research so that a cure can be found for the monster that took our precious Carter-Man from us. We do not want another child, family, or community to go through what we have been through. THIS HAS BECOME OUR LIFE MISSION!!!!

There are several great things going on. We are currently trying to team up with other foundations in the area to promote more awareness and more funds for families going through the battle and for research. We have already teamed with Fredericksburg Event Syndicate to promote awareness. They are a wonderful organization and are trying to help us in our fight!!! We need you to join us in this fight, as well!!! Below is a list of events that are currently going on and in the works. Please try and come out and support us in our fight!!

EVERY FRIDAY THROUGH AUGUST- AWARENESS FRIDAYS AT SMOKEY BONES IN CENTRAL PARK

Please come out to Smokey Bones on Friday nights to help us in our crusade!!! There is a great music from DJ THE DON, raffles, door prizes, and more!!! I hope to see you all there!!!

GOLF TOURNAMENT

The annual golf tournament will be held on October 7th at Lee's Hill Golf Course. Please contact Chuck Harris at 891-0111 or 408-3611. This will be a wonderful event....raffles, t-shirts, prizes, and more!!!!

FALL DANCE

I am currently trying to organize a dance in the Fall. I am going to try and team with other organizations in the area to set this up. Once I have a venue and a date, I will let you all know!!!

Thank you again for your continued support!!!

With Much Love,

The Harris Family

6 months ago today......

2010-06-13T22:36:00.004-04:00

Six months ago today, our lives changed. A piece of our hearts was removed, never to be replaced again, never to be healed. It hurts, as if there was an actual removal from our bodies....as if we truly had surgery and there was pain except that this pain is much deeper than any pain from a surgery. This pain will never go away. There is a scar, a scar that will not fade or be gone. It will remain on our hearts forever...never to be changed. The pain of losing a child is like no other....we are forever changed. We love and miss Carter more than any words could ever express. With each passing day, the reality becomes more apparent that he is not here with us and the fog is lifted. Reality sets in each morning and yet we are forced to move on and live the day as it is presented to us. And we do it...we do it as best we can for ourselves and for our Sweet Caroline. We have been asked to walk this path and we will do so as best we can. No matter how much time passes, it will never change. We will just learn different coping mechanisms and strive to make Caroline's life as normal as possible. The way it should have been, as if Carter had never been diagnosed with DIPG. We continue to keep his memory alive so that she will never forget him and that the memories of him are as fresh as the day we made them. We pray to our Almighty Lord to assist us in keeping his memories alive in our hearts and Caroline's. Please continue to pray with us...we need the prayers as much today as we did 6-12 months ago.

We have yet again been reminded of how precious life is. Skip's grandfather passed away last Tuesday. We are now in Florida to celebrate his life. We are with family and although we are so very heartbroken for having to be here for this reason, we are thankful for the time we are spending with our family. I have met some of Skip's family that I have never met and yet they have followed Carter's story since Day 1. I am so thankful for the opportunity to meet such marvelous people. I hate that it is under such awful circumstances but at the same time I have learned to treasure every moment...good or bad. Skip and I have had quite a year and a half. I lost my Papa in January 2009, my Grandaddy in September 2009, our sweet Carter-Man in December 2009, and Skip's grandfather now. And we continue to go on..we continue to praise God for all of the blessings and believe it or not, they do exist. Somedays, they are not completely apparent but they are there. Because of family, we were blessed to be able to take Caroline to Sea World yesterday. It was another bittersweet day....we had a wonderful time but the absence of Carter was there and we missed his precious smile and contagious laughter! We know he was there but boy how we wish we could see him and share all of the laughs we had with him! Nontheless, it was fun and Caroline had a blast!

UPDATES

The event at the Fairgrounds was wonderful! It was a thank you event for all of the support we received and also an awareness event to make everyone aware that we are still going strong. For a small event and one that was not intended to raise a large amount of money, we raised almost $1,000. After the cost of the event is deducted, we will be splitting the rest between The Cure Starts Now and Just One More Day. For any future events, we will do the same.

The Carter's Crusaders golf tournament has been rescheduled. It will be held on October 7, 2010. We are also thinking of doing a silent auction, as well. If you are able to help in any way, please let me know. My email is
courtieharris2@gmail.com. If you would like to register for the tournament, please call Chuck Harris at Lee's Hill Golf Tournament at 891-0111 or 408-3611. We need all of the support and these foundations that we donate to are wonderful. They are paving the way to a cure for DIPG. Please visit their sites for more information:

www.thecurestartsnow.org
www.justonemoreday.org

Thank you to everyone for your continued love, support, and prayers!

Love,

Courtney

Thank You Event- June 5th- Fredericksburg Fairgrounds

2010-05-29T11:26:00.002-04:00

Good Morning, All!!! I hope that you all have great plans for the Memorial Day Weekend. Please remember to pray for all of our military families and to thank a soldier for serving and protecting our country- THANK YOU, MARK HARRIS for protecting and serving our country!!!!

I wanted to make everyone aware of a FREE event that will take place on June 5th at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds from 12-4. This event is to thank everyone for their wonderful support during Carter's fight with DIPG. It is also to raise awareness to this awful disease and the numerous other brain tumors. There will be lots of fun things and many vendors. There will be a band, a Karaoke contest, clowns, face painting, moon bounces, and more! Bring the whole family for a fun filled event! Donations are accepted and all donations received will be split between The Cure Starts Now and Just One More Day. Both of these foundations are very near and dear to our hearts. We hope to see everyone there! Come out and help us raise awareness so that together we can find a CURE!!!!!!!

UPDATE ON GOLF TOURNAMENT: I should have posted this some time ago but life has been crazy! The golf tournament was postponed until late September or early October. When a definite date is set, I will be sure and let everyone know!!!!
Thank you to everyone for your continued support!

May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month

2010-04-20T20:32:00.002-04:00

Good evening, Crusaders! Again, I apologize for the lack of postings. I sit down at night and try and post and I just can't. Reality has really set in here lately. I feel as though it is getting more difficult than easier. Some days I feel like Carter has been away and I think..okay I am ready for him to come home now. I am ready for him to crawl in the bed with me and snuggle. I want to stand at my kitchen window and look outside and see him running and playing in the yard. I want him to see how big Caroline has gotten and how much she has changed. I know he knows more than we know, but I want him here. I want to watch his first tee ball game, I want to watch him swim this summer. I want him to constantly ask me, "Mom, how many more days until we leave for vacation?" (This started in January..lol). I long to here his voice and kiss his sweet face. I long to hold him in my arms. I long to wrap him in favorite frog bath towel and warm him up after his bath. There are so many more and I am sure the list will only grow. I see children losing their teeth, learning to read more and more, doing homework, playing sports on the weekend, playing with their siblings and it breaks my heart.....I want my Carter to have all of the pleasures of this world. Although it angers me, I remind myself that he is in the glory land and that he will NEVER know any of the evils or pains of this world. Please do not misunderstand, I have not lost my faith but I am only human and I miss my son, my first born child. I pray everyday for God to forgive me for being angry and for him to remove the anger from my heart and some days are great but others are just plain miserable. I have learned to deal with these days better and I get through them and I try and stay strong for Skip and Caroline. Skip has very rough days and I know that he needs me just as I need him on the very rough days. It normally works out that when I am having a rough day, he is better and vice versa...isn't it funny how God works? Sometimes I look around and everyone is doing what they have always done..their lives are the same. They have moved on (not that they do not miss Carter because I know that they do) but they have their lives as they always have. I know you are not supposed to feel jealousy but I have to say that sometimes I am jealous..jealous that their lives are as they have always been and that mine will NEVER again be the same. But as I have said, I pray for the jealousy to be gone and for God to speak to my heart and guide me in the right direction and he does...he always picks me up when I am down. And although I have bad days, he continues to bless me in many ways. Some days I have to look for the blessings but they are always there. I do not mean to sound so down and so negative but this is the life..the life of a parent who has lost a child. Will it change? Will I ever not think about what he would be doing? I doubt it...maybe I will just learn to deal with it better! Please continue to pray for us!!!

On to another note..May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month. Please wear Grey for the month and think of Carter. Please spread the word and make people aware. That is what we need.....AWARENESS!!!! I have added Carter to the Wall of Courage. The website is www.wallofcourage.com. If you go to the site and go to Gallery of Kids, you can click on the letter "C" and scroll down...you will see his precious face. If you click on his picture and look to the right, you will see a larger picture and a part that says Click Here for this Child's Gear. You can click here and a list of items will come up. There are many items for purchase with Carter's picture on it. 100% of the proceeds go to research for Pediatric Brain Tumors. Please take the time and look at the items and if youa re able, place an order. SPREAD THE WORD!!!! TELL CARTER'S STORY!! It is the only way that we can find a cure! Thank you so much for your continue love and support!!!

Love to you all,

Courtney

Still Crusading.....

2010-04-12T21:25:00.002-04:00

Good evening all!! I apologize for the lack of postings but as you can imagine, life has been a little crazy. I promise for an "official" update within the next couple of days. I want everyone to know that Carter's Crusaders is still in existence. We plan on being around for a long time to help others fight the horrible disease that our Carter-Man had. We are in the planning stages of some events. The first event will be what will now be considered The Annual Carter's Crusaders Golf Tournament. It will be held on May 20th at Lee's Hill Golf Course. Please come out and support us and our Carter-Man as we continue our fight against this disease. All of the funds will be distributed among 3 different foundations...The Cure Starts Now, Just One More Day, and St. Baldrick's. Please contact Chuck Harris at Lee's Hill- 540-891-0111.

I promise for an update on how we are doing soon!!!

Much Love,

Courtney

Pictures from St. Baldrick's event

2010-03-26T20:17:00.015-04:00

I wanted to share some of the pictures from the St. Baldrick's event. I hope that you all enjoy them as much as we enjoyed the event. Also, it is not too late to register for the Race for Hope in DC under Carter's Crusaders. I will also be posting more about the Golf Tournament at Lee's Hill on May 20th, where all proceeds will be distributed among three different foundations....The Cure Starts Now (www.thecurestartsnow.org), Just One More Day (www.justonemoreday.org), and St. Baldrick's (www.stbaldricks.org).

To all of the Shavees: I am so grateful to all of you for shaving in memory of Carter-Man. I know how proud he is of all of you. Skip and I are truly blessed to have friends and family like you all!!! You all have made our burden lighter and for that we are thankful. You were there for us through Carter's battle and you are still here....battling on with us!! We love and appreciate all that you have done and continue to do!!!!

Love to you all,

Courtney

Annual Golf Tournament- May 20th at Lee's Hill

2010-03-16T06:45:00.002-04:00

Good Morning, all! I want to first thank all of the Carter's Crusaders for supporting us at the St. Baldrick's event. The turnout was awesome and the support from family and friends is still amazing! I am going to post some pictures later today from the event. Several people shaved in memory of Carter-Man, including two ladies, Ashley Thacker and Krystal Kennedy. You all are awesome! I know our Carter-Man was shining down on us!

I wanted to give everyone a heads up. Lee's Hill Golf Club will be hosting the 2nd Annual Carter's Crusaders Golf Tournament. Last years tournament was a HUGE success. I hope that this year is even better. The date of the tournament is May 20th. I will be posting more details as soon as they are ready. If you would like to register you can contact Chuck Harris at 540-891-0111. The proceeds from the event will be split between The Cure Starts Now, St. Baldrick's, and Just One More Day. These foundations are very near and dear to our hearts. Please come out and continue our fight with us. We are still crusading for our Carter-Man!!!!

If you would like to volunteer at the event, please contact me at courtieharris2@gmail.com.

Again, thank you for your continued support! We are so very blessed to have so many people that are continuing our fight with us!

Love,

Courtney

St. Baldrick's event

2010-03-02T15:40:00.002-05:00

Good afternoon! I wanted to make everyone aware of an upcoming event that Carter's Crusaders will be participating in. St. Baldrick's holds events where participants shave their heads in honor of or memory of children who have battled or are battling cancer. We have created the Carter's Crusaders team to participate. There are several ways in which you can help. You can join the team and come to the event on March 14 at 2:00 at Paddy's Steakhouse and Pub on 610 and shave in memory of Carter or volunteer in his memory. You can also donate to the Carter's Crusaders team. Please go to www.stbaldricks.org. You can search under events for Paddy's Steakhouse and Pub in Stafford or under Kids for Carter W. Harris. Here you can register, donate, or both. Please take the time to join the fight to conquer childhood cancer! This is a cause so very near and dear to our hearts...please join us in this fight!!!!!

With Love,

Courtney and Skip

Carter still shows up at church......

2010-02-14T13:33:00.003-05:00

Well....as most know, today it has been 2 months since Carter-Man went to be with our Heavenly Father. Just as I said in the last post, things have seemed to be getting harder. Reality is setting in but we continue to move forward. I had not planned on posting today but I could not go without sharing something with you all!! As you all know, we continue to receive messages and signs that Carter is okay. This morning was no different! I was very emotional this morning as Carter loved every holiday, including Valentine's Day. He LOVED his "fweets" (sweets, but Carter had trouble with his S sound)and he knew on Valentine's Day that there was lots of chocolate, candy and cookies circulating! As I gave Caroline her Valentine's Bag, my heart sunk. I loved seeing her as she went through her goodies but boy did I miss seeing his face and listening to him beg and plead to have just ONE piece of chocolate or candy in the morning. I held myself together and proceeded to get ready for church. I cried on the way to church as every song that came on had some meaning to me. I arrived at church, met my mom in the lobby, got Caroline a donut and orange juice and took her to her class. We went in to begin worship and, as always, the music was AWESOME!! The band played my favorite worship song, Mighty to Save! It is actually one of my ring back tones on my cell phone. I, of course, shed more tears. My church always plays neat skits and today was no different. They had a very cute Valentine's skit on the screen and everyone was laughing. The band began to play again and as I heard the song, that lump in my throat appeared, my mom looked at me with tears in her eyes and the tears began to flow freely from my eyes. They began to sing, All My Lovin', by the Beatles. You ask, why would that make you cry. Well....Skip and Carter are HUGE Beatles fans. Skip and Carter's Memaw (my mother-in-law) sang this song to Carter almost EVERY DAY when he was sick. We still sing this song almost every day at my house. It is now one of Caroline's favorites and I will hear her singing it while she is playing. Skip sings it to Caroline and sometimes we all sing it. As I listened to the song, I knew he was there. I knew he was letting me know that he was okay (he probably has more chocolate and candy than we could ever dream of)...it was like he was saying, "Cheer up, Mom! This place is glorious and I am happier than ever. I am singing with the angels and you, Mom, will be here before you know it"!!! Although tears have still fallen since I left church, I feel peace. I feel more peace today than I have in some time. I am so thankful that I felt Carter's presence at church today. I love my church and it warms my heart to know he is there!!!!!

Thank you my sweet boy for assuring your Mommy that you are okay. I love you and miss you more than any words could ever express. You are forever in my heart!!!! I LOVE YOU, CARTER-MAN!!!!

RACE FOR HOPE IN DC

2010-02-11T20:51:00.004-05:00

Below you will find an email that was sent out by a friend of mine who is organizing walkers and runners for the Race for Hope in DC on May 2nd. Although you get a t-shirt for registering, I will be working on getting Carter's Crusaders t-shirts or buttons for everyone walking or running for Carter! I hope to see a HUGE turnout!!! If you have any questions, please email me at courtieharris2@gmail.com

Dear Friends and Family,

On Sunday, May 2, 2010, I will be participating in the Race for Hope - DC 5K Run/Walk presented by Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers. The Race for Hope - DC is sure to be both a fun and inspirational event, and supports the National Brain Tumor Society and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure. I have formed a team to help with the fundraising effort. Will you join it?

My immediate family(including Halle in the childrens race) will be joining me in this walk/run. As some of you know, we lost a dear friend of ours this last month to this horrible disease. Carter Harris was only 6 years old and Halle considered him a close friend, and was very upset with his passing. Because of Carter, we are now familiar with this disease and it's effects on family and friends. That is why I have decided to use the name Carter's Crusaders(with the support of the Harris family) for our team name.

Our goal this year is to raise $2 million for brain tumor research and support services for brain tumor patients and caregivers. We need your help, so please either join my team or make a donation on my behalf. The links are provided below.

Please note that the deadline for online registration is Tuesday, April 27 at 12 noon.

Thank you so much for all of your support and I hope to see you at the Race for Hope- DC!

Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/site/TR/Events/RFH-DC?px=2240481&pg=personal&fr_id=1490&et=LhfTPDjlF7MeOaOaajvL2g..&s_tafId=38260

Click here to view the team page for Carter's Crusaders
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/site/TR/Events/RFH-DC?team_id=33840&pg=team&fr_id=1490&et=JlIQ5tcYQdmKqREQC017VA..&s_tafId=38260

Click here to view the company page for Carter's Crusaders
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/site/TR/Events/RFH-DC?company=Carter%27s+Crusaders&pg=company&fr_id=1490&et=IgzUPxSu9PopfIVUxHvygg..&s_tafId=38260

If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please click here or paste this URL into your browser: http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=7e33c61a9b70ab22937be25650980ba63de7adeb4b3cbee5c157793613dbaef5

Race for Hope - DC
Presented by Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers
Freedom Plaza - May 2, 2010
www.CureBrainTumors.org
To Benefit National Brain Tumor Society &
Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure

Skip and I are so thankful for Kathy Uchytil for doing this! Her daughter, Halle, was in Carter's Kindergarten class and they became very close!!!! Hat off to you, Kathy!!!!

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!!!!!

2010-02-09T20:33:00.002-05:00

I want to first apologize for not updating sooner but as you all can imagine life has been crazy over the last almost 2 months. I did want to take time to just briefly update. First of all, CAN YOU BELIEVE ALL OF THIS SNOW???? My family loves it!! I am assuming you have all read the post from Kyle B. on December 18 (the day we laid Carter to rest) regarding the snow. Well, we still believe that our Carter-Man is sending us signs that he is happy and okay. In our area, we are about to break all records for the most amount of snow in a season...HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!! My sweet boy has always been determined and that has not changed apparently. We are enjoying the snow and our time at home together. We have spent a lot of time reflecting and sharing memories of sweet Carter-Man...oh, the memories. That is what keeps us going. On the way home tonight, Alexis and Caroline were in the back seat and we all had thanked Carter-Man for the snow. Alexis then asked if she could say a prayer and ,of course, we said absolutely. Skip and I could not hold back the tears as she prayed and told him how much we loved and missed him and how we tried so hard to make him better but that we knew he was still alive in the arms of God. It was the most touching thing I have heard. Alexis is Carter's oldest friend. They spent the first 2 years of their lives together, as Ashley and I were pregnant at the same time and we did everything together!! Then they went to preschool together at ages 3 and 4. They went to different schools when they entered Kindergarten but their friendship continued and they treasured the time they spent together. Tonight was the first time (other than a sentence here and there) that Alexis has really talked to us about Carter. We cried for a moment and then composed ourselves and at the request of Caroline and Alexis, we jammed to Miley Cyrus!!!! It was a wonderful day and evening! I must tell you that we miss him terribly. With each day, it seems to get more difficult. The reality sets in that he is not here with us, that we are not able to hold him or hear him. Don't get me wrong, we do have good days. But then the grief sets in again and we feel as if our hearts have been hit by a mack truck! We try and stay strong and move ahead. We will never be the same, some of our relationships will never be the same but we continue to trudge along and be there for Caroline. She needs us now more than ever. She had her first counseling session with our Chilren's Pastor and will start Christian Counseling as soon as all this snow leaves us. We encourage her to talk about Carter as much as she wants and she does. We all do! We NEVER want to stop talking about and remembering our sweet boy. He was an amazing child...We miss him terribly!!

Thank you to everyone for their continued love, support, and prayers! You all are amazing! I will update again sooner than later. There are some events coming up that I want to make you all aware of. Time to run now as the girls upstairs are needing my attention!!

Love,

Courtney

One Month Ago....

2010-01-14T19:42:00.004-05:00

One month ago today, our lives changed forever. We lost our precious baby boy to a terrible monster...a monster that we are determined to defeat, to assure that no other family or child has to lose to. As the days go by, we become more aware of the lack of funding and the lack of awareness for DIPG or for that matter, all pediatric cancer. I was talking with a friend the other day regarding Pandora bracelets and she remarked that they even make charms for breast cancer awareness. I did not say anything at the time but I thought, WOW, yet another example of how our children are not getting the attention they need. I checked and sure enough there is no charm for pediatric cancer. Please do not misunderstand, I am thankful that the treatment for breast cancer has come so far and the reason for that is awareness and funding. I have a friend whose mother just reached her 5 year cancer free mark and for that I am thankful!!! I am thankful that there was enough funding and awareness to allow her to reach that mark and allow her to watch her children and grandchildren grow. I have talked to two other women in the last 2 weeks that have beaten breast cancer and again I was thankful and hopeful. Hopeful that one day, the children who are diagnosed with DIPG will not have such a poor prognosis, that their parents can have hope when they leave a pediatric oncologist's office...all because we screamed, we fought, we donated, and we made people aware that this monster DOES exist. It does affect normal, happy, healthy children. It CAN happen to ANYONE!!! One day, I KNOW that we will make a difference but WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET!!! As we start this new year, please consider wearing a gold ribbon, buying a gold ribbon for your car,or just telling someone about Carter's journey. Please donate to The Cure Starts Now (www.thecurestartsnow.org) or The Just One More Day Foundation (www.justonemoreday.org). Even if it is $1.00, IT WILL HELP!! It will help a family just like us and even if it saves just one child's life it is worth it! We are so thankful for all of the donations we have received and are preparing to split a portion of the proceeds between these two foundations!!!

As for how we are doing....as you can imagine, we are hurt and devastated. The void in our life becomes more obvious everyday. Honestly, I feel as if the pain has gotten worse. Our home, which was once packed with people, is now quiet. We miss our Carter-Man more than words could ever express. Unless you have ever lost a child, you could not imagine. It is a pain that hurts to the core. It makes it hard to go to sleep at night and hard to get out of the bed in the morning. When we do rise, we look over and see that sweet face of our precious Caroline and the world seems a little brighter and we rise to prepare for another day of trying to make her happy! She keeps me going. I know that she needs me and that gives me strength. I pray all day long..I pray for strength and continues signs that Carter is okay. Although I know he is just fine, I still feel the need for him to let me know and rest assured he does in more ways than one. He is still with us and he makes sure we know. Thank you sweet boy...we need all of those signs. I must tell you- I finally had Carter's picture added to a website titled, www.icouldbeyourchild.org. I happened to randomly check last Friday to see if it had been put on there and as I scrolled down the page and I saw his precious face on that page, my heart sunk, the tears started to roll, and reality hit me like a ton of bricks. Carter IS one of those children who lost his battle to this monster. It was hard, probably one of the hardest moments yet. I am thankful that Jenny was here to help me through that. It took awhile to compose myself but I managed. It was just so hard for me to grasp the fact that he was not here with me and it still is. Today marked one month since Carter's passing and as I awoke, I cried. I got myself ready, got Caroline ready and headed to take her to school. What I thought would be a day doomed from the start actually turned out to be a very good day. Skip and I were blessed to be able to spend the whole day with Baby Lauren. We had a wonderful day. She was such a joy. She brought us joy. We both feel that there is a part of Carter in her. She has a way about her that tells me that Carter is with her and that gives me peace. She made me laugh all day and made me smile on a day that I thought no smiles were possible. She and Carter always had a very strong bond and now I know why. She still talks about him, referring to him as "Man". She walked around my house today pointing at all of his pictures continuously repeating "Man"! I laughed each time and she would laugh back at me. I know he was here with me today through her! He left a part of him in her and for that I am so very thankful!!!! My house was full today. Caroline and Annabelle played, I laughed at Lauren, Jenny and Barbara kept me company, and we all had dinner. It was truly the day I needed-just what Carter would have wanted- food, friends, family, and laughter!!!
With each day, some things get easier and some get harder. I am not sure what tomorrow will bring but I do know this...I am thankful for my family, my friends, my Sweet Caroline, my church, my pastors and for my Almighty God. I am thankful that I have faith and that I can pray for strength and he can deliver.

I hope that all of you read the Thank you from us in Saturday's paper. If you did not, below is a copy of what was put in the paper!!!

Thanks from the family of Carter Harris

It is very difficult to express in words the gratitude we have in our hearts for each one of you. Every expression of your love has touched our lives is such a loving, meaningful way. We know that God has used all of you as an instrument of comfort and joy to our family. Someone once wrote, "I sought to hear the voice of God and climbed to the top-most steeple. But God declared 'Go down again- I dwell among the people.' " We can indeed rejoice that friends like you have made our burden lighter, as you have dwelt among the people and shared in our pain and sorrow.
Carter loved his friends and family so very much. He treasured every moment spent with all of us. You all made his life that much richer. We know that he is so proud to know that you all have been so supportive to us, his family, whom he loved so very dearly. Due to the overwhelming amount of love and support, we could never begin to write a personal thank you to each person that deserves it. Please accept this as our sincere thank you. May peace and joy be your gift this new year. We love and treasure each and every one of you.

The Family

We Love you all!!!!!!

Courtney

Articles in The Free Lance Star

2010-01-04T14:16:00.002-05:00

Below, We have posted links to all of the articles that have been written about our sweet Carter-Man since his homegoing, including his obituary. We wanted to share them as it means so very much to us that Carter touched so many lives!!!

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/122009/12162009/514573/index_html

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/122009/12152009/514428?rss=local

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/122009/12182009/514761/index_html

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/012010/01032010/516654/index_html

Thank you to everyone for their continued support!!!

Love,

Skip and Courtney

Cookbooks.....

2010-01-04T14:12:00.002-05:00

Friends, If you ordered and not received your cookbooks, please call CeCee
or Tom at 786-3593. We will deliver them to you if you live in the area.
If you live out of the area, we will mail them once we have a good address. You can email this to tomsboat@comcast.net If you did not order a cookbook but would like one, please let us know. We did order extras.
Many, many thanks for your heart felt support to our family. Much of the
profits will go towards pediatric brain tumor and cancer research.
Our plan is to keep Carter's Crusaders alive to help in this fight!
Love,
Kathryn, CeCee and Tom

A New Year....A Family Forever Changed

2010-01-01T18:28:00.004-05:00

I want to first thank everyone for their amazing support during this most difficult time in our life. I cannot tell you how much it means to us and how much it has truly helped us to begin a new phase of this journey...a phase we have dreaded...a phase that NO parent should ever have to enter...however, he we are, at this phase and we could not enter it nor walk it alone and we are thankful to everyone because we know we are not alone. Skip and I were simply astonished at the visitation night and services for our Carter-Man. The outpouring of love and support and the number of lives that Carter has touched was very evident....more evident than ever. There is no doubt in our minds that Carter entered this life with a purpose and there is no doubt that he served that purpose. I can only hope that in my life I can touch as many lives as my sweet Carter did. Thank you to each and everyone of you for the cards, emails, letters, visits, attendance at services, and oh so much more....this community is amazing and we are proud to be a part of it!!!! We know sometimes some of you just do not know what to say to us and that is okay. I'm Sorry would suffice. Unless you have lost a child, you don't understand and we do not expect you to. We are glad that we have all of you and we know that words are difficult. We are still ourselves...just with a different perspective on life and forever heartbroken.

We have entered a new year as a family forever changed...a smaller family...one that does not feel complete. Since Carter passed on December 14, 2009, I have felt like something is missing, like I am forgetting something. Every time I leave the house, I look back because I feel the void. Skip and I met our dear friends the Beggans at the movies the week of Christmas to keep Caroline busy and get her out of the house. As we were leaving, I felt it and it stung...it stung worse than any bee sting could ever feel. I held back the tears and told myself that I would get through this and that I needed to get through this for Caroline. We had lunch and then went to the movies. During the movies, it was unreal the feelings that Skip and I had. We missed the popcorn mess that always appeared after a few bites of popcorn from the C-Man...he was messy...and we missed it. We missed his backwash into the drink (yes, Mr. Wilcox, he has always done that) and we missed everything about him. Nonetheless, we made it through the movie. As we were leaving, I found myself mentally counting the children as we were leaving (I am famous for this) and after counting two or three times, I realized that the number would never equal to what it should again. Becca and Kyle have 4, we have 2 young children, and we had picked up Alexis on the way. There should have been 7 children with us...I should have counted 7 but I only counted 6. I realized at that moment that I WAS missing something. I was missing my baby and that number would never be correct again. I would always be missing a part of me...a part of us. My heart ached and it took all I had to, again, hold back the tears. This was just the beginning of that feeling and I am sure that there is no end.

Skip and I were lucky to be able to get away after the holidays to join The Thackers and some other dear friends and family at Massanutten. It was much needed and we were able to spend some much needed time with Sweet Caroline. We had a wonderful time but, again, that unimaginable pain (unless you have experienced the loss of a child), hit me like a ton of bricks. We were at the indoor pool and as we were leaving, I again began to mentally count the children and of course, that number did not add up. I again was hit with the reality that Carter was not walking with us. I wanted him there with me. I felt like I was getting angry, something I did not want to happen. I quickly put Caroline into the car and again pulled myself together, holding back the tears. I prayed for strength and I then reminded myself that although I cannot see his face, hold his sweet hand, or hear his contagious laugh, I CAN talk to him and he CAN hear me and I felt peace again...peace that my Carter-Man is very much alive, just not here on earth. He is here with me in spirit and he does go with me everywhere I go. I also reminded myself that I am allowed to be sad and angry and that I forever will feel a void because there is one, a BIG one...my sweet baby boy.

We entered 2010 with dear friends. We entered 2010 as a family...a family forever changed...a family that probably will never feel complete again. We entered 2010 as a stronger family, one with a bond that cannot be broken. This experience has changed us in many ways....some good and some bad. Our hearts will forever be broken...we will always feel that void. The bonds that exist between us are much stronger. We will never take another day for granted..for we were never promised tomorrow and that has become a reality for us. Our faith is stronger than ever....after everything, we feel God's presence more than ever and we know that we could never make it through this without him. We are glad to leave 2009 behind us and start anew. 2009 was a very difficult year from beginning to end for my family....we lost my Papa TJ, Carter was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, we lost my Grandaddy Sale, Lauren caught a virus that caused a severe heart condition, possibly requiring a heart transplant, and our sweet Carter passed away.
BUT WE ARE STRONGER AND CLOSER THAN EVER!!!! We have always been close but the ties that bind are unbreakable..I am thankful to have my family and friends...I am thankful to know that through it all I will always have my family...they are amazing.... I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!!!

There is one more thing that I want to share with you all. About 3 minutes before Carter took his last breath here on earth, I looked into his beautiful blue eyes and asked him one thing...please send me a sign to let me know that you are safe and that you are okay. I can reassure you all that Carter-Man is safe and OK. We laid Carter to rest on December 18th and that evening, he blanketed this town with a beautiful snow..the largest snow storm since 1996...the world was not flawed..it was perfect. Carter LOVED the snow but his Daddy loves it more and I truly believe he sent that snow to us. He wanted us to slow down and spend time with family and friends and that we did. He also paid a visit to Aunt Beth and Uncle Chuck's house. Annabelle sat straight up in the bed and asked why Carter was there...Beth said that there was a bright light in the hallway and Chuck confirmed that there was not an overhead light on...he has set up shop to watch over Baby Lauren...he is her guardian angel. As you can imagine, Massanutten was packed this week...Skip was anxiously awaiting a parking space on Tuesday and quickly said "Come on, Carter-Man, help me out here" and wouldn't you know that the BEST parking space in the lot opened right up. On Wednesday ,it happened again, and Carter-Man opened up the same exact spot for Skip, Ashley, and Alex. That afternoon they went into the restaurant for lunch and it was packed. Ashley was waiting for a table...assuming they would have to eat standing and right beside her, a group of 3, got up and left, opening up a table for 3 right in front of her.......coincidence....I think not. Carter-Man is with us and he is looking over all of us. When you look in the sky at night, just look for the brightest star and there he is....just ask Kaelan B.....she saw that star and she knew it was Carter-Man and he was twinkling at her!!!!

We love you Carter-Man and we miss you so much!!!

Is there any doubt that Carter-man has arrived?

2009-12-18T21:34:00.003-05:00

As the hours waned leading up to today, I found myself weaker and more in touch with the reality of Carter's passing, as I'm sure we all did. I have admired from afar Skip and Courtney's fortitude as they so valiantly made thier way through these first few chapters of this story. The last 10 months (especially the last few days) have given me such respect and reverence for the Harris Crew. I'm elated that Rebecca has brought me to this community, this family.

When Madison told me that it was going to snow 15 inches this weekend, I didn't believe her. Not that I didn't believe HER, I just have very little faith in the meteorology profession that told her such news. Not to mention that snow, something that has always brought me such joy, just didn't seem to fit this weekend. Well, as the day wore on and our tears so easily turned to laughter, the snow became more realistic to me. I cannot fathom a more appropriate end to today.

When we all wake up tomorrow (especially you, Courtney and Skip), Carter will have purified the world around us. It will be white, clean, beautiful. Dents in cars will be hidden, dog poop will go unseen. The world will look new, inviting, fun. Courtney asked Carter for signs that he was OK once he arrived and I love that he's delivered.

For the next day or two, assuming these meteorologist jokers know what they're doing, the snow will turn on fireplaces, it will produce hot cocoa, it will encourage snuggling and hugs. It will provide children and families with joy and memories. All because Carter has arrived.

For the rest of my life, snow will always be associated with Carter. Snow. One of my favorite things the world has to offer. I love that I will always find Carter in snow.

I was so honored today to stand up as a pall bearer. I am honored to have known Carter. I am honored that my daughters were able to have Carter as a friend. And I'm honored that my friendship with the Harris family is young and will last a lifetime.

I found this poem by Robert Frost and thought it was a strong summary of our day with C-Man. Everyone sleep well tonight. Enjoy the snow tomorrow. I'll be making a snow angel for my buddy.

Kyle B.

DUST OF SNOW by Robert Frost

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

Dishes Needed

2009-12-16T18:19:00.002-05:00

We need some dishes for the Celebration after Carter-Man's services. If you are able to help, please contact Sue Mitchell at (540)903-6904 or Rebecca Beggan at (703)371-7765. We need side dishes, casseroles, desserts, salads, or anything you are able to help with.

Services

2009-12-15T08:55:00.003-05:00

I want to thank you all for your kind words through this unimaginably tough time. We are thankful for the amazing support! We are thankful for the gift of Carter-Man!! He is an amazing child who taught us all a lot about life and love. He will be missed terribly! We are thankful that he is in the arms of his Heavenly Father and he has finally met his grandfather, whom loves him so much. We are thankful for Carter's home nurse, Cecilia, who is now part of our family. She took amazing care of Carter until the end! We are thankful for the team at Capital Hospice for their care, love, and concern for our family. We are thankful for the wonderful doctors, nurses, child-life specialists, social workers, and case managers at INOVA who took such excellent care of Carter-Man and our family! YOU ALL ARE AMAZING!!!! Carter loved each one of you dearly!!!

The services for Carter-Man are as follows:

Visitation at Covenant Funeral Home in Fredericksburg on Thursday, December 17th from 5pm-8pm
Funeral at Falmouth Baptist Church Friday, December 18th at 2pm
Graveside will follow at Falmouth Cemetery- Carter will be laid to rest next to his grandfather

We are all trying to wear as much red as possible!!! Carter's favorite color is red and his second is blue!! Although black is normally the color of choice, this was Carter's least favorite color. We want this to be a Celebration of his wonderful life. He would want us to celebrate the special times we had with him!

Again, thank you to everyone!!!

With Love,

Courtney

Heavy Hearts

2009-12-14T05:55:00.002-05:00

It is with a very heavy heart that I let all of Carter's Crusaders know that Carter passed away at 4:41am this morning. He was wrapped in the arms of his Daddy as I lay next to them. He is now at peace. He will be taken to NIH in Bethesda to have this EVIL tumor removed for research. I want to thank each and everyone of you for your continued love, support, prayers. Please continue to pray for us as we enter another phase of this journey.

With Love,

Courtney

Carter-Man is still fighting

2009-12-12T07:23:00.005-05:00

Good Morning, Crusaders! I wanted to post a little update. There really has been no significant changes. Yesterday was a very difficult day for Skip and I. The day started with G-tube issues. When I gave Carter his 8 o'clock morphine and ativan, I did not notice that the gauze around his G-tube was wet. At 9 o'clock when the hospice nurse arrived, we both noticed it was soaked. We did some investigating and realized that the tube was leaking, meaning he was not getting all of his medicine. We also realized that Carter's GI system has slowed dramatically....he is not absorbing much of anything. Luckily, Carter does still have a PICC line. The only problem was that we only had IV ativan, not morphine. Our hospice nurse took care of ordering that and told us we should receive it later in the day and until then we could go ahead and try using the G-tube. Although, we had not been feeding Carter a lot, we had been giving him water. Without the G-tube, we cannot give water flushes or food. I realize we are at the point that Carter is not hungry but from the moment your child is born, your maternal instinct kicks in to feed your child. When they are sick, you want them to eat...you NEVER want your child to feel hunger....eating provides nourishment, vitamins,energy and all the essentials of daily living. It was very hard for me to realize that I can no longer feed my child. This led to a very difficult day. We did not receive his IV morphine until 8:30 pm last night. This was the first day that we saw issues with pain management..something NO CHILD OR PARENT should have to experience. Nonetheless, we managed to get through and were able to give him IV medicine starting at 10:00 pm last night. He had a good night, although his heart rate is all over the place. Before, it was very low, now it has shot back up again. I would imagine this is due to the tumor continuing to progress on the brain stem, thus affecting his heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. His breathing has definitely changed this morning. He almost sounds like he is puffing rather than breathing. He has large periods of apnea, sometimes almost a complete minute of no breaths taken. Carter has beaten all odds and for that we are thankful. We are thankful that we have been able to stay on top of his pain and agitation. We are thankful that he has not thrown up. We are thankful that we have escaped any skin breakdown throughout this journey. Carter has now been strictly in the bed for 7 weeks and still no breakdown. HE IS ONE TOUGH COOKIE!!! Although we are in the middle of the worst thing that any parent can experience, at the worst time of year (which is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year), we are still thankful for many things. This is a true reflection of the inner strength that God has given us. Our hospice nurse told us that Carter could pass at anytime. His lungs are clear but it is obvious that his body is slowing down significantly. Throughout the night, his breathing has changed. As the weekend progresses, I will keep everyone posted!! As always, thank you for your continued prayers, love, and support!

Still Hanging in there.....

2009-12-06T14:44:00.002-05:00

Well here we are... 4 weeks out from the day we brought our baby home with the knowledge that his time on earth was limited (from a medical standpoint). Carter has FAR surpassed anyone's expectations. Our wonderful hospice nurse is amazed. In her words exactly, she stated, "There is nothing ordinary about Carter". We all already knew that but who would have thought he would have made it this long. She said that she would no longer give us a time frame because Carter was on his own time along with God. He is so strong. He makes us so proud. He has since the day he was born. He continues to prove what I have always said..."There is something different about Carter". This is what I used to tell everyone about him..now we know why!!!! A mother ALWAYS knows her children best!!!

There really is no new news to report. We did call our hospice nurse Friday because we saw a decline in Carter. She came right away. She, too, saw the difference. Although she said that his time is probably down to hours or days (it is now Sunday so here we are at days), she still stuck to her word that she cannot give us time for him. She said she has been doing this for 10 years and she has never had a child like Carter. I told her she probably never would again!!! We are so thankful for Carter..he is amazing....I look at him and I know he is hearing the angels. I asked him one evening to blink if he saw the angels and sure enough, he blinked his eyes. I asked if they were beautiful...if they were here...and again, he blinked!!!
I told Skip about this and he decided to ask him, too and again....he blinked!! Debbie (Carter's Memaw) asked him the next day and again he blinked. She also asked him if he saw Cha-Cha (my grandfather that passed away recently) and he blinked! She then asked him if he had met his Grandaddy Sale (my dad) and he blinked several times- it was blinks of excitement. This gives us peace. We KNOW the angels are here and wrapping their wings around our baby boy. I will tell you that this is HARD....the hardest thing I have ever had to do and probably the hardest thing I will ever have to do. Each day I wonder if it will be Carter's last. It is heartbreaking but we push through and try and remain strong for Carter, Caroline, and Tommy.

I want to thank everyone for their continued support. Everyday we continue to be amazed by the cards, letters, notes, comments, food, prayers and gifts that we receive. I want to send a special thank you to Sandra and Wendy for their support, love, and devotion. They have been here daily since we brought Carter home on hospice. They do everything they can to help..they clean, they cook, and they provide support. They are AMAZING!!! I am surprised there hands are not cracked due to the number of dishes they have washed! THANK YOU LADIES!!!! I will continue to keep you all posted as things change!

Please continue to pray for my niece, Lauren and the families of Andrew and Delaney.

Love,

Courtney

A Sad Week in this Community

2009-12-04T11:24:00.003-05:00

When Carter was first diagnosed with DIPG, I started to follow the journey of a little boy named, Andrew Smith. I posted last night that he was declining and that his family needed prayers. He has battled this horrific disease for 25 months. He and his family have touched the lives of so many people. His mother's faith and grace have touched me deeply. It is with a heavy heart I let you all know that he passed peacefully at 1:00am. Please pray for this family and visit their site (I have posted it again at the bottom).

www.caringbridge.org/visit/aws

If my numbers are correct, that is 3 children that have passed this week from DIPG. THIS HAS TO STOP!!!! We have to come together to raise awareness and find a cure for this evil monster that is stripping these precious children of their lives. Please join me in raising awareness!!!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!!!

PRAYERS NEEDED!!!

2009-12-03T19:32:00.002-05:00

I do not have a lot of time to update but I wanted to let you all know that Carter is hanging in there. He is breathing very slow and only wakes occasionally for a couple of minutes at a time. I will try and update within the next couple of days. There are other families that are also in need of prayer. Please add the following to your prayer list.

My niece, Lauren (she has been readmitted to Children's in DC)

Andrew Smith- www.caringbridge.org/visit/aws (please drop the family a note in their guestbook to provide them with strength)

Please pray for all of the children who are battling this awful disease. It is heart wrenching!!!

Love,

Courtney

Another Angel...

2009-12-01T15:41:00.001-05:00

I wanted to let everyone know that Sweet Delaney earned her angel wings this morning.
Please keep her family in your prayers and drop them a note of encouragement on her guestbook.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/delaneystarcher

Recent Pictures!!!

2009-11-29T12:50:00.006-05:00

I wanted to share some pictures of our babies!!! It has been awhile since I posted any. Enjoy them as much as we do!!!

A Thanksgiving to Remember

2009-11-28T09:30:00.007-05:00

Hello Carter's Crusaders! I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your beloved families. Thanksgiving was very different this year for us, as you can imagine. The day before and the day of were very bittersweet for Skip and I. The day before Thanksgiving, my mom had planned on setting the tables (we had 20 people so we wanted to be prepared). This is an event that Carter-Man always looks forward to. He LOVES setting the table with his Grandma Cecee. Whenever we ate at her house, he knew exactly where the good utensils and dishes were and he would run as if there were a fire to begin helping her set the table. This year there was no running. I watched as Mom and Caroline set the 2nd table (this is the 2nd year Caroline has enjoyed helping)on Thanksgiving Day and my heart sank. This is not the picture I wanted to see. I wanted my Carter-Man to set the table with his Grandma and his younger sister...I wanted him to pop out of the bed, help set the table, and stick his finger in one of the foods that was being prepared! Then I looked and there he was, laying in his bed, finally comfortable after a night of a very high fever and labored breathing. Again, my heart broke. This whole journey has been one of heart break...heart break for my son, who loved his life so much...heart break for my daughter, who has so missed playing with her brother...heart break for Tommy, who is a teenager having to experience all of this.....heart break for my husband, who misses his buddy, his best friend..heart break for my parents, who have to watch their grandson suffer.....heartbreak for my in-laws, who have 2 very ill grandchildren....heartbreak for all of the people who love him so much....and heartbreak for myself- I miss my baby, I miss his laughter, I miss his contagious smile, I miss him crawling in the bed with me in the middle of the night, I miss everything about him....I know he is here with me and for that I am thankful but I hate that he has to suffer. I hate that the life he loved has been ripped from him. He deserves better, as do all of the children suffering from DIPG. He deserves to run and play like a 6 year old! Even through the hurt and the anger, I am thankful, thankful that he is here with us, thankful that we could have our entire family here. I am thankful for the love and support we continue to receive from our friends, family, and community. I am thankful for Tommy and Caroline. I am thankful for a family that is simply amazing (I love you ALL more than you know)!!

As for Carter's condition, he seems to remain relatively stable. He runs a fever on and off and at times his breathing is labored. He still opens his eyes sometimes and even responds with them some of the time. His heart rate stays low most of the time except for when he has a fever. When we left the hospital, he was on a high dose of steroids. We are slowly weening them, as his doctor, as well as Skip and I, do not see the need to keep them on board. Once the steroids are weened, he will only be on an antibiotic (to prevent a staph infection), morphine, and ativan. We continue to feed him through the G-tube, although at a much slower rate than he used to be on. When the hospice nurse came last week, she was amazed. She said that she is so surprised that Carter is still with us. He is truly a fighter. She said that he is truly in God's hands now. We have known this through this entire battle. She said that every week she expects a decline and she is not seeing that. Could this be a miracle in the works? That is what I pray for...please join me in prayer for this miracle!

I want to send a big thank you to my sister, Kathryn, for an awesome Thanksgiving dinner! It was AMAZING!!!! She flew in from San Diego when we received the news of Carter's tumor progression. She made the entire dinner for all of us. Now she has flown back and we miss her already:( I also want to thank everyone for their continued love, support, and prayers!!!! We are so thankful for all of you!!!

I wanted to let everyone know that there is a new feature on Carter's blog. After many requests, you can now leave comments on the blog. At the end of each post, there is a place to leave comments. All you have to do is click on comments and a pop up will appear and you can drop us a line. We would love to hear from everyone that follows Carter's journey!

Another DIPG warrior is having a hard time and has been brought home on hospice. Please pray for this family and drop them a note on their guestbook. Her website is below!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/delaneystarcher

With Love,

Courtney

Christmas Cards with a Purpose...

2009-11-23T08:05:00.003-05:00

Please spread holiday cheer while supporting pediatric brain cancer research. 13 amazing DIPG kids designed these adorable holiday cards. Each pack has an assortment of 15 different designs on high-quality glossy 5x7 cards. Please visit
www.thecurestartsnow.org and select "SHOP". Proceeds go to pediatric brain cancer research. Please help us to celebrate these amazing children by purchasing a pack!

This is an amazing foundation who continues to raise funds for more research to find a cure for DIPG, as well as other brain cancer. Please help a good cause! I receive so many holiday cards and I am hoping to see a lot of these cards this year!!! Thank you for your support!

2 weeks at home...

2009-11-21T11:45:00.002-05:00

Well...here we are...2 weeks since we left the hospital. Two weeks and two days since we received the devastating news that this evil tumor had started to progress and take over more of our baby's brain. Two weeks and two days since our doctor told us his days here on earth were limited. When we asked how long? She said maybe days, maybe weeks and here we still are. Carter-Man is still here with us. He is so strong..it is unbelievable to me how very strong he is!! He has a lot of fight in him, that is for sure! We are still praying for a miracle. We pray all of the time. We ask God to heal Carter. We pray that he chooses to heal him here on earth but we also pray for NO MORE SUFFERING!!!! It is so hard on Skip and I to watch Carter-Man just lay here. We wonder what he may be thinking and that tears us apart. We do not want him to be afraid so we spend a lot of time assuring him that God is going to take care of him and that he need not be afraid. My heart tells me he is not afraid anymore but it also tells me that he is tired...tired of medicine, tired of not being able to play and laugh, just plain TIRED!!! We just want him to be happy. That is all we have ever wanted..for all of our children to be happy. This last 9 months has been horrific on us because we have put so much in to trying to make them happy and then this evil tumor strikes. Although it struck Carter's body, it struck our happy family...Skip, myself, Tommy, Carter and Caroline. It changed our routine of relaxing in the afternoons and quiet family evenings. Evenings filled with family dinners, talks of our days highs and lows (something we did at the dinner table), outings to get ice cream, trips to the YMCA, and all of the kid's activities. Simply put..IT CHANGED OUR LIVES COMPLETELY!!! My hope is that we can raise enough awareness so that no other child or family has to suffer through this. Skip and I have a lot of plans for the future as far as fighting this tumor and we will see them through!

Carter is still here with us. He does open his eyes from time to time and sometimes he will respond by blinking. He tends to run high fevers and his breathing changes frequently. Skip and I became overly concerned this morning and requested that a hospice nurse come and take a look at Carter-Man. She said that his lungs sound clear. She had never seen Carter before but she did say that the fever and his coloring were all a part of this process. She complemented us on how comfortable and clean he looks. She said what a good job we have done taking care of him..she said it was very obvious. I cannot imagine anything else but I guess these nurses see so many things. He is comfortable and he is resting better now. We are still praying....our main prayer is that our precious baby boy does not suffer anymore and that he feels no pain. He does not deserve any of this. I wish that Skip and I could take it all upon ourselves...We would do it in a split second!

I wanted to thank everyone again for all of the support and prayers! You all are amazing people. Thank you for following Carter's story. There are others who are on this same journey but in different phases. Please pray for these children as well.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/lukepollok

www.caringbridge.org/visit/aws

www.caringbridge.org/visit/teamalexis

www.caringbridge.org/visit/tylermagnuson

www.carepages.com- Nate1992
www.carepages.com- PrincessAshani

I have followed these children for sometime and I pray for them everyday. Please join me in this!!

With Love and Hope,

Courtney

1 week at home.....

2009-11-15T11:50:00.003-05:00

Good Morning All! I apologize for not updating sooner. It has been one week since we brought Carter-Man home with the knowledge that we have of the progression of the tumor. Needless to say, our hearts are simply broken..broken for us, for Caroline and Tommy, and our entire family and friends. We had high hopes that Carter would beat this. We knew the odds but still we kept our faith. Have we lost faith? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! Since coming home we have gone through a variety of emotions. When we first brought him home, we were not sure what to expect. Would he take his last breath the next day...would we be here alone....would it be peaceful or dramatic...how would we tell Caroline and Tommy..how would we tell our parents?? The questions are still unending and unanswered. Carter-Man continues to move along. Since coming home, he has been anointed with oil and has been prayed over by several people. In the Bible, in the book of James it reads,
"Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well." (James 14-15). We still have Faith..faith that at this point in this journey, the only way for Carter to be healed is through the hands of our Lord. We have the report from the doctors. We know what we have been told and somewhere, deep in my heart and soul, I still hope and pray for a miracle...one that only the Lord can give. There are no medical treatment options left. There is only one option left and I continue to pray for healing. I know that God may choose to heal Carter-Man in heaven but I pray every second of everyday, that he chooses to heal him here on earth and lift him from his hospital bed and restore him to health. God is still into miracles..why not my Carter-Man? Some may say I am in denial and I tell them NO, I am not..I have faith...faith that the Lord has poured into my heart and I will keep that faith no matter the outcome. If the Lord chooses to bring Carter-Man home to him versus healing him here on earth, I will remain faithful with the knowledge that the Lord has promised that I will see him again one day!!!

Carter-Man has had an abundance of visitors and for that we are very thankful. We are so very lucky to have the support of family, friends,nurses, doctors, and a community that truly is unbelievable. I am proud to be a part of such a wonderful place. Many wonderful things have been done....Kerry brought me a framed collage of pictures of Carter-Man and her son, Dawson which is so very special to us.....Apryl brought me a framed picture of the girls that dance at our church's Backyard Theatre holding a sign that says "BYT loves Carter"- it is AWESOME!!!....Ashley made molds of Carter-Man's hands and also a mold of me holding his hand. I must say, they are AMAZING!!!! She is also going to make a mold of his feet today and one of Skip holding his hand. We plan to have them mounted together! I cried last night when I saw them drying on my armoire. How very special these pieces of art are to me! Ashley and Becca so graciously took on the responsibility of cleaning and organizing the playroom in the basement. If you have ever been down there, you know how much of a task that is! Thank you, ladies:) Many have asked how we are coping? It is very obvious that Skip and I are coping very differently. This is why we work so well together. He stays on the couch near Carter's bed and rarely goes anywhere else in the house. I, on the other hand, keep busy. I rarely sit down! With the help of some wonderful people (Sandra, Wendy, Barbara), I have reorganized and reorganized and cleaned and cleaned. They are the driving force and have helped to keep me busy. Yesterday we completely revamped the organization of the upstairs and cleaned like crazy! It is therapeutic to me and Skip thinks I am crazy! We laugh about it together as the day comes to a close. As far as sleep goes, Skip does not get much. I get some but not as much as I need....lol!!! I sleep upstairs with Caroline but wake easily and come down to check on Carter-Man and Skip. Skip normally naps in the morning and that works for us. It allows me time to get my OCD cleaning behavior out before he comes down!!! We still have our wonderful nurse and of course, our hospice nurse comes everyday during the week. She has noticed some changes in Carter's breathing. We have also seen his heart rate drop dramatically....it is very scary and we tend to panic when it gets low. The beeping of the pulse ox sends shivers down my spine. This is an unimaginably hard time but I try and keep it together for Caroline and Tommy and the rest of the family. I cry a lot but it is normally when I am alone. It seems that if I fall apart, the rest of the family really falls apart. They are already in pieces and I feel like I need to be strong for them. It may seem backwards and it may be, but it works for us!

I want to thank everyone that has called, sent messages and cards, come by to visit, brought food, and for all of the prayers that have been said. We are still praying for a miracle and we pray for peace..peace for all of us!!! Please join us in prayer for these things!!!!

Love to you all,

Courtney

Carter-Man is home......

2009-11-09T08:08:00.004-05:00

I wanted to take a moment and let everyone know that Carter-Man made it home safely yesterday. He has been resting comfortably in his bed. He was blessed with many visitors yesterday. SO many people love him so very much! He truly is a blessed little boy. I am so proud to call him my son. Ever since he was born, he has made me so very proud. I always knew that Carter was special and that there was something different about him. He truly is an angel!!!!

I must tell you all that our hearts are very heavy. We are trying to make our way through all of the things that have happened over the last several days. I am not sure if I will ever be able to wrap my brain around this. I am trying as hard as I can to remain strong for the rest of my family, especially Tommy and Caroline. I have an amazing support network from my family to my AMAZING friends. I am not sure what I would do without them. I am so lucky to have them all!!

Thank you to everyone for the amazing love, support, and prayers! I pray for peace for my Carter-Man.....I pray that he suffers no more......I pray that the Lord gives us all the strength to make it through this most trying time.....I pray that the Lord touches Tommy and Caroline's hearts and helps them through this.....AMEN!!!!!

GOD always has a plan....

2009-11-06T03:46:00.007-05:00

BECCA B here, after spending the night with Court/Skip and posting what Courtie would have me to post:

It's up to us to make the best of what HE sends our way. GOD gives us blessings so BIG and also tests our faith in the same BIG way he throws blessings our way. I mention this tonight (or should I say "this morning", because my intentions were to post this before the dawn even came close to calling our names)....however;

I just came home from INOVA FFX Hospital having spent as much time as I possibly could stroking Carter-Man's head, face, hands, etc.

It is no secret that C-Man has not been in the best of health in the last few weeks. The dreadful "FLU SEASON" rocked his world in more ways than one. He not only suffered ONE bout of the virus, but had to ride out TWO encounters with the flu (ONE of them confirmed to be the H1N1 virus).....All the Docs were surprised that he was able to beat it b/c there are completely healthy children in the PICU that couldn't fight the virus.

As Courtney's last post revealed, Carter was resting well at home and then his responsiveness and general breathing became an issue, which is why they took him back up to INOVA FFX.

MANY and MANY MORE tests were administered to try to figure out why it is that Carter-Man was still not seeming to push through to the "other side" of beating whatever illness/virus it was that has been causing him complications in the last few weeks.

Carter-Man was exhibiting signs of pain "bearing down" with his hands, etc. The doctors were trying to figure out where the discomfort was coming from. It was determined that Carter may be experiencing cranial pressure, so an Emergency MRI was ordered STAT.

Unfortunately, the results of the MRI were very bleak. It turns out that Carter-Man's brain tumor has progressed (and upward), meaning that there are really no options left at this point.

The family (and phenomenal team of Doctors here at INOVA Fairfax) are prepared to do everything possible to make Carter's day-in/day-out as pleasant/normal/and comfortable as possible until GOD calls him home to be with so many people who love him. Those same people will remind Carter of all the people left here on Earth that will still LOVE and CHERISH every memory of every moment that each and every one of us have spent with him.

Carter-Man LOVES EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!! HELP US ALL BLESS THIS CHILD AS HE HAS BLESSED ALL OF US WITH HIS PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES. AMEN.

Update on Carter-Man

2009-10-31T22:01:00.003-04:00

I first need to apologize it has been so long since I last updated about Carter. He has been through so much since the last update regarding the airway scope. He has come down with several infections and had seemed to overcome most of them until last Thursday. He seemed to be experiencing breathing issues and his heart rate was very elevated. Skip and I called 911 and they responded extremely fast. When Carter was discharged from the hospital, I had it notated in their systems about Carter's situation and his diagnosis and the fact that he had a tracheostomy. When he arrived at the hospital, he seemed to have calmed quite a bit. I must say that through all of this his oxygen levels remained between 96%-98% which is awesome! He was running a fever and they gave him a large dose of tylenol and within about 20 minutes he was sleeping calmly, his fever had come down, his heart rate was back to normal, and he was breathing great. They took blood cultures and sent us home after talking with Carter's oncologist. Friday seemed to be okay although it was obvious he did not feel great. Saturday was about the same until the afternoon, when he seemed to get worse. He began sweating and breathing a little faster than normal. We decided to take him directly to INOVA. We called the on-call oncologist and she directly admitted us. Upon arrival, they were elated to know that Carter no longer needed to go to the PICU because he had not been on the ventilator for sometime. They took blood cultures, a culture from his trache, and swabbed him for the flu. Within 20 minutes, it was determined that he had Influenza A (most likely H1N1). They immediately moved him from the Hem/Onc unit to a quarantined area for children with the flu. It was unbelievable the amount of children that were in the hospital for the flu. He slept the entire day Sunday and seemed to perk up on Monday. But....his blood cultures from the Thursday night ER visit had started to grow a staph infection, as well as the cultures drawn Satuday night. He also had an infection growing from the culture from his trache. The type of staph infection that was growing is apparently a "sticky" infection so they though that maybe it was in his PICC line and that they may have to pull it. He had been placed on very strong antibiotics and seemed to be responding. His cultures were still growing so they pulled the PICC line and placed an IV for his treatments and antibiotics. He had a very scary episode on Wednesday where he was breathing heavily again and had an elevated heart rate. He seemed to get very tense and then relax. We became very nervous as this very possibly could have been neurological. After much medication, he calmed down and slept very well the entire next day. The doctors all agreed that this did not appear to be neurological but flu related. They did do a quick CAT scan and the tumor had not changed since the last CAT and the last MRI. He had another episode last night of the same nature and one of the PICU Intensivists came over to look at Carter and once again explained that this flu is bad. He told me that he has perfectly healthy children in the PICU because of this flu. He ordered albuterol breathing treatments for Carter every 3 hours and advised the nurses and doctors to keep him as comfortable and relaxed as possible as he already has several underlying conditions. Carter calmed down and has seemed to have a decent day. Skip and I asked that they do another flu swab and a culture from his trache. The flu was still positive and we were told it could take him a month to get over this. We are still awaiting the most recent blood cultures and cultures from his trache to make sure that the staph infection is gone and the infection from the trache is gone. He did receive his treatments today. We are hoping that the staph infection is gone and that he can get a new PICC line on Monday. I am not sure when he will come home. We want him to be in the safest place possible and for now, that is at the hospital.

Tonight was very bittersweet at my house. We had the usual friends and famiy over for soup and trick or treating but we were missig my baby. I loved seeing the kids but it was not the same. I missed him more than words could ever express but I held it together for Caroline and his best friends, who I know missed him terribly. Madison carried his trick or treat bag around and told everyone that her best friend was at the hospital and could not come but she wanted to fill his bag. Carter is truly a blessed boy to have so many people who love and adore him. Please continue to pray for him. I know that the prayers are being heard and that there are many angels watching over him.

On another note, please pray for my niece, Lauren. She has been diagnosed with a heart disease and she also needs many prayers. My family has been through so much this year but we all still continue to be strong and have faith. I know so many of you pray for Carter daily. Please add Lauren to those prayers.

I want to thank everyone for their continued love, prayers, and support. We continue to receive cards, gift cards, letters, and gifts for the children. We are so very thankful!!!! Also, thank you to everyone who came out to the golf tournament. I wish that Skip, Carter, and myself could have come. Maybe next time!! Again, thank you all so much- God has truly put together an army of angels for my family. Although 2009 has been a trying year for my entire family, I still have faith and I still continue to see God move. I am thankful to serve such a wonderful and loving God...I know no matter what he will get me through it. I once heard someone say.....He has not brought you to this point to leave you!! And I truly believe this!!!!

Love to you all,

Courtney

Last Chance to Order Cookbooks!!

2009-10-27T10:24:00.003-04:00

The deadline to submit your order(s) for the Carter's Crusaders cookbook is this Friday, October 30th. Please send all order requests to:

cccb.orders@gmail.com

The cookbooks will be going to the printer on Monday, November 2nd. They will be mailed to CeCee Embrey who will distribute them accordingly. The cost of the cookbook is $15. Checks should be made payable (upon delivery) to Carter's Crusaders. Thanks so much for your support!!

GOLF TOURNAMENT SPACES STILL AVAILABLE!!

2009-10-24T17:33:00.002-04:00

The Fall Golf Tournament for Carter's Crusaders is this Thursday (10/29) still has open spots. Not only that, but the registration has been extended - NO LATE FEES!!! The registration fee is still $85 dollars and you don't want to miss this opportunity to help Carter and his family! The Spring tournament was such a HUGE success, that we're hoping to duplicate that again next week!

This is a perfect way for you and your friend(s) to put together a team (of 4) and come out for one more round of 18 holes before Winter is upon us. If you are interested in taking part in this fundraiser, please contact Jennifer Romack at (540) 379-2109 or Lee's Hill Golf Club directly at (540) 891-0111. Ask about the Carter's Crusaders' golf outing and you will be taken care of!

We really hope to see some repeat faces and are looking forward to seeing even more new faces in our crusade to recruit more angels for Carter-Man!! Thanks in advance for your participation!

PRAYERS ANSWERED!!!!

2009-10-05T13:08:00.002-04:00

I wanted to quickly update everyone and let them know that Carter's ENT appointment was FABULOUS!! His upper airway looks great and his vocal chords are moving like they were designed to do. He said there is such a difference between this scope and the previous one!! He should not have any trouble breathing without the trache, although it may take awhile for him to get used to it again. We are going to start capping his trache tonight to see how it goes. Carter's ENT did tell us that his swallow is still weak but hopefully will only get stronger:) We will continue to pray that his swallow continues to get stronger and he can get back to eating by mouth!! Thank you to everyone for their prayers! God is listening and answering:)

A Coincidence....NO, Divine Intervention!!

2009-10-03T12:02:00.003-04:00

I want to start out with a story that moves me each time I think about it. As most know, Carter is provided with nursing care at home. We normally have a nurse from 9-9 Monday through Friday and on some weekends. We also have required monthly visits from a Nursing Supervisor. We had our first visit on Wednesday with who we thought was just a nursing supervisor. She was more than that- she is yet another angel that God has lead our way- she is our neighbor who only lives 6 houses down from us. I had never had the opportunity to meet her so when she arrived she was a complete stranger. When she arrived, I was on the phone with the GI doctor regarding some of Carter's medicines. I came in and read the folder that she had set up for him and it read, Carter-Man Harris. I wondered how in the world she knew that we called him Carter-Man. I then sat down with her and she began to get teary-eyed and preceded to tell me that she was my neighbor and knew all about Carter. She said that for months she had been praying for God to give her the strength to come down and introduce herself. She said she wondered if he would. She then kept praying that he would somehow lead her to Carter. She returned to work (after a leave of absence after crushing her ankle- OUCH!) and it just so happened to be with the same agency that we use for nursing. She was sitting down with the owner to coordinate a plan for her to see all of the patients that she needed to see. She was first directed to a little girl, Lily, whom I know and have known her Dad for years. When she was told that Lily had a brain tumor, she responded, "I have a little boy in my neighborhood who also has a brain tumor". The owner of the company replied, "Oh my goodness, are you talking about Carter? That is your next stop!" Her prayers had been answered- just not the way she had expected. God led her to us and what a blessing that was!!! Oh yes and there is more..the day before I had thought about and prayed about wanting Caroline to meet someone in the neighborhood that would go to Grafton Village next year and someone that I could scoop up when Caroline and I go to the playground. Sure enough, she preceded to tell me that she had a four year old that would go to Grafton next year- another prayer answered! I am so thankful to know that she is right down the street and that I have another prayer warrior on Carter's side. I also am looking forward to the day when Caroline can meet her daughter and have someone her age to play with in the neighborhood.

I have learned a lot through this journey with Carter. I have learned that God does answer prayers- sometimes just not the way we would like for them to be answered. It is all part of his divine plan- one that we, as mere humans, could never understand. His thinking is far from what we could ever imagine.
I have learned a different way to pray- yes, I pray that Carter will be completely healed and will be returned to me walking, talking, laughing and breathing without a tracheostomy. But, I also pray that God's will be done. I have been through a lot in my life and realize that life is not fair and is not always fun and games- BUT...it is the life we have been given and the paths we have been asked to walk. Although there are tough times, there are always blessings and sometimes we have to look to find them. God does not bring you somewhere only to leave you- he has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us and this, I believe, is the truth. I know that he has walked with me and carried me during tough times in my life and he has always pulled me through! We have an awesome God, an Almighty God!!!

As for Carter.....things remain about the same. We are starting the process of trying to see if he will be able to breathe without the trache. We received the caps for the trache yesterday and are waiting until after his ENT appointment on Monday to start. We need to assure that his upper airway is in good shape and that his vocal cords are moving appropriately. If this is so, then we will begin, full force ahead. Please pray for us that his vocal chords are moving and his upper airway is in good shape so we can have this trache removed FOR GOOD!!!! As far as physical therapy, he is doing great! He seems to get stronger each session. He is standing, with assistance, much easier (although he cries while doing so- I am sure it hurts him). For his last two sessions, his physical therapist and Dad, assist him with walking from the couch to the table. He obviously needs a lot of assistance but it is amazing that he can even lift his feet up. I wait for the day for him to walk to the table for dinner again!!! I know God will bring us there!! I see his works everyday. We are still waiting for the stander to come in- I believe that this will help him dramatically!! He has more use of his arms and for that we are thankful, he is sitting alone for up to 10 minutes using his arms for assistance. We are continuing on the same treatment path. We will have his next MRI at the end of October. We pray for good results!!!!!

I, also, want to thank everyone for their continued support. We continue to receive cards, gift cards, food, and donations. For this we are more thankful than you will ever know. Thank you to everyone:) I wish that I could send out thank you cards to everyone but unfortunately there are not enough hours in the day. So, please, take this as a sincere thank you from Skip and I. Without the support we continue to receive, we would not be able to get through this. Also, thank you to everyone for the donations, cards, and heartfelt sympathy during the loss of my grandfather. It was more helpful that you will ever know. We are all doing well, although we miss him dearly! Happy Fall to everyone:)

A little boy whom I have followed for some time earned his angel wings Wednesday...please pray for his family during this difficult time and send them words of support. His website is as follows...
www.caringbridge.org/visit/lukepollok

Love,

Courtney

Get Ready to Golf!

2009-10-01T16:56:00.003-04:00

There will be another Golf Tournament at Lee's Hill Golf Club on Thursday, October 29th. Come on out and get another round in before the cold weather comes here to stay! We were able to raise a good deal of money for the Harris family back in May and we're hoping to do it again! For more details please click HERE to view the flyer. Hope to see you there!!

Carter's Crusaders Cook Books coming soon!!

2009-10-01T10:20:00.003-04:00

Friends and Family, Carter's cookbook will be going to the printer soon. We are hoping to have them complete and ready for shipment by the end of October or thereabouts. Kathryn has worked very hard on these. Please send your orders to cccb.recipes@gmail.com.

Pass the word!! Email anyone you can think of who would like to have one. These would make great Christmas gifts! They are $15.00 each. No payment is needed until delivery, but once received checks can be made payable to Carter's Crusaders. Checks can be given to CeCee Embrey upon delivery or mailed to Carter Harris 14 Glen Oak Road, Fredericksburg, Va. 22405.

Thanks again for all your support!!

Chili's and St Jude's Team UP....If you are looking to eat out today....Try Chili's, it is for a GREAT cause!!!

2009-09-28T09:32:00.005-04:00

Good Morning! Below, I have copied an email my mom sent out this morning.
Please help with our fight against Childhood Cancer!!!

Friends, please read below regarding St Judes and Chili's!! If you are out
and about looking for a place to eat lunch or dinner, maybe Chili's????
They will donate all of today's profits to St Judes!!!

Dine at Chili's on September 28 and support St. Jude
This Monday, Chili's Grill & Bar asks you to dine out for lunch or dinner
(or both!) and support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

On September 28, as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month comes to a
close, participating Chili's restaurants around the country will be donating
100 percent of the day's profits to St. Jude. It's called Donate Our Profits
Day at Chili's and it is part of Chili's month-long Create-A-Pepper to Fight
Childhood Cancer campaign.

During September, guests can make a donation to St. Jude and receive a
coloring sheet they can decorate and have displayed in the restaurant. Since
September 1, thousands have stopped by their local Chili's to
Create-A-Pepper and used their creativity and imagination to color peppers
and show their support for children fighting cancer.

"We are thankful to have enthusiastic and generous partners like Chili's,"
said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., chief executive officer of ALSAC, the
fundraising organization of St. Jude. "Even during tough economic times,
Chili's honors its commitment to donate 100 percent of one day's profit to
support St. Jude. Every dollar donated by Chili's guests helps St. Jude
continue our efforts in finding the cures and providing the treatments that
will save children's lives."

In addition to dining at Chili's on September 28 and creating a pepper,
patrons can support St. Jude in other ways:

Purchase Create-A-Pepper T-shirts that can be customized with permanent
marker.
Buy a customized Create-A-Pepper key that can be cut for use at home or the
office.
Visit www.createapepper.com to make an online donation.

So stop by your participating Chili's restaurant and help St. Jude in the
fight against childhood cancer.

For more information, to purchase Create-A-Pepper T-shirts and keys, to make
an online donation or to create a pepper online, visit
www.createapepper.com.

This is a wonderful opportunity to give to a cause that is lacking the necessary funds to help all of the children who battle cancer!!

Carter-Man has another angel..........

2009-09-21T08:48:00.003-04:00

I awake this morning with a very heavy heart. My grandfather, Carter-Man's Cha-Cha, passed away early Friday morning surrounded by family. My grandfather was an amazing man. He was a wonderful husband, an exceptional father, and an even more exceptional grandfather. He loved his family more than words can ever express. As I said my last good-bye's to him, I asked him to protect my baby. I asked him to beg and plead that Carter be cured of this evil within him. I know he heard me and I know he will do everything in his power to do just that. Carter was very special to Grandaddy, as he was my dad's first grandchild. Although most of you know, my father passed away when I was 10 years old and he was the apple of my grandfather's eye. So my brother, Chad and Carter, overtook his eye (although he loved all of his family more than we will ever know) because he knew he had to take the place of a very special man, my Dad. My grandfather always had money (change and dollar bills) in his pockets and for those of you that do not know, Carter LOVES money, especially change. He has numerous piggy banks. My Grandmother says this is the Sale in him. Grandaddy (Cha-Cha to many) always brought Carter change to put in his banks and Carter loved it. He always knew if Cha-Cha was coming he would be getting change. Both of my children adored him. We all did. He will be missed by so many. Today, we will attend his services and lay his body to rest. Of course, we know he is not there. We know he is in the presence of the Lord and my Dad. He feels no pain and is walking, talking, and laughing again. That gives me peace. My grandfather loved his church and that is where his services will be. He will be laid to rest in the same area as my father. Although tears will be shed and sadness will be present, I know that Grandaddy would want us to celebrate his life and be thankful for the life he had. That is what I will try and do, with some tears along with celebration. Please pray for the Lord to be with us today. Please pray that he provides strength to us all but especially to my Grandmother (his wife of 58 years), my aunt, Teeny, and my brother, Chad. I pray that he wraps them in his loving arms today and reassures them that Grandaddy is at home with him and with my Dad.

Below I have included a poem that I wrote that will be read today.

His Loving Hands and his gentle touch,
Are among the things we will miss so much.

Treasured memories and times spent together,
Will remain in our hearts forever and ever.

From a husband, a father, and a grandfather,
To an uncle and a friend,
All of these roles,
He fulfilled until the very end.

Rides to McDonalds for ice cream cones and watching the airplanes land,
Riding three wheelers in the driveway
And his gentle, loving hands.

Sneaking candy from the kitchen bowl and pushing us in the swings,
I know he went to heaven riding on an angel’s wings.
Met by a son whom he loved so much,
I can only imagine their overwhelming touch.

Through the most difficult of times
And a heartbreak for all,
He stood strong and firm
He did not let us fall.

He guided us through the darkness
And led us to the light,
Taking over the role of a father
For a child so full of fright.

Although there were times of sorrow,
His life was mostly filled with joy,
From nieces, nephews, and grandchildren,
To one very special boy.

Although we know he is in such a glorious place,
We still long to see that beautiful smile upon his face.

We all love and miss him more than words could ever say,
But we all know God’s promise that we WILL see him again one day.

My heart is also heavy this morning due to all of the children that are struggling this morning. I have followed these children along my own journey and have become emotionally connected to them. My heart goes out to their families as they make difficult decisions. I pray for their comfort and their peace. I pray that the Lord will give them the strength that they need to make it through the most trying times. Please pray for these families along with me!

Love to you all,

Courtney

Update on appointment with Carter's Pulmonologist

2009-09-15T14:56:00.002-04:00

I wanted to give everyone an update on Carter's appointment today. We met with Dr. Kapoor (Carter's Pulmonologist) and to say the least, he was VERY pleased. He felt as if our request to start the process of trying to remove the tracheostomy was more than reasonable. He does not use the ventilator anymore, he does not require oxygen (his stats were 98% at the office), and his lower airway sounds great! There are several things that need to be done to have this happen. First, we need a cap. This is a device that actually covers the trache and requires Carter to breathe through his mouth and nose. I have already got that on order and hope to get it by the end of the week. We will start slow with it and use it in intervals until he can use it all day. Then we will move to using it at night. We also have to make an appointment with Carter's ENT to have him do an upper airway scope to make sure that his vocal cords are moving like they should be. Dr. Kapoor did not forsee this being an issue as Carter tolerates the speaking valve well and we have actually capped the trache ourselves and he does fine! After all of this, we will return to see Dr. Kapoor on October 21st and if the report from the ENT is fine and he is tolerating the cap, we will have an overnight stay at INOVA for them to monitor him. If he does well, NO MORE TRACHE!!!!!!!! HOOORRRRRAAAYYYYY!!! Skip and I are very happy that we can begin this process. Thank you to everyone for their positive thoughts and prayers!!! Please continue to pray that all of this goes well and Carter-Man can begin to breathe like God designed our bodies to do!!!!!

September.....a new meaning to this month

2009-09-12T14:03:00.004-04:00

Ahh..I can remember in years past what the month of September meant to me...the start of school, preparing for autumn, opening windows, decorating for Halloween and for the autumn season, preparing closets-summer clothes out and fall and winter clothes in, shoe shopping, making soups, a start of a new football season (yes this is still very important in this house-GO SKINS!) and so much more!! Although some of these things are still a part of my life, the meaning has changed. This month has new meaning to us as we watch our 6 year old battle a horrible brain tumor. I am sure that most of you are not aware that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and September 13th is Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. I mean come on, the president of our country has not acknowledged it even when he had a prime opportunity while addressing our nation about healthcare! HA- what a joke! It infuriates me to know that the leader of this country has not even mentioned or talked about it. It infuriated my mother so much that she sent him an email addressing her concern. She works for the Department of Defense and made sure this was known and she requested an acknowledgement. I wonder if she will get one. If she does or does not I will be sure to keep you posted! I must say, yes, I have put up Halloween decorations (I always decorate early and the children love it), I have put autumn and winter clothes in closets, I have bought new shoes (keeping in mind that Carter needs a different kind for more support), I have made soup, and yes I tried to stay awake to watch the season opener of the NFL! But...it is not the same as last year! As I was putting up my flag and hanging up the decorations on the front porch, I remembered last year- Carter was sooo excited! He was at school when I started and came home ecstatic that I had started decorating. He was running around and helping as he always did. This year was different....he could not run or help- although we did sit him at the kitchen table to see the banister (I put up pumpkin garland and wrap orange lights around it), the tea light holders (pumpkin and ghost shaped), and the various other things that I put around in the house. We have not yet taken him outside to see the outside things but that is the plan! He and Caroline have had colds and Carter has severe seasonal allergies so we are trying to avoid going out with the pollen count so high. He cannot take any cough suppressant nor his allergy medicine so no open windows and for now, limited outdoor time. Anyhow....it is just not the same! This month has new meaning for my entire family! Please...wear as much GOLD (this represents Childhood Cancer Awareness) as you can this month.....we are working on getting gold ribbons and hope to be wearing them soon! Please pray that our government takes a stand and starts to make a difference for all of the children that battle everyday! The more people that help with this cause, the more attention it will receive and the closer we come to a cure!!!

As for an update on Carter...he is doing better everyday!!!! We actually were able to remove some pieces of equipment from our living room this morning and it was very exciting! Now it looks like a normal hospital room and not a PICU room! Nonetheless, we continue to see improvement slowly but surely. He has been able to sit by himself in the floor using his arms for support. His physical therapist said it is amazing the difference from when he first came home. He is rolling over for her much easier. At night, I sometimes, see him moving his legs all around. We are still waiting on the stander. A person from the equipment company will be coming Monday to "fit" him for it and make sure of the one that will work for him. We are very excited about this:) We are still slowly weening more medicine from his daily regimen and he seems to be fine without it. The only pain medicine that he gets is Tylenol with Codeine and he also gets Xanax at night to calm him. His sleeping is MUCH better and almost like he has always slept! He is still on a small dose of steroids (Hydrocortisone) and we are hoping to slowly start weening that soon. We have an appointment with his Pulmonologist Tuesday and are hoping they will look at his airway and decide that he does not need the trache anymore!! This would be wonderful ,as he hates having it in! Please keep him in your prayers as he continues his fight! He is an amazing young man and continues to amaze us daily- he is so brave and courageous- WE ARE SO PROUD HE IS OUR SON!!!!!

I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Aunt Kat for all of the presents (WE LOVE YOU), to Mason for the 2 boxes filled with stuff for Carter (HE LOVED ALL OF IT- YOU ARE AMAZING), to Belva and Jay Miller for the box of presents for the whole family (YOU ALL ARE AWESOME), and to everyone who continues to send cards- HE LOVES THEM:) On another note, Carter now has an email address. We created this for him because he is playing in The Harris Family Fantasy Football League this year and he needed an email address. If you would like to drop him a line or two, his email is carteristheman@gmail.com! He would love it:)

Thank you to everyone for your continued love, support, and prayers!!!! Please continue to pray for us as we continue along this journey!!!!

Love,

Courtney

MRI results and More.......

2009-09-05T12:17:00.003-04:00

I apologize for the delay in the posting of the MRI results of Carter's latest scans. We are so very pleased with the results....the tumor is at minimum stable:) YAAAHHHHOOOOOOO!!!! We are waiting to have Dr. Horn, Dr. Packer, and Dr. Warren (someone new to our team from NIH) take a look at them, as well. The radiologist did note that in the center of the tumor there is "cavitation". The thought on this is that the chemotherapy and the Avastin are attacking the blood supply and the abnormal cells in the center. Our hope is that this is the case and that it is killing the abnormal cells from the inside out. As soon as I get reads from the other doctors, I will let everyone know. As for Carter-Man.....

He has good days and not so good days. Somedays he seems much stronger to me and others he does not. I am sure this has to do with the fatigue that can come from so many things- the tumor itself, the medications he is on, and the chemotherapy. He had a wonderful physical therapy session on Wednesday- the best yet:) Last night we had our first outing other than doctor's appointments or ER vistis. We went to Grandma Cecee and Gagee's! It was so very nice to start to feel somewhat normal again. I must admit, I did miss the fact that he was not running around their house like crazy and rummaging through the drawers but nonetheless he was there and it made for a great family night. He fell asleep in his chair and slept a good portion of the time. His sleeping schedule is still somewhat off although it is improving. Right now he is getting ready to sit in the floor with Skip and play the Wii. He needs help doing so but he still tries!! We are currently getting him to sit in the floor to help with the strength in his back. Since we have been home, his back has gotten much stronger. We attribute this to being out of the bed and sitting in his chair. We are currently waiting on a "stander". This will assist him with standing again. It is a device I had never even heard of it until now. It seems as though it will definitely help him. We will actually put him in it and strap him. There is a platform at the bottom for his feet to stand on and there are various straps starting at the chest and going down. As he gets stronger from the top down, we will start undoing the straps. I am hoping to see awesome results with this:) Carter is not scheduled for any appointments until the 15th. We go to see his pulmonologist that day to see how is lungs are and how is airway is. My hope is that his lungs and airway are great and that we can possibly talk about removal of the trache. He absolutely does not like having it there!! There are some requirements he must meet before they will consider doing this and I feel that he is very close to meeting those. As most of you know, we do have a vent at home. We only use it for CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) and only at night. He does not need it every night and quite frankly he does not like using it. He is on the lowest possible setting and still feels as if it is too much pressure. Even if they are able to take the trache out, there is a machine called a CPAP machine that we could use at night as needed. As far as Carter's GI issues, they seem to be getting MUCH better as we have taken him off of 2 of his medications and he is doing fine. He has handled his treatment much better this go round. He seems to have more energy! I hope that this continues:) Overall, Carter is doing good. We are very thankful for all of the blessings and the continued improvement that we see. This past week his school had their Back-to-School night. That was a very difficult night for Skip and I. Carter LOVES school and he LOVES to learn. I know that he is sad that he cannot go back quite yet. We also found out that his best friend, Kaelan (she is like a sister to him- her mom, Becca, and I have been friends for 20+ years)is in his class- very heartbreaking for all of us. I hope that this will give Carter all the more reason to try and get stronger so he can go back and be with Kaelan. We have contacted a program called "There's a Monkey in my Chair". It is a wonderful program where they send you a kit with a monkey and other accessories. The monkey will actually sit in Carter's chair while he is not there. These kits are free of charge. They do take donations. If you would be interested in donating to a wonderful cause to help these children, their website is www.monkeyinmychair.org!! We are going to have Kaelan take the monkey with her and hopefully to all of their specials so that she feels like he is there with her!!! We have also contacted Hopecam. They actually set up a camera in the classroom and we receive a laptop at home. He is able to watch some lessons from home and his classmates can talk to him and vice versa! I think that this will really help boost his spirit back up. This, too, is a wonderful program. If you would like to read more about it their website is www.hopecam.org. I hope that he continues to improve and can go back after the holidays. We ask for specific prayer in this area:)

Thank you to everyone for the cards, the phone calls, the positive thoughts and the prayers! We could not do this alone. We are so blessed to live in the community that we do. YOU ALL ARE AMAZING:) God has definitely put together "an army of angels" for us and for that we are thankful! Please continue to pray for Carter as well as all of the other children that are battling. These children are amazing and they need all of the prayers that they can get, as do their families!

With Much Love,

Courtney

REMINDER: Pancake Breakfast at Applebee's this Saturday!

2009-09-02T11:46:00.003-04:00

$5 breakfast this Saturday (9/5/09) at the Applebee's in Central Park (8am-10am).

2 Pancakes
2 sausages
1 beverage

All proceeds will benefit Carter Harris and HaileysWish.org

Come on out for a wonderful cause and enjoy a great breakfast for a great price!

Asking For Prayers.....

2009-08-31T19:50:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow is Carter Man's follow-up MRI to see what these new treatments have done as far as the tumor is concerned. We are asking for a Universal Hour of Prayer tomorrow between 11AM and Noon (Tuesday 9/1/09). We've seen the power of prayer and want to tap into that again....so please keep Carter and his family in your prayers tomorrow between 11am and Noon as the family will be awaiting his results (which will realistically not be available until Wednesday or Thursday).

I am sitting with Courtney as we speak watching Carter in his wheelchair enjoying some cartoons while my oldest daughter, Madison rubs his arm.....a beautiful sight! He has had a wonderful day today and even slept in his own bed last night!

Carter watched Courtney cook dinner tonight which started the ball rolling with introducing him to normalcy. He sat at the dinner table tonight and even ate a bite or two of spaghetti.....(Courtney says "sorry, Doc....Mom's in control here") The family did their normal "Highs/Lows" at the dinner table and Carter enjoyed listening to all of it and even showed signs of wanting to participate.

All-in-all, tomorrow is a very important day for all involved....and your participation is appreciated! Let us all gather together in prayer tomorrow and always!

Happy Birthday to Carter-Man!!!!!

2009-08-29T12:04:00.003-04:00

Today is Carter's 6th birthday!!! Happy, Happy Birthday to my baby:) Although last night was not the greatest of nights for Carter (he had trouble sleeping from 4 am on but he is now resting great), I reflected on the past 6 years and how much joy he has filled my life with. I thought back to this day 6 years ago. Carter was not ready to come out. I was induced on Wednesday the 27th and finally on Friday the 29th, after nothing was changing, they decided to take him via C-section. At 10:32 pm, the most precious baby boy was given to Skip and I from our Heavenly Father. As time has passed, I have realized more and more that that is exactly what children are...they are a gift from God. They are his children first. Six years ago, I never dreamed that we would be going through what we are going through now...I treasure each smile, each laugh, each moment more now than ever!! Usually around this time of year, I am frantically rushing around planning for his big birthday bash. Boy have times changed!! We are still having a very small birthday celebration for Carter but nothing even close to years passed! Although I long for the big birthday bashes again where Carter is running around and trying desperately to stick his finger in the icing on the cake (for those that truly know Carter, they know he does not really care for the cake part- just the icing), I am so thankful that we are celebrating his 6th birthday and the life that was given to us 6 years ago. I will treasure today more than ever! I will be sure to post pictures from today for all to see!!

As for an update on Carter- we are still thoroughly enjoying being home and trying to adjust to our new normal. Some days are great, others are not! This is just the nature of the roller coaster we are riding...we take each moment as it comes. We did have a scare this past week and had to take Carter to the local emergency room where the doctors there were under direct instruction from our wonderful pediatrician (who I am so thankful for) and our great Oncology team from CNMC. Carter was running a fever and was not breathing like he should have been. Blood work was done and cultures were taken and he was given a strong antibiotic that would cover most bacterial infections. It was deemed that Carter had an infection in his trache. It was later determined that this is the same bacteria that has grown before, probably meaning it has colonized. Carter will remain on this antibiotic for 7-10 days and then it may be necessary that he receives antibiotic breathing treatments. Other than that, Carter is doing well. His legs are stronger than they have been in months and he is able to move his fingers to pick up and stack blocks (although he really only cooperates with his physical therapist). His physical therapist said yesterday that that was the BEST session she has had with him:) Go, Carter, Go!! He still has a long way to go but we are determined that he will get there! With fervent prayers and faith, Carter will prevail. His net MRI is scheduled for this Tuesday. PLEASE, PLEASE SAY EXTRA PRAYERS FOR US THIS WEEK. Both Skip and I have major anxiety as this day approaches. Although clinically, he is better, we still get very nervous! We pray that this tumor is shrinking but at minimum we pray that it is stable. We appreciate all of the positive thoughts and prayers that come our way. We could not walk this journey alone so thank you for walking it with us!!!

Love to you all,

Courtney

A Quick Update....

2009-08-23T20:42:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that Carter-Man is still doing well at home. We are all falling into a routine and it seems to be working well. Skip and I feel very comfortable with Carter's care, so much that we have gone down on the nursing hours. We are only going to have a nurse during the day and on the nights that Skip is at work. We are thankful for all of the well wishes and help we have received since we got home. Carter-Man has enjoyed all of the visitors. After his initial visit with Jenny and the Beggan girls, he was very anxious to see his Nanny (Grandma Marlene to me), Teeny, Beth, Chuck, and the girls. He enjoyed each of the visits. He thoroughly enjoys the butterfly that Nanny and Teeny brought him. It stands in our front flower bed. He sat in his wheelchair today and watched it for what seemed like hours. Finally, we took him outside and he LOVES it!! Thanks, Teeny and Nanny!!! He had a whole lot of fun last night watching Annabelle and Caroline run around. He REALLY liked watching Uncle Chuck ride his scooter on the sidewalk and wreck..lol!! It was a really fun evening! Skip, Caroline, Barbara, and the nurse took Carter on quite a walk today. It was a little longer than what they anticipated but Carter loved it. He was somewhat hot when they returned but he was still happy to be outside. All in all, today was a nice Sunday at home with our family. Carter always has down days after his treatment and it lasts for 3-4 days after. He has definitely perked up today and hopefully tomorrow he will perk up even more.

As I update on our Carter-Man and ask for your continued prayers, I also ask that you pray for a friend of mine's little girl, Lily. She has been in and out of the hospital since May and was doing very well. Unfortunately, she has been readmitted. Please keep Sweet Lily and her family in your prayers. Also, please pray for the family of a little girl named, Adeline. She was in the PICU with Carter for the entire time we were there. She left a week earlier than we did. Unfortunately, she passed away yesterday morning. Please pray that the Lord wraps his loving and faithful arms around her family and carries them through this most difficult time. Thank you to everyone for your continued love, support, and prayers. Also, thank you so much to those who have sent cards to Carter. He LOVES looking at them and having me read them to him.

Love to you all,

Courtney

And Thanks be to you, O Lord......

2009-08-21T08:48:00.003-04:00

Carter had his first outpatient checkup yesterday in 4 months. We went to Children's National Medical Center in Northern Virginia to see Carter's Oncologist, Dr. Horn. We were greeted with open arms and lots of smiles. The entire staff was so happy to see Carter in the clinic and out of the hospital. Dr. Lawlor (another oncologist that we saw at the hospital) even brought Carter a water balloon to throw at Dr. Horn and boy did he try. It was a laugh for us all. The staff sang Happy Birthday to him and gave him a movie for his birthday. They were simply amazing:) Dr. Horn was very happy to see Carter in the office. She was happy with his progress....so happy that she said he does not need to come back to the office for 2 weeks. YIIIPPPPEEEEE!! Yesterday was a very long day. We left the house at 7:45 am and did not get home until 6:45pm. Carter's treatments run over a 3 hour time period. At the beginning of the visit, his nurse, Kristin, could not get his PICC line to draw so they had to put TPA (AKA clot buster) in it and that has to sit for an hour. After that, it drew great- THANK THE LORD!! His blood counts were AWESOME! Dr. Horn has scheduled his MRI for September 1st at INOVA!!! Please start praying now for improvement or at least stability! Dr. Horn told us yesterday she did not expect any bad news because of how he looks clinically. That made my day!! Carter did great on the ride up (the first time he has been in a car since May 22nd)! The ride home was not so good- he was very tired and irritated. I must say, I was, too! It was a long day!!! On the way up, as we approached the Gallows Road exit he started crying. After some deliberation, we figured out that he knew this was the exit for the hospital (he is a smart boy) and thought we were going back. As we passed the hospital, his nurse Aisha and he waved as we passed and then he calmed. I am not sure how he will do when we go for the MRI. We will have to continually reassure him that WE ARE NOT STAYING!!!! When Carter arrived home, he was so happy- smiling and laughing:) Recently, he has been trying to mouth words to us (he has not learned to talk over the trache). This is a MAJOR improvement. It was witnessed 1st hand by his Aunt Melissa last night. He was mouthing "I want". I figured out that he wanted spaghettio. He is not really supposed to have any food by mouth yet but I did let him taste some and he was soo very happy. He is trying to learn to talk with something called a pass-a muir valve that gets placed over the trache. It is very hard to get used to. He gets better everyday with it. He was able to say "I" "Hi" and "No" last night!!!! We were over the moon:) Please continue to pray for our Carter-Man as this battle is continuous. We need all of the prayers we can get to get through this. We know that there is only one "Great Physician" and we pray that he places his healing hands on Carter and stops the devil within. Thank you to everyone again for your continued support!

Love to all,

Courtney

We're Doing It Again!!!

2009-08-19T21:17:00.017-04:00

First off...this is Becca!! YAY!! (that's my own personal "wahooo") I haven't posted in quite some time because Courtney has really been enjoying being able to log in as me and do her thing by addressing you all personally. I have to admit ~ I have REALLY missed writing under the avenue of this blog! I had never really "written" ANYTHING before I started this blog unless the Dean of my University deemed it necessary depending on what class I was enrolled in at any given time in my collegiate career. Now, I find myself wondering...

I never knew I would fall in love with the art of writing until I started writing about something that was so close to my heart! All that being said....here is the REAL reason for my post:

We are having another FUNdraiser (clever, I know...FUNd) - hehe. I witnessed, first-hand the success of the last "piggy-back" fundraiser at my house with the fine Sterling Jewelry and Kelly's Kids' combined efforts. It was Sooo successful for the Harris Family, that I've decided to open up my home and do it AGAIN! Those of you that attended can't tell me you didn't have a good time!! (just stop it...don't even try) Those of you that ordered can't tell me you haven't been enjoying your fabulous Sterling silver jewelry (pah-leez) or that your children haven't been getting admiration stares all over the place due to their adorable Kelly's Kids clothing (I've had people come close to offering to buy the clothing off my girls' backs ~ I'm not kidding)!

There are only two differences this time around: There is a NEW catalog that just launched for the 2009-2010 line of sterling silver fun-tastic jewelry!! AND I am personally the Jewelry Rep this time! Tracy Sullivan was the Rep last time we did this. She showed me how successful you can be in this business so I decided to start my OWN jewelry business!! Sooo, I too will be offering 100% of my commission to the Harris Family for this event! The last event at my home raised over $1800 for the Harris Family even before Courtney's Kelly's Kids commission was tallied. For those of you that don't know ~ Courtney is a local rep for Kelly's Kids boutique children's clothing. Courtney receives commission from any/all sales her trunk shows do this Fall. If you have little ones, little-ish ones or even nieces/nephews/grandkids....and don't want to dress them in what the local stores have to offer, you should visit KellysKids.com!!

My trunk show with Courtney is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 12th at 6pm. We will also have a table set up displaying a great sample of the sterling silver jewelry as well as some of the newest pieces in the 2009-2010 line. Again ~ I want to remind you that we were able to collect over $1800 in funds for the Harris Family this last Spring. I would LOVE to try to BEAT that!! I KNOW you all will help me in helping Carter and his family, right?? I haven't been let down by any of you and I find it hard to believe it would happen now!!

THIS IS AN OPEN HOUSE FORUM JUST LIKE THE LAST TIME...CAN'T MAKE IT AT 6PM?? THEN COME AT 9PM!! I'm very easy to get along with :) If you are interested in taking part in this fundraiser, here are your options:

You can come Party With Me (I'm really fun, people have told me) I promise to have yummy snacks and adult beverages on hand (CHILDREN ARE WELCOME ~ I HAVE FOUR OF MY OWN, HOW CAN I TURN YOURS AWAY??)
Saturday, September 12th @ 6pm
9 Garner Drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22405

You can contact me by:
rebecca.beggan@gmail.com
(540)898-6406 H
(703)371-7765 C

If you are unable to come to the open house on September 12th, you can always view the Kelly's Kids Fall '09 collection at kellyskids.com (but Courtney won't receive commission unless you specifically list her name). Please feel free to contact me anyway that works best for you!

I truly hope to see a LOT of new faces for those of you that were unable to attend my first open house and am looking forward to seeing those of you that were able to make it so we can do it all over again!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS/FAMILY/NEIGHBORS/COWORKERS, THIS IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT!! THANK YOU TO ALL!

SO HAPPY TO BE HOME!!!

2009-08-18T14:53:00.003-04:00

Here is a picture of Carter today....yesterday was a little shaky because of the anxiety that accompanied bringing Carter home but as the day has progressed we have all started to settle in!! We are so happy to have our baby home:) Thank you, Lord for all of the blessings!!!

HOME SWEET HOME!!!

2009-08-18T09:48:00.002-04:00

I wanted to give a quick update that Carter-Man made it home just fine yesterday. He was transported by Physician's Support to make it easy for everyone and because he does have a trache and they wanted to make sure that he got into the house safely....AND HE DID!!! It was very obvious that although he was VERY happy to be home, he was nervous (thank goodness for medicine for that)!! He was very tired and seemed to take a great nap in his new bed. He was very excited to see his new Star Wars bedding that Grandma Cecee bought for him. We noticed he seemed sad so we tried for sometime to figure out what was wrong.....he was sad that Jenny and the Beggan girls were not here to greet him. I explained that I wanted it to be calm but that I would make one quick phone call and within a minute they would be here and sure enough, Jenny showed up within seconds and the Beggan girls were here within minutes (Becca actually yanked them out of the pool when she got my message)!!!! He was elated to see them and they were just as happy to see him. He had somewhat of a difficult evening and night getting settled. This is completely understandable considering he has been in the hospital for 4 months. He did get some sleep and was anxious this morning to get on the couch. It was the first time he sat on the couch since May and he was very comfortable. This will also help to get him sitting up alone again. He will start physical and occupational therapy 3 times a week tomorrow. He is sleeping comfortable now and hopefully will take a nice long nap so we can go for a walk later.Now onto the adjustment period...
As you can imagine, the care is very overwhelming. Carter is on 15 different medicines, most having to be given 2-3 times per day. He is also on a continuous feed (formula that we must prepare every night) and he gets bolus feeds of H20 4 times a day. I know that we will adjust..it will just take time. I know that there are many of you that are super anxious to see him and we understand. We ask that you call before you come. If we do not answer, please just leave a message and we will call you back when we get a chance. We are doing our best to provide the best care to Carter while trying hard to maintain normalcy for Caroline. We also want to provide privacy for Carter as often as he needs it. No doubt, he loves visitors but there are times during the day that he is sleeping, doing physical therapy, or just relaxing. We are also going to try to put time aside in the day for family walks and movie time. Carter has his regular checkup and treatment this Thursday. We are sheduled to have transportation for that but Carter is very adamant that he wants to go in our truck. We are going to do a trial run and see how that goes. I think he will do just fine (so does Skip). We wish that we could have everyone here at once to celebrate his homecoming but right now we are trying so hard to adjust to our "new" normal. Thank you for understanding:) I will keep you all posted as the week progresses!

Love to you all,

Courtney

A Big Thank You from Tom (Gagee) and Grandma Cecee

2009-08-10T16:14:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,
Tom and I cannot begin to thank all of you for everything you have done to support our family during this time. From cleaning house, cutting grass, organizing dinners, organizing fundraisers, running errands, babysitting Caroline and most of all, for being you. This has broken our hearts into a million pieces, but as Carter heals, so do we. Because of your kindness, our journey has been easier. As we look towards Carter's homecoming our hearts are blessed with the unconditional love, support and prayers you have bestowed upon us. Right now it would be impossible to write the thousands of "thank you" notes that each of you deserve. Please accept this as our very, very gracious Thank You.
Fondly,

Tom and Cecee

A Birthday to Remember.....

2009-08-07T12:04:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, August is a very busy month for the Harris family and our close network of friends. Everyone in my immediate family (Tommy, Caroline, Myself, Skip, and Carter) has a birthday in August!! Yes, very strange, I know, but nonetheless it is what it is. Our close network of friends also has many August birthdays.. Happy Birthday to all of you:) For obvious reasons, this year has been a little different. We have tried, for the other two children, to make it as special as we always do. Tommy was the big "16" on the 1st and our baby, Caroline, was 4 on the 3rd. That was a very hard day for me, as I cannot believe that my baby is 4. I turned 34 on the 4th. My birthday was very different from years past, although much more special this year. As I sat at INOVA with Carter-Man and Jenny on my 34th birthday, I did a lot of reflecting on years past. I remembered the pool parties I used to have at my Nanny and Papa's. Boy do I miss them...they were so very special to me and I was very special to them. My Papa was a very important man in my life and I miss him each day. I can see him peaking his head out of his window yelling to my mom, "Charlotte Carol, does she have sunscreen on her nose?" He was always worried about me getting sunburned on my nose...I am now obsessed with that on my own children. I love and miss you, Papa!!! I also reflected on how birthdays have changed over the years. I looked at my teenage birthdays and how I wanted to be with my friends and oh how I look back and wish I could change some of that. I remember my 16th birthday..it was a Sunday at my house at Belle Meade Court ..it was probably the most special birthday that I can remember..spent with family and friends. My wonderful parents got me a car (COURTIE- for those that remember)and I loved it:) My Papa took me the next day to get my driver's license. What an exciting day and spent with the most amazing man that I have ever known! He was very nervous that morning but he tried so hard not to show it. Then was my 21st birthday spent with some friends that were just friends for a season..although I still think of them often. My 30th birthday was the most meaningful- Caroline was just 1 day old. I spent it with her and my family at Mary Washington Hospital. I would not have wanted to be anywhere else. And my 34th...awwww....one I will never, ever forget. I spent it with my "sister" and best friend, Jenny and my one true hero, Carter-Man. I was also blessed to spend it with some very special friends, ones that I have met along this journey. It is very ironic that they all just happened to come to Carter-Man's room at the same time..coincidence, I think not! It was so very special to me...thank you to Erin Whitmer, who brought me treats (they were sooo good) and some sparkling Lemonade that I love and that precious Baby Noah who gives us all hope, thank you to Sarah Knight for visiting with us in 520 and bringing your smile that provides hope and faith in all of us (her daughter, Sweet Julia Grace, had already been released but had come back for a minor surgery- it just so happened to be on my birthday), and thank you to Gisselle for coming by at the same time and bringing your optimism. This was definitely a birthday I will always hold near and dear to my heart, spent with people that God has brought together to provide each other with hope, faith, and strength through the most trying times. I love all of you and am so thankful that our paths have crossed:) I would not have wanted to be anywhere else but with my precious Carter-Man! Thank you to everyone for all of the gifts and the phone calls. Thank you to "my girls" for a nice dinner out..I had so much fun...I love all of you more than you will ever know. Thank you to Mom, Tom, Chad, and Skip for the gorgeous bracelet. And last but not least...thank you to my amazing husband for just being you. You are simply amazing..you are the best husband and father EVER! The bracelet and the roses were more than thoughtful. I will never take the bracelet off.. I LOVE YOU!!! Now enough of this and onto the main attraction...the incredible, amazing, tough, handsome....CARTER-MAN!!!
Carter is doing AWESOME!!!! He is well on his way to getting better and better everyday. His breathing is still great and he is getting stronger and stronger everyday. We are now back to taking walks and going outside and he is so happy about that. His last 2 physical therapy sessions have been GREAT! His physical therapist says he is ready to stand and he is showing that he is definitely ready. He has attempted to for the last 2 days and he is well on his way to doing it:) Dr. Im (he gives medical advice to the Physical and Occupational Therapists) said that when he observed Carter's physical therapy session yesterday that it was the best session he has EVER seen with Carter-Man!! Go, Carter-Man, Go!!! I do not want to jinx us but our anticipated discharge date is the 17th...yes just a little over a week away!!! We are happy but nervous at the same time. We are going to have to adjust to a new kind of normal and that may take some time but we will get there. We have a long road ahead of us but we will get there! Carter-Man has proved that he is a hero and a fighter- HE WILL PREVAIL!!
Thank you to everyone for their continuous thoughts and prayers! Thank you to all who came out to the auction to support our family- we appreciate it more than you will ever know. Please pray for the following children as some are battling the same tumor as Carter and some different medical issues....Julia Grace, Eddie, Adeline, Andrew, Luke, Tyler, Christopher, Alexis, Ella, Lily, and Nicky. Please also pray for a friend of mine, Keeva, as she continues her battle with cancer (she is doing great and responding well to her treatments)- GO KEEVA!!!!!!

Love to you all,

Courtney

The Roller Coaster ride continues......

2009-08-02T11:56:00.004-04:00

Good Morning, All! I wanted to give everyone an update on Carter-Man. So.....he definitely had an infection. There was some bacteria in his sputum culture..the blood cultures were fine but the doctors believe that because the blood culture was done before the septic event, they did not do the culture at the right time. I did notice on Thursday afternoon that the area around his PICC line was red and inflamed. I showed the nurse and she had the resident and Attending look at it and sure enough it was infected. They took it out and placed another one. He has bounced back quicker than expected, which we are very thankful for..lots of prayer and positive thinking:) His blood counts are great!!! The EKG that was done did pick up on the irregularity of the heartbeat but it was a normal irregularity, whatever that may mean! We have not experienced that since that night. The doctor explained to us that it is like an unconditioned athlete running a marathon (which would be when Carter went septic) and then falling on the couch. The heart rate would drop and may beat irregularly. Thank goodness that his heart rate is better than it has been in weeks, his breathing is wonderful, and he has had no fever in days:) He is ready to get back to where we were before this event..going outside, taking walks, and happy! On a GREAT note, Skip and I and our team (Intensivist, Oncologist, Social Worker, Case Manager, Occupational Therapist, Head Nurse, Pulmonologist) here at INOVA had a meeting on Thursday to discuss going HOME....ahhhh......the sound of that makes my heart smile. There are some things that need to be ironed out and we need to finish this course of antibiotics (he is on 3 of them)to be sure the infection is long gone. We will have nursing at home for 16 hours per day in the beginning to help with his care. Skip and I have both learned how to change the trache and trache ties (Skip is a pro, I am still learning)!!! We have to iron out all of the medical equipment we will need and have it delivered. A HUGE thank you to Ellen and Al Sharpe for letting us use their hospital bed. We already have it placed in our family room! Gagee hung curtains to block out the sunlight in the family room so Carter can sleep and Barbara and Jenny helped me rearrange the room. We have organizers set up and are anxiously awaiting the Big Day!!! Carter is resting right now. He had a hard time getting settled last night..I truly believe that he has heard us talk about going home and now he is super anxious! WE ARE, TOO:)
As you have read, Skip and I see this journey as a roller coaster. There are twists and turns, ups and downs, long hills to climb, short hills to climb, some scary, some long, some fun, some short! We are taking each as they come. We enjoy the fun ones and dread the scary ones. We have been very blessed throughout this journey. Carter has been through some life-threatening events and each time, he pulls through..by the Grace of God. He is a fighter..he is a true hero..he is an inspiration to us all....he is CARTER-MAN!!!!!!!!!!! He is the light of our life!!! We hope to bring him home in the next couple of weeks:) Please continue to pray for him and send positive thoughts!!!
By the way, Carter loves cards...he gets one several times a week from Belva and Jay Miller and Aunt Tina and Uncle Bill. HE LOVES THEM:) Thank you so much! Many have asked about sending them and just to let everyone know he loves when I bring them to him at the hospital.
His mailing address is
Carter-Man Harris
14 Glen Oak Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22405

Love to you all,

Courtney

A Roller Coaster of Emotions!!

2009-07-29T09:11:00.002-04:00

Well, I wanted to give everyone the latest on my Carter-Man! He is still proving to be a fighter!! Thank the Lord for that:) Sunday was another roller coaster of a day for Carter. He had been off of the vent for almost 3 days. There was mention of him moving back to HEM/ONC. As soon as that was mentioned, BOOM, another hill to climb. His breathing was fast again so...back to pressure support on the vent. After that, all was calm! Sunday afternoon, Caroline and I came up after being at home. Carter was so very thrilled to see us. We stayed at the Ronald McDonald House that night. Monday was good as he came off of the vent in the morning and seemed to be doing good. We took him outside for a walk and to the playroom (where his sister piled all kinds of toys on top of him). He stayed in his chair for about 3 hours watching movies. That was his longest stretch yet! That afternoon, we watched movies and he laughed so hard. We were watching Home Alone and I could not stop laughing and neither could he. It was GREAT!!!! Caroline and I went to the Ronald McDonald House to stay. Soon after we arrived, Skip called to say that Carter's heart rate was VERY elevated and his blood pressure was low. I WAS SHOCKED! He was so good when I left. As time went on, his heart rate slowed (after bolus's of saline water) and his blood pressure stabilized. He also had a high temperature. They told Skip there was obviously an infection and Carter had become septic- meaning something had affected his blood stream! Carter's heart rate remained ok but his blood pressure was on the lower side so they gave him a medicine to bring that up. Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day he slept most of the day and his color slowly returned to normal, as did his blood pressure. His blood counts showed his white blood cells were very high which means he was definitely fighting something- that is great for a child who is on chemo!!! His body reacted the way it was designed to do!! He received red blood cells yesterday because his were low. He had an episode last night where his heart rate was lower than normal and showed some irregularity. That has happened before when his heart rate was low. They did do an EKG (waiting on results) and a chest x-ray (that was fine). Last night he slept until about 4 am when he woke up wide awake! The nurse was very glad to see him awake and his color was great! They have taken him off of the medicine for his blood pressure and are going to wean him from the vent today. Hopefully, we are in the right direction!!! His blood counts are good this morning and we are hoping when he wakes again he will be his happy little self! Please say extra prayers for the Carter-Man today!!! He needs them:) I will post again when I know about the blood cultures that were drawn and the EKG results!!

Love to you all,

Courtney

Reminder: Auction Event at Brock's Friday Night!

2009-07-28T16:49:00.002-04:00

Please remember that the Auction Event at Brock's is set for this Friday night at 7:00pm. It is not too late to get your ticket(s)! Please contact Jennifer Romack at (540) 379-2109 or jlromack@yahoo.com for more information! For the latest version of the Auction Items Catalog, please click HERE!

REMINDER: UPS Car & Bike Show This Saturday

2009-07-28T16:45:00.002-04:00

When: Saturday, August 1, 2009

Where: UPS
11500 Shannon Drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22408

Registration: 9-11am
Judging starts @ 11:30am
Showtimes: 11am-3pm
Sponsor setup: 8am

All Proceeds are split to benefit Carter's Crusaders and The Rappahannock Area United Way.

There will be raffles, food, games, music, entertainment and FUN!!

Please click HERE for more information on how you can enter, attend or contribute! Or you can contact Teresa or Mac at (540) 891-0051.

Special Note & Thank You from Grandma Harris....

2009-07-27T12:20:00.000-04:00

My dear friend Sue, besides being the awesome left fullback for Kickback has great organizational talents that were put to work this past weekend hosting a fundraiser yard sale. A very big thank you to Sue, her family, her West Springfield Village neighbors and the Kickback team who brought all kinds of stuff to sell and raised $1,300.00 for Carters Crusaders. Thanks to the yard sale shoppers; all who stopped to ask about Carter’s progress, the thoughts and prayers pledged and for donations received.
Love, Grandma (Elaine) Harris

Fundraiser by Goldenshill Papercrafts- A HUGE SUCCESS

2009-07-26T14:29:00.003-04:00

The fundraiser done by GoldensHill Papercrafts was a HUGE success for the Harris Family. Ronnie Martinez, the owner, who is a friend of Carter's Grandma Harris, heard about Carter's story from a very longtime friend of Grandma Harris's, Shelly, as Shelly was so graciously making earrings for the FWSA fundraiser for Carter. Ronnie felt she wanted to do something to help. Not only did she ask her customers to make "Cards for Carter" to sell at the FWSA fundraiser (which were a huge success there), but she felt the need to do more. She dedicated the entire month of June to help Carter. She offered to give half of her total sales for the month of June to the Carter's Crusaders fund- WHAT GENEROSITY!!!! A huge thank you is sent to Ronnie for her generosity and support of the Harris Family- she graciously gave a check to Grandma Harris for $3150.00, half of her sales in the month of June, which was given to Carter's Dad, Skip!! Needless to say, he was speechless. The Harris Family is so thankful for not only Ronnie's generosity, but for the love from the community which provides energy to the effort and is a huge boost for them. Also, thank you to all of the customers of GoldensHill Papercrafts who helped in this effort!!! The Harris Family is so grateful to Ronnie and all of her customers! Below is the link to Ronnie's website for all of you scrapbookers out there!!
www.goldenshillpapercrafts.com

Just a Quick Update

2009-07-22T12:25:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on Carter-Man. His day yesterday did not start off all that great. His breathing was somewhat erratic and he was not in the best of moods. His trache had to be changed and he needed a bathe because he had thrown up a little. He got a GREAT bath and a great back rub from his nurse (he LOVED it)!!! After that he felt a little better although he was still breathing fast. Even after an eventful morning, he wanted OUT OF THE BED!!! So he did it yet again, and WELL!!! The day before he did not want to leave the room but yesterday he did. Barbara, the nurse, and I took him for a walk around the PICU and boy the staff was amazed. They were all soo happy! Dr. Futterman let out a WAHOOOOOO, Carter-Man!!! He was overly pleased to see him out of bed and moving! We took him over to see the HEM/ONC nurses and they too were elated. He visited with our little friend, Eddy, we took him to see where the helicopters land, and to see the playroom. He loved it! He only had to go on the vent for 7 hours last night. HALLELUJAH! Today has been even better. His breathing is better and he was determined yet again to get out of bed so WE DID!!! He got to go outside today for the first time in a LONG time....he was soo happy and so were all of the staff. We are all so proud of him. He loved watching Mommy shoot some hoops outside (as did all the PICU staff-little did I know they were watching me out the windows during rounds)and enjoyed the fresh air on his precious face!!! I must say it was the most heart warming moment of my life, other than the birth of my children! I am overly joyed for all of his accomplishments- he is truly my hero and inspiration:) He has decided that he wants to get up again later and we are going to do it. The doctors think that it is great!!! On another note...
His second part of his second cycle of Irinotecan and Avastin starts today... PLEASE, PLEASE say extra prayers focused on these treatments and that they continue to destroy the evil within my baby! He starts treatment around 3:30 pm. Again, thank you to everyone for your continued support and prayers. We could not do this alone!!!

GO, CARTER-MAN, GO!!!!

SAVE THE DATE!! September 5th

2009-07-21T11:49:00.005-04:00

There will be a $5.00 Pancake Breakfast fundraiser that Saturday at the Applebee’s Restaurant on Rt.3. Breakfast will start at 8AM. Proceeds will be split between The Harris Family and The Cavlovic Family (for more information on their story, click HERE). Any and all donations are welcome! Hope to see you all there! If you have any questions, you can contact Kelly Stevenson at zimazirl@aol.com or (540) 368-1468.

"We give praise and thanks to You, O God; Your wondrous works declare that Your Name is near" Psalms 75:1

2009-07-20T13:24:00.003-04:00

And boy is Carter one of God's wondrous works!!! We feel his presence everyday and especially today as we conquered yet another hurdle!! I am sorry I have not posted but the last week has not been our best. It had lots of ups and downs with belly issues, fever, and breathing issues. He did have a fun afternoon on Saturday with Memaw and Lissa. Memaw tried to rest her head on Carter's pillow and he would hit her and try and move her...it was pretty funny to see (Lissa sent me a video) and reassuring that his limbs are moving so well. On Sunday, Grandma CeCee and Barbara came to visit and Carter slept a lot because he was up late the night before and then Gagee came up Sunday afternoon. Skip and I are so thankful for those in our family who continuously come to see Carter and stay so Daddy can rest and I can try to maintain some normalcy in Caroline's life. Thank you to Grandma CeCee, Gagee (who does whatever we need), Bubbie (he stays every Wednesday night), Memaw, Lissa, G-Dad (He stay Thursdays- his ONLY night off),Grandma and Grandad Harris, Aunt Susan (who drops whatever if we need her), Barbara (who does whatever we need), and Jenny (she is a lifesaver for Miss Caroline). Grandma Cecee, Memaw, and Lissa pick up the days in between and do whatever is needed, helping us soo much:) Also, a big thank you to both of Skip's jobs (Spotsylvania County and Town of Orange)for their understanding through all of this!! And now onto Carter's progress......Today, has been MUCH better. Carter's breathing got significantly better yesterday and continues to be great. It has been determined that Carter has pretty bad reflux, thus causing stomach issues. He has been put on two new medicines to help with this and it seems to be working. The largest event today was getting Carter-Man out of the bed...AND HE DID IT AND DID IT WELL!! He never got upset and was determined to get out of that bed. He sat in his "new" wheelchair for an hour. Lora (his Occupational Therapist) determined he needed a better wheelchair that had a reclining back and one that was a bit larger and it was much more comfortable for Carter-man. You would have thought that something was going on in Carter's room...every doctor, nurse, secretary, case manager came to see him.....it was a pretty big deal here in the PICU!!! I know I shed tears and it looked as though many others were teary eyed!! WHAT A GREAT DAY:) Our nurse today was so helpful and proud. Dad and I are thrilled with his progress. Carter is now resting. He will be having Speech Therapy later today. We are praying that we can hear that sweet voice of his! Please continue to pray for Carter's continued progress. We are slowly getting closer to going home, although still aways to go. One step at a time!!! But, I cannot wait to have my family all under the same roof again...ahhh the small things that Skip and I used to take for granted! Thank you for all of the positive thoughts and prayers.......KEEP THEM COMING:)

Love to All,

The Harris Family

July 31st Auction Event @ Brock's

2009-07-19T20:43:00.006-04:00

This is just a reminder for those of you that have not already contacted Jennifer Romack at jlromack@yahoo.com to express your interest in attending the event at Brock's Riverside Grill on July 31st! The auction catalog is available for your viewing pleasure by clicking HERE. If you have any additional questions, you may contact Jennifer Romack at (540) 379-2109.

Just A Reminder:

2009-07-18T21:54:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow is the Orient Expressed trunk show at Sheryl Sparks's house (feel free to call her for directions). Keep in mind, even if you don't have little ones, there are some great linens as well. I like to buy the Christmas linen kitchen towels as Teachers' gifts once the kids go back to school and that way you're not fighting the mall for a last minute gift during the holidays! They are only about $6 each and are really pretty! Sheryl can be reached at (540) 220-2295 to place an order or to get directions to her home for tomorrow's open house (1pm-4pm).

Jumping Hurdles..the name of the game

2009-07-13T13:26:00.003-04:00

Just a quick update for everyone..Carter has not had the best of weekends. He has had severe stomach pains and a fever, both of which the doctors believe are chemo related. They are changing his pain medicine to one that has less side effects related to the GI area and later today they are doing an ultrasound to be sure his stomach area looks good. This is yet just another hurdle we have to jump and we will, successfully. He is resting peacefully right now and breathing great. He has still been going on the vent at night and basically that will continue to be a "game time" decision. He continues to move great and had a great physical therapy session this morning. His blood counts are still doing great! I will keep everyone posted regarding the belly issues. Thank you again to everyone. KEEP THOSE PRAYERS GOING UP:)

ANOTHER GREAT DAY and GREAT BLOOD COUNTS!! (From Courtney)

2009-07-11T09:25:00.002-04:00

I am really going to try and update the blog as frequently as possible. I have a chance this morning so I figured I would! Carter had another great day yesterday! Physical Therapy went awesome and he was even stronger than the day before! He got a little down after his chemo but other than that he was great. He had a great nights sleep and woke up as happy as apple pie!!! Right now he is watching his sister misbehave(SHOCKER)and trying to watch a movie. The nurse just brought the blood counts to me and yes, yet again, His Blood Counts are rising!!! DIVINE INTERVENTION!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! Carter is breathing wonderfully and there was another question as to if they should put him back on the vent last night but they decided to go ahead and do it! We will see how the day goes to see if we need to put it on tonight. I will keep everyone posted!! Again, keep those prayers going!!!

Love to you all,

The Harris Family

"If you put your trust in him, you will not be disappointed" Romans 10:8-13 UPDATE FROM COURTNEY

2009-07-10T09:38:00.006-04:00

Hello all! First of all I want to thank everyone for their continued support and prayers. Skip and I are so very thankful for the outpouring of support we continue to receive. We truly feel that God continues to bless us both through Carter, doctors, nurses, and the "army of angels" he has put together for us!! We apologize for the lack of thank you notes that have not been sent and wish we could send everyone something for all of the help. Please take this as a huge THANK YOU to everyone!!! Now onto our precious Carter-Man..............

Can I just say that Carter is a true hero!!! He is such a fighter and we are so very proud of him! He has been through more than any 5 year old should ever have to go through but throughout everything he continues to laugh and smile. He has especially loved the fact that he is actually able to move again. For a long time, he had absolutely NO movement of his right side (he is right handed) and limited movement of his left side but in the last week and a half he has been moving EVERYTHING!!! It is amazing to watch and we are so happy. He has been arm wrestling with Daddy, Mag (his favorite respiratory therapist), his nurses, and his Bubbie (my brother, Chad)!!! On Wednesday night (the night Bubbie stays here at the hospital with he and Daddy), they were having an arm wrestling competition in the room and our "angel" doctor, Dr. Futterman, came in the room to make sure all was okay because it was almost 11 o'clock at night and there was so much commotion (typically this means something is not going right for Carter). He was thrilled to see that Carter was having fun and that his staff was, too! There are so many good things going on and we are over the moon. Carter has come so far and we continue to see daily improvement. He is definitely much stronger, his eyes look wonderful, and slowly but surely his breathing is getting better. As most know, Carter has a trache. We have gone back to a regimen of having him on pressure support from the ventilator at night, hence why we are still in the PICU. He can breathe on his own but the ventilator provides extra pressure. It has been discovered that Carter's airway is "floppy" when the pressure support is taken off. There are a multitude of reasons that this can happen and it should strengthen again on its own. He did wonderful yesterday and we were almost tempted to leave the vent off last night but Dad and the Doctor decided to put it on. As we speak, we are waiting on the respiratory therapist to come and take it off. Oh, they just arrived...YAY! Anyhow, Carter's physical therapy sessions are going wonderfully and according to his therapist, Lora (who we LOVE), it will be no time before he is ready to stand again:) He was so happy when she told him this. Personally, I cannot wait to hear my baby's voice again. When one has a trache, in order for them to talk, they must have on a speaking valve. Carter did great the first time we tried it but there have been so many issues since then that we have not been able to try again....I pray every night that God will touch the hands of these doctors and allow Skip and I to hear that sweet, sweet voice of our Carter-Man's. Boy do we miss it! But we will get there...we have FAITH and that is enough to carry us through! Now onto the MRI results.......

Let me start by explaining some things as best as I can (I am by no means a doctor so pardon my use of terminology). Carter started a new treatment on June 8, 2009. That included Avastin, Irinotecan, and Temodar on Day 1. Day 2-5 he received only the Temodar. Day 15, he received Avastin and Irinotecan. This was the end of one cycle. Typically, an MRI is not done until after 2 full cycles. Because of some issues, Carter's team decided to do one before the start of the second cycle. The MRI was originally scheduled for Monday, July 6th and then was moved to the previous Thursday and then moved back to Monday, July 6th. We were told after the MRI that we would not received the results until the following day, July 7th. This is a very special day to my family. It is my dad's birthday (as most of you know he passed away when I was 10). I truly believe that he wanted to celebrate his birthday in heaven with the good results and allow us to celebrate his birthday here on earth with good news. My family was, once again, blessed on July 7th. I have always told my children that he is our angel and I truly believe that. Now onto the results....Carter's doctor, Dr. Horn, was very pleased with the results of this MRI. Basically, in order for the radiologist and doctors to consider "shrinkage" it has to be 25% or more. Carter's was not quite there but had gotten smaller. There was less enhancement. When Dr. Horn showed me the MRI, she showed me the difference in the current scan and the previous one. She showed me on the current one where part of the tumor appeared less dense. meaning it is DEAD!!!!!! Those words were music to my ears:) The MRI of the spine appeared to have less enhancement as well. Basically to the doctors, radiologist, etc, Carter's tumor is stable. To me, 25% or not, it is moving in the right direction. And this is all after only one cycle!!! We (I say we because Carter is receiving the treatment but Daddy and I are feeling the emotional side of it as we watch poison enter our son's body to try and control the monster within)started the 2nd cycle on Wednesday. He received Avastin, Irinotecan, and Temodar. He will continue to receive Temodar until Sunday. Then he gets a break until July 22nd and then he only receives the Avastin and Irinotecan. That will complete 2 full cycles. Unless we see a need, another MRI will not be done until after cycle 3. We anticipate that Carter will be in the hospital for at least another month. We want to make sure that when we go home, he is ready. We also need to make sure his blood counts do not drop terribly low. On a good note, I received his counts this morning and even after all the treatment he has received this week, HIS COUNTS ARE HIGHER! Divine Intervention, I do believe!!!! We also need to resolve the respiratory issues and allow him to continue to get stronger so that he can feel comfortable in his wheelchair. And he is definitely getting there. Also, per a request from one of our favorite nurses mother's, we will be putting pictures up very soon!!! Please continue to lift Carter up in prayer, as I truly believe our prayers are being heard and answered.

I want to end with this that I read in the book "Become a Better You", by Joel Osteen.

"Remember, we are called overcomers. That means we're going to have obstacles to overcome. You can't have great victories without having difficult battles. You'll never have a great testimony without
going through a few tests. The enemy always fights the hardest when he knows God has something great in store for you".

GREAT NEWS TODAY!!!!

2009-07-08T00:27:00.005-04:00

A preliminary reading of the MRI showed that the new treatment plan is working!!! I don't have all the details as of yet, but Carter's tumor is shrinking!! Hallelujah! Thank you to everyone who took park in the Prayer Hour yesterday and for all those unsolicited prayers that are constantly streaming in. I am confident that Carter-Man's "Army of Angels" is growing still today! God Bless you all!

Orient Expressed Fundraiser Today through July 19th

2009-07-06T14:07:00.003-04:00

It's not too early to start "back to school" clothes shopping for your little ones! The new Fall/Winter 2009 line of Orient Expressed is now available for purchase! Orient Expressed is a very cute line of children's clothing that is available at in-home trunk shows. Sheryl Sparks, a friend of Courtney's, is a rep for Orient Expressed and has offered to donate 100% of her commission to the Harris family for all her sales this season.

Sheryl has already received her trunk for the season and is inviting anyone who is interested to attend her open house on Sunday, July 19th from 1pm-4pm.

120 Doe Way
Fredericksburg, VA 22406
(540) 752-2595
grousyann@aol.com

If you are unable to attend the open house, you can call or email Sheryl directly to set up a private viewing. Online purchasing is not yet available, but will be very soon. You can preview the Fall/Winter 2009 line by clicking HERE. HOWEVER, in order for Courtney to get credit for the show, you MUST order through Sheryl directly. For this fundraiser, every customer gets FREE SHIPPING!!

All Together Now...."Thinkin' Shrinkin'.....Thinkin' Shrinkin'....."

2009-07-05T22:31:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow afternoon, Carter-Man will have an MRI to see if the new treatment(s) have done what they were intended to do in the way of shrinking Carter's tumor and sending him on his way toward peaceful recovery and healing. Only God knows the answer at this point and we can ALL do our part tomorrow during a Universal Prayer Hour from 11am to Noon (7/6/09). You are all invited to join us in a time of celebration and praise for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon Carter and his family and to also pray that these miracles never cease!

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Matthew 18:20

UPS 3rd Annual Car & Bike Show To Benefit Carter Harris, et al

2009-07-03T21:41:00.006-04:00

FOOD WITH A PURPOSE Concession Stand Brings in $5201!!

2009-07-03T10:12:00.002-04:00

A concession stand June 27/28 at an FWSA (Fairfax Women's Soccer Association) Pine Ridge Tournament brought in over $5,201.00 to the Carter's Crusaders fund. The blog address was widely distributed , so more will be raised via the new "Donate Online button". A big thank you to everyone for their donations of time/money/food/drink/family members help/moral support and just best wishes for the success of the concession stand.

It was a fun time and very heartwarming. The FWSA board members, players and their families and referees were very supportive and generous. Many expressed concern for Carter and family, and many more donated directly to the cause via our "donations jar .

Grandma and Granddad Harris were in attendance with the "Kickback" team (Grandma Harris' soccer team) to serve hungry and thirsty patrons. The Pediatric nursing staff at Fairfax Hospital ordered lunch both days, and team members happily delivered it to them.

There were 4 raffles thanks to Goldenshill Papercrafts, Meadows Farm Nursery, Matt Godaks Sports, and dbJAFRA. The person who won the beautiful Crape Myrtle tree donated it back to Skip and Courtney to have a "Carter's Tree" in their yard.

Many took advantage of beautiful handmade cards and jewelry items for sale donated by patrons of Goldenshill Papercrafts, and there were several large signs donated by Drafting & Survey Supplies in Fredericksburg.

As you can see, Carter's story is touching many people....pay it forward!

If anyone has any other venues for this type of event, please contact Diane at CBDB@aol.com

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR AND RSVP ASAP!!

2009-07-02T21:16:00.003-04:00

At the end of this month (Friday, July 31st to be exact), Carter's Crusaders will be hosting a silent auction at Brock's Riverside Grill in the upstairs ballroom from 7:00pm - 11:00 pm. Food and entertainment will be provided. There will also be a Cash bar.

Tickets are on sale now....

$25.00 per person or $40.00 for a couple.

If you are interested in receiving an invitation please forward your mailing address to: jlromack@yahoo.com

There are a limited number of seats for the live auction, so PLEASE RSVP ASAP!!

FOOD WITH A PURPOSE!

2009-06-25T21:40:00.003-04:00

Fundraiser this weekend!

Fairfax County soccer field and baseball park:

Pine Ridge Park
3401 Woodburn Rd.
Annandale, Virginia 22003

June 27 & 28 all day 8:30 to 4:00
(Just around the corner from INOVA Fairfax Hospital on Woodburn Road where CarterMan rests his head these days)

Great menu – lunches, drinks, snacks
If you’re in the area come for breakfast or lunch
Pick it up to go, or have it delivered!

Also: raffles, cards, crafts, jewelry sales

This event is being sponsored by "Kickback" (Grandma Harris’ soccer team which is a part of the Fairfax Women's Soccer Association) & friends

All proceeds will go to Carter’s Crusaders

You may request the event flyer/menu by contacting Elaine Harris: eh5@hughes.net

If you would like more information and/or to place lunch orders, please contact:
Elaine (540) 270-3202
Diane (202) 413-8754

NEW ~ PayPal button ------->

2009-06-23T19:50:00.002-04:00

Check out the PayPal button on the top/right of the blogspot! Click on the button to be taken to Carter's Crusaders' PayPal page in order to donate to the Harris family in their time of need! Thank you to all of you, in advance, for you generosity!!

Update On Little Carter-Man

2009-06-17T14:12:00.003-04:00

Since the last update...Carter did well with all treatments and tolerated them well. His blood counts are holding strong. Starting last Wednesday, the family started to see remarkable improvements in Carter during Physical Therapy. He seemed stronger and more at ease during the session.

Speech Therapy came and put a speaking valve on Carter's trache and he tolerated it quite well. Normally, children can only tolerate it for about 5 minutes at first but after 25 minutes, he was still holding strong!! He was able to make sounds and they anticipated that at the next round, they could get him to talk (he was very nervous so he only made sounds...they said it would feel weird to Carter at first)!

Until Sunday, things were going wonderfully. Carter-Man was moved out of the PICU Sunday afternoon, only to find that as soon as he went back on the floor he spiked a fever, his heart rate was high and he was breathing rapidly. They decided to do a CT scan of the brain to make sure things looked okay. There has been no change since the last scan. A chest X-ray which was also done was fine. Even though things seemed to be checking out okay, because of the situation they moved him back to PICU. The doctors swear he just likes it better over there :)

Monday....The Intensivist decided to put Carter back on the vent because he was still breathing fast...instantly, things were good! His fever went away and his blood cultures have grown nothing yet. The cultures they took from his secretions and his stool sample are both fine as well.

So....what next? They did a scope yesterday (looked at his airway with a camera) and there were no signs of obstruction. The family is waiting for the doctors to tell them what their next plan of action will be. This may have been a virus that caused the fever, high heart rate and rapid breathing. The cause is not certain at this point, but they do not think it is neurological because things seem to be going in the right direction there.

Carter has a break from treatment this week and will begin another round of Avastin and Irinotecan on Monday (6/22). Per Courtney's request: KEEP THE PRAYERS COMING!!!

Cookbook for Carter FUNDRAISER!

2009-06-15T14:18:00.002-04:00

Now collecting any/all recipes to create a cookbook for sale in order to raise some additional funds for the Harris family! This is an idea that Carter's Aunt Kat "cooked up"....see her notes below:

To submit a recipe:

Email cccb.recipes@gmail.com - I am requesting 1 email per recipe, and in the
subject line put one of the following categories that the recipe belongs. I
can keep track of everything, especially since I'm hoping for hundreds of
recipes, like 300 at a minimum. Anyway the categories:

1. Appetizer/beverages
2. soup/salad
3. vegetables
4. main dish/meat
5. bread
6. dessert
7. miscellaneous (can be anything, I have a cook book that has a recipe
for dog biscuits in this category.)

To request a copy:

Email cccb.orders@gmail.com - Put the number you wish to order in the
subject line and contact info in the body. Depending on how many orders I
get and how many we think can be sold that didn't email will kind of
determine the price. Right now I would say the range is between $10 and $15. Maybe a couple extra bucks if they need to be mailed. Once there is a final product I will email everyone to confirm their orders before submitting a final order.

I haven't completely thought how they will get distributed. Most of the
people who purchase we would know and see often. Maybe an open house type
get together, where people can bring recipes from the cookbook they
submitted for people to try. And at the same time pick up their cookbook.

An Update and Thank You from Courtney

2009-06-09T12:09:00.002-04:00

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone throughout the community for their continued prayers and support. Skip and I are so very thankful for all of the support we have received over the last 4 months. It is unbelievable..how lucky and blessed we are! We could not have remained as strong and positive if it had not been for everyone's love, prayers, and support. Again, thank you so very much!!!

As for an update on Carter.....Can I just say...OUR BOY IS A TRUE FIGHTER!!! He is tough as nails!!! He has been through so much and continues to fight with all he has. As everyone knows, Carter has a tracheotomy. This is something that has to be changed once a week. When it came time for the change, there was quite a mishap. Due to some issues with Carter's healing process (due to steroids, chemo, and radiation), the trache change did not go well. After the change was done (or so we thought), the ENT doctor left the room and Carter was not able to breathe within minutes. He fought and I mean he fought hard! With the intervention of our Gracious Lord above and an amazing doctor, Carter was immediately intubated and stats went back to normal!! They realized that they would need to special order a trache for Carter (yes, we already knew he was special)so they would have to use a "makeshift" trache for 4-7 days!! He also had to have chest tubes put in because when he was fighting to breathe, his body filled with air. They put 2 chest tubes in and very soon after, Carter's lungs were back to normal and healing:) Yesterday, the "makeshift" tube, slipped out of place and it just so happened that the ENT doctor had just happened to come up to the PICU and our "angel" doctor (he always seems to be there when something goes wrong with Carter) was right there (not even supposed to be on yet)and they intubated him and went ahead and changed the trache!!! Yet another miracle in the life of our Carter-Man!!! Carter started his new treatment (Avastin and Irinotecan) yesterday and will start another chemo today (Temodar). Right now, Carter and Daddy are resting peacefully (he kept his Daddy up all night because he slept most of the day yesterday due to the events)! Some say you should wait for the storms to pass but I say..Let's Dance in the rain and man can our boy dance!!!!! Please continue to pray that this new treatment will be our light at the end of this very long, dark tunnel (as said by Becca)!!! Love to you all:)

FAMILY FUN DAY BBQ FUNDRAISER RAISES OVER $9700!!!

2009-06-08T13:05:00.002-04:00

Many, Many Thanks to all the selfless volunteers who came out on Saturday to help with the very successful Family Fun Day BBQ!! The turnout was fantastic and the weather was perfect (a much needed change, I might add)!

FAMILY STEAK NIGHT RAISES OVER $1800!!

2009-06-08T09:11:00.002-04:00

Here is a special note from Shelley Seay:

To All of Carter's Crusaders that joined us Friday night for the Family
Steak Dinner, thank you. Because of your generosity, we were able to raise a
little over $1800.00 for little Carter-Man.

I promised everyone that I would ask Becca to post the 50/50 number. If you
kept your ticket, please throw it away. Mr. Bennie Brooks had the winning
ticket and yes, without blinking an eye, donated every cent back to Carter.
Thank you Bennie with all of our hearts!

Again, thank you Carter's Crusaders.............you are all a special group
of people.:)

Shelley

VERY IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT TOMORROW'S EVENT!!!

2009-06-05T13:38:00.002-04:00

We have hit a snag with parking for tomorrow's big event. Due to all this rain we have been having, the field that was to be used for parking is a swamp!! We are asking that guests park at Bethel Baptist Church (1193 White Oak Road) which is about 1/4 mile past the event. We will have (2) 15 passenger vans shuttling back and forth until the end of the event.

There is a very small area of asphalt available for parking at the event for those guests that may have a disability or for an elderly guest that may have a hard time getting in/out of a larger van, etc. There will be a volunteer at the entrance to PBM (where the event is being held) directing people to Bethel Baptist to catch the shuttle.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Unfortunately, it is what it is at this point! We look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow for some much needed sunshine fun!

Do you Stamp? Crop? Scrapbook at all?

2009-06-04T00:08:00.006-04:00

Well, now is the time to step it up a notch because your efforts could really help out Carter and his family!!! A friend of the family (Ronnie) has a Scrap booking and Craft shop located in Springfield, VA. This is a good friend of one of Carter's Grandmas, Elaine. It is called GoldensHill Papercrafts. She is pledging a % of her anniversary open house sales (June 13) and a % of her June sales to Carter's Crusaders. Please click HERE to visit Ronnie’s website. If you're going to stamp it, crop it, etc. this month.....why not do it for Carter? Just a thought!!

Carter's Dream Garden

2009-06-01T23:58:00.005-04:00

Great News! (and I am basically cutting/pasting what Courtney emailed me earlier without my normal "spin" on things, due to the fact that I am working very hard on making sure that Saturday's event is a HUGELY successful one for the Harris family!)

Carter is off the vent (that typically accompanies the Trache). After being off all day yesterday, they put him back on last night. Although he was fine, he did not sleep much. Skip believes that he can't sleep with it on. When they took it off at 7:00am this morning, it was instantaneous...he went right to sleep. They decided that he is ready to be off for good...YAY!!! Everyone is amazed that he is coming off so early....the nurse today told Courtney that it is normally AT LEAST a week before children Carter's age are taken off the vent...she also said that they keep them heavily sedated and paralyzed for a week normally but because he is doing so well, they did not!!! His blood counts are great....white blood cells are as good as yours and mine, red blood cells are almost there.....platelets are still a little low so they are holding off treatment for tomorrow...his are 71 and really should be at least 75 for the AVASTIN (the next step in his treatment plan). He is sleeping peacefully now after 3 nights of barely any sleep....he woke up briefly when Courtney arrived back at the hospital and was VERY happy to see her (after being @ home in the "Burg" with Caroline, who had Strep Throat - can't take that around Carter Man!!).

I got an email from CeCee (for those of you that don't know who that is, it is Courtney's Mom/Carter's "Grandma CeCee") who told me a funny story:

CeCee's husband, Tom (Carter's "Gagee") talked with Carter yesterday about creating a garden this summer out back of Carter Man's house. Gagee wanted Carter's input and this is what he wants (and he was VERY specific):

First and foremost - Carter wants NO SQUASH!! (pretty typical for a 5 yr old!) He wants tomatoes, corn, cucumbers and peppers with a row of sunflowers right down the middle. I'm thinking Carter Man needs to come landscape my yard because that sounds really pretty!

Carter's Daddy, Skip joked that if Bubbie (Carter's Uncle Chad) had his way, it would be a "Beer Garden" - well this just made Carter grin all over himself!

Carter's Prognosis Since Re-Admission

2009-05-28T23:24:00.004-04:00

Well, as much as we all would have liked to see Carter Man remain at home, he is much more safe and very well cared for at the hospital - especially in the PICU where there is typically TWO nurses to every ONE patient.

Carter had a particularly difficult time breathing on Tuesday (5/26). The ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) doctor scheduled a scope of his throat (inserting a small camera into his airways to evaluate his condition). The Scope procedure showed that his vocal cords were partially paralyzed (meaning they weren't moving the way they should in order to allow normal airflow through his throat - OR - blocking his airway). Courtney and Skip, after the initial consultation, had given the doctor carte blanche to use his "gut feeling" on whether or not Carter needed a Tracheotomy [A tracheostomy is a hole in the neck that allows people to breathe. The hole goes directly into the trachea (windpipe) and connects to the lungs]. The two different terms Tracheotomy and Tracheostomy are often used in the same way, but the term Tracheotomy refers to the actual surgery, while the term Tracheostomy refers to the actual hole in the neck, post-surgery.

So, Carter Man left for the scope and returned with a Tracheostomy. The ENT doctor said that the partial paralysis of his vocal cords could be for a number of reasons, but most likely due to either heavy sedation, or pressure (caused by the tumor) on a cranial nerve. Paralysis of the vocal cords is not a permanent condition. Once the tumor is reduced in size and at Carter's 3-4 week check-up with the ENT, if they see that his vocal cords are again moving the way God designed them to, then the Tracheostomy will be removed. This is quite a painful recovery once the Trache is removed, but generally speaking, a child Carter's age will be heavily sedated for up to 7 days to help him get through the healing process.

Courtney and family are amazed at his ability to withstand all of this. He even offered up some smiles today, especially when "Mom" Karate chopped "Dad" in good fun to solicit laughs and was successful!

Carter's blood cell counts are remaining stable. He may need a red blood cell transfusion tomorrow, but it's still a "wait & see" scenario at this point. His white blood cell counts are great! His little lips are CLEAR!! WooHoooo!!! - no more sores on his lips!

There was a concern of slight Hydrocephalus when reviewing the MRI of the brain. Hydrocephalus is more commonly known as "water on the brain" or an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid. Dr. Myseros (Carter's Nuerosurgeon) was not concerned enough to immediately schedule surgery, so he is going to wait to see how he does with the Tracheostomy before going ahead with surgery. In cases of hydrocephalus, a one-way valve (called a shunt) is used to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain and carry it to other parts of the body. This valve usually sits outside the skull, but beneath the skin, somewhere behind the ear.

The results of the spinal MRI a few days ago showed no growth and minimal shrinkage, but in Courtney's exact words... "We Will Take THAT!!"

The next step in Carter's treatment is to get him back on the Chemotherapy (2 different types) as well as adding in a new drug called Avastin. Avastin® (bevacizumab) is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved therapy designed to inhibit angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels develop and carry vital nutrients to a tumor. So it is our hope that this EVIL tumor will no longer be fed and will get outta Dodge for good!

Carter-Man will be in the PICU for at least another week due to normal procedure following a pediatric tracheotomy.

Please continue your prayers for Carter-Man and his ENTIRE family! This has renewed a great deal of Faith in a lot of us, but also taken a toll on many. Any and all thoughts and prayers are appreciated more than you can imagine!

Special Thanks To....

2009-05-27T14:42:00.002-04:00

Mike Herman of FULL MOON RACING!! Ever since Carter became ill, Mike has been "racing for Carter" at each of his Motorcyle races. He hasn't lost a race since!! Congratulations Mike! For each of the races that Mike has won, he has donated 50% of his earnings to the Harris family. To this date, he has donated $1750 to the family! He has a very big race coming up soon, so GOOD LUCK, MIKE!!! And thanks, again!

Just A Reminder....

2009-05-26T21:29:00.003-04:00

Mark your calendars for the following events:

Friday, June 5th 6pm-8pm
Steak Dinner ($12) @
11317 Cherry Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
Includes marinated NY Strip Steak, Baked Potato, Texas Toast and a salad.

Saturday, June 6th 2pm-6pm
Family Fun Day BBQ @
56 Well Lane
Fredericksburg, VA 22405
FREE ADMISSION!!
Smoked BBQ and all the trimmings
Tons of fun stuff for the kids
Live bands
Silent Auction
Raffles, Raffles and more Raffles!!

I'm hoping this will be just as successful as the Golf Outing which raised over $16K for the Harris family!! The medical bills aren't going to stop anytime soon, so I don't think we should either!! Thanks again to Chuck Harris, Chad Sale and Lee's Hill Golf Club for organizing such a successful event!

Please Turn Your Prayer Buttons to HIGH....

2009-05-25T20:43:00.004-04:00

After a celebratory homecoming last Tuesday, Carter Man and family tried very hard to wrap their heads around what was to come now that he no longer "lived" in the hospital. Carter was home from Tuesday until Friday and never really was able to fully settle in. Just as was the case in the hospital, he continued to experience difficulty with his breathing even while getting the same treatments at home that he was receiving in the hospital. He had a routine checkup on Friday (5/22/09), at which time it was decided that he would better off being readmitted to the hospital to be monitored more closely.

He was admitted Friday and had a "post-treatment" MRI to see where we are with this tumor and the intricate makeup of it all. The MRI showed that the most dangerous part of the tumor (located on or around the PONS of the brain) has shrunk considerably. The part located in the mid-brain showed a minimal increase in size, but this could just be due to general swelling from the radiation.

After continued issues with Carter Man's breathing, he was transferred to the PICU yesterday afternoon in order to have a breathing tube (respirator) inserted to aid in his breathing. He appeared to breathe more peacefully almost immediately, allowing his heart rate to return to normal.

Today, a second MRI of his spine was administered. The family is still awaiting the results of the scan. The plan is to try to wean Carter off the respirator as soon as possible.

Your prayers and concerns have not gone unheard and the family is eternally grateful for the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. Please join us in continuing to pray for Carter Man and his road to recovery from this whole situation.

"CARTER-MAN HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!!!"

2009-05-19T21:45:00.008-04:00

Okay, so we've heard this phrase before many years ago in reference to Elvis, himself...but I think another Elvis has just been born in FredVegas!!

Little Carter-Man came home today!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know if I could type enough exclamation marks to truly express my emotions of excitement at this point - I can't, I've just decided!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I heard the great news earlier this afternoon and rushed to the school to pull Madison and Kaelan out of class early to come to Carter's house and help us all celebrate his homecoming. Needless to say, their excitement was squeal-worthy! They worked diligently on poster boards for "welcome home" signs and helped to blow up balloons to hang on the trees in the front yard. Several different friends and family members were there to get the celebration started (Jenny Romack worked it with some recreations of Carter's favorite cartoon characters on some of the signs/posters that awaited his return home!!) It was quite a sight to be seen, and I saw many of you "slow to 20" to check it out :).

After a little trepidation upon his initial pulling into the driveway and seeing all the ado that was awaiting him, he experienced a bit of anxiety - this is all a HUGE adjustment after spending 4 weeks in the hospital. Imagine having to get used to your own house again! Once he was carried inside and repositioned into his favorite spot on the couch, he began to settle in and wanted to see his friends and family that had been so patiently awaiting his arrival. One by one, we all slowly greeted, kissed, touched and loved him at as slow a pace as we could all muster. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we all wanted to tackle him with love and hugs, but had to play our obedient roles, when it comes to the health and safety of our Carter-Man!!

His home nurses visited him shortly after his homecoming and very diligently went over any and ALL duties that now fall upon Courtney and Skip after Carter's discharge from the hospital. It is overwhelming what they now have to undertake after having it be an automatic provision during his constant care at the hospital. No matter how daunting it is, it is still better to have your baby boy back under his own roof! Look at the smile on that sweet face in the above picture!!

We are as happy to have you home as you are to be home! WELCOME HOME CARTER HARRIS!!!

Keep Your Fingers Crossed!!...

2009-05-18T12:20:00.004-04:00

There is a chance that Carter will be coming home from the hospital in the next day or so!! He has been doing much better now that they have started an anti-mucus breathing treatment. They did culture the junk coming up from his chest and determined that it is bacterial, so he will be going back on an antibiotic to treat it.

Carter's right side is still very weak, so he will be super busy with physical therapy in the coming weeks to try to rebuild the strength of his right side.

Courtney has wanted to get on this blog spot and personally address all of you, but has been very busy and hasn't had a chance to do so. Stay tuned for a special message from her in the coming days!

Please say your prayers and keep your fingers crossed that CarterMan will soon be bound for the "Burg"!!

"Carter's Carnival"

2009-05-12T21:18:00.002-04:00

The Learn and Serve team at Stafford High School has organized a Carnival to benefit Carter and his family. It will be held this Saturday, May 16th from 10AM - 3PM on the Football Field. There will be all sorts of fun and games for you, your family and friends (moon bounce, dunk tank and much more)!! There is also a special “Kiss the llama” event. Teachers have been collecting money for the last couple of weeks. For the teacher who gets the most money in their classroom jar, they will WIN and get to kiss the llama at the Carnival!! Sounds interesting, to me!

Please bring your family and friends to a fun-filled day at SHS's Football Field this Saturday to benefit the Harris Family!

Cash Cow Car Wash ~WOW~

2009-05-11T22:07:00.002-04:00

Thank you Mikayla Bonner for the fabulous idea to host a Car Wash For Carter!! We washed countless vehicles this past Saturday from 12pm-4pm and were able to raise a little over $580!! A big thanks to all who stopped by to support this event. I know Mikayla and her friends had fun all while raising a super amount of money for Carter and his family!

Drink Donations Needed For The Golf Tournament

2009-05-11T21:53:00.002-04:00

We are in the final stages of planning and preparation for the Golf Tournament at Lee's Hill Golf Club on Thursday, May 21st. We are all very excited about the success of this event and cannot wait to see it unfold!!

We are asking all of you to consider donating a case of soda or Gatorade to the cause. I would be happy to house them here at my home until the tournament should you wish to bring them to me. If that's too much, I can arrange for myself or someone else to pick the drinks up from the location of your choice. If you are interested in helping us out, please email me at rebecca.beggan@gmail.com or you can call me at (703)371-7765.
THANKS!
Becca

My Dearest Courtney.....

2009-05-09T23:01:00.003-04:00

About 30 minutes premature...BUT--I know I speak for a LOT of people when I say.....

Courtney,

You have made me so, so, so proud!! In the past, we've spoken briefly about the "What Ifs" in our lives.....many things were discussed in our multiple conversations, including the "drastic scenarios" that we now find ourselves in (I say WE, because I have taken this journey with you every step of the way even when you may not see/feel me there). You have exemplified the true meaning of motherhood in the total sense of the word. I know you thought you'd never get through this, and I know there are days you think may break you. You are a true hero and a mother that we all honor, respect and aspire to be. I want to wish you a VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, COURTIE!

You may not be where you intended to be for Mother's Day this year, but you will be exactly where you have ultimately been put on this great Earth to be, and that is with your beautiful son, CarterMan....Your dedicated husband, Skip (who recognizes that you are better than any Mother he could have dreamt up for his kids), your determined and electric daughter, Caroline....and the many family members and friends that will surround you when the sun comes up in the morning. Please know that beyond your physical company tomorrow, there are hundreds of people by your side in celebration of tomorrow's Mother's Day and always!

I love you today, and always :) HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!!!!!