Anthem Community Support

"I've heard it said

 that people come into our lives for a reason, 

bringing something we must learn,

and we are led to those 

who help us most to grow if we let them

and we help them in return."

 

~Stephen Schwartz, Wicked the Musical

I resonate the best with music. Music is so freeing to the soul.  I have quite a commute from work to my home so I find myself allowing the music to speak to me during these commutes ...some of the lyrics may not have been meant in the way that I interpret them but it helps me none-the-less. Sometimes it can be comforting, heart breaking, eye opening...the list goes on. I've had some good cries to and from work just releasing tension, fear and other things, and I've also had a sense of great joy and strength.  It is a good reflection time for me.

I love Broadway musicals, with WICKED being one of my favorites, especially the music. "For Good" came on in my car the other day with the above lyrics really making me think. I personally don't think that things happen by coincidence or people cross our paths just because...there is a reason and always a chance to learn from another.  I've found that if I allow myself to open up, I can learn.  I can learn more about them, learn a life lesson, learn about myself. I've learned so much in the past year. I've learned how gracious people can be and how many people are willing to stand by our family. I've gained friendships where I never imagined I'd find them, but I am extremely grateful to have them. I've taken the most stressful moments and tried to find a positive light through it all. Max has come into my life for a reason.  He's teaching me so much and I'm growing as a person. We all have a purpose but his is truly special and has brought a lot of good out of a lot of people, me included.  Would I change this purpose... selfishly,  YES of course - it is hard seeing him go through what he does each day, but trying to comprehend this and find a light through it all is the way that helps me get through each day. I'm also trying to help him through all of this, the best that I can.

So many of our family and friends and even complete strangers have been incredibly supportive of Max but we've found that the community of Anthem is unlike any other.  We were contacted through Max's GoFundMe account by the Anthem Country Club who was hosting a 50/50 raffle at their golf tournament and they wanted to support us with 50% of the proceeds that they received.  What an amazingly generous gesture which we greatly appreciated.  On top of that, the person who won, Elaine, decided to donate her winnings to us...so we got 100% of the raffle.  What amazing support that we have received from this community and we are humbled and grateful for love and support.  Thank you for taking the time to support us and continue to help us raise awareness.

A few weekends ago, a tennis tournament at Anthem Community Center was also hosted in Max's honor.  People went out of their way to make posters with his pictures, they had a raffle for prizes, and flyers were handed out to educate about Krabbe.  It was amazing how many kids and adults came out to support us. We were able to bring Max late in the morning to thank everyone in person.  I'm so glad Josiah was there to jump in with a short speech about our thanks because I was choked up - the blessings that continue to present themselves are just incredible.

The Anthem Community comes together to take care of those in their community.  We are so honored that Max was highlighted in their programs.  He's so loved by so many.  Thank you to both the Country Club and Community Center teams for helping us raise awareness and helping us financially with Max as well.

We have been fortunate in the fact that a lot of the money raised has not had to be used yet.  We don't know what is ahead but have been fortunate with our insurance and family support. However some most recent necessary equipment was deemed "comfort items" so we may be tapping into that resource.  I wanted to mention that if we end up not having to use it for expenses for Max's equipment, therapies etc. we look to donate it to help other families or support some of the programs who have supported us.

We did launch a t-shirt booster campaign to raise awareness about Max and Krabbe. If you are interested in getting a T-shirt or Tank Top, you can do so here until June 15th: http://www.booster.com/miracleformax1

As I mentioned to someone recently, we continue to take things a day at a time.  We help Max through the rough moments but we really enjoy the moments of joy and fun, celebrate the little milestones and continue to love him as much as we can.

I will have an update soon on our Train Ride with Max and also our experience at Luke Air Force Base soon. We've continue to tackle his bucket list at a rapid pace - it has provided some great moments and memories for our family.

Thank you as always for your continued love and support.  You help us daily, more than you know.
~Allison