MAY....... Let's Make a Difference!

Dear Friends and Family,

The Month of MAY is going to be a big one for us! It is National Brain Tumor Awareness Month. What does that mean you might ask? Well Brain Tumor Awareness color is GRAY so we will be sporting GRAY as much as possible. We will also be walking the streets of our city handing out flyer's with Dawson's story on one side and various websites that need our support. Along with the flyer's we will be asking to attach GRAY ribbons to mailboxes, street lights, doors etc. To help with the GRAY CRUSADE I want to ask everyone to wear some GRAY! I have designed some apparel/merchandise to help everyone in this task. I realized that times are tough and unfortunately these products are not exactly on a Wal-Mart budget but they are for a great cause! All proceeds will be going to various Brain Tumor Charities.The merchandise has the slogan, "I wear GRAY because ................had a Brain Tumor!" There is a variety of words in the ....... line, including son, brother, cousin, nephew, grandson, Dawson etc. Please go visit my store and check out all the products. There are stickers as cheap as $4 but it would be really great if everyone could get some shirts to SPORT!
Also I ask that everyone get involved in the GRAY RIBBON CRUSADE. It would be a great youth activity, family home evening task or just a way to help without breaking the bank. Sooo attach a GRAY ribbon to your door, mailbox, lightpost, car please!If none of the products interest you or your not a GRAY RIBBON person you can always go directly to one of these various websites to make a donation:
http://www.pbtfus.org/
http://www.smilesforsophieforever.org/donate.asp
http://www.cbtf.org/

Just a little information about why this is such a crucial cause:

• Only 2 new brain tumor treatments have been approved in the past 25 years
• Brain tumors are the most common cause of cancer death among children
• Overall mortality rate of pediatric cancer has decreased in past 20 years, but deaths from brain and spinal cord tumors have increased from 18% to 30%
• Brain tumors are the most common pediatric cancer
• Brain tumors comprise approximately 25% of all pediatric cancers
• Primary brain tumors constitute the most common solid tumor of childhood
• Brain tumors are the leading cause of solid tumor cancer death in children
• Brainstem tumors account for about 10 to 15% of childhood brain tumors
• 3 children a DAY loose their battles with a primary brain tumor a DAY
• There are over 160 different primary brain tumors
• 9 families a day across America will learn their child has a brain or spinal cord tumor
• "Benign" brain tumors may be as debilitating as those that are malignant. Benign brain tumors may recur and may result in death.
• Because of their location at the control center for thought, emotion and physical function, brain tumors are difficult to treat, and often severely compromise the quality of life.
• The cure rate for most brain tumors is significantly lower than that for most other types of cancer.
• Brain tumors do not discriminate. Currently, brain tumors cannot be prevented because their cause is still unknown.

I am now a State Representative for the "Hero's of Hope", a worldwide board that is committed to raising awareness and raising money for research to find CURES. I am also a part of the Yahoo Group UFAB--United Force Against Brain Tumors with the same objective. I think most people who know us and Dawson's story think that this happens a lot. Meaning that a child gets a benign brain tumor and just gets it removed and goes on about life. This in not the case! Dawson's tumor only happens .03% of the time!!! I have only meet one other Mother whose son had the same tumor and has done well afterwards and this was just yesterday!!! Most children even with benign tumors have serious and forever side effects!! Dawson is just, well, a MIRACLE! It is time for David, Myself, Brielle and Dawson to give back and help and we are going to try and do everything we possibly can!!! Please join us!!!

Visit our store and HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

www.cafepress.com/miliusstore

Thanks, HOPE TO SEE EVERYONES GRAY!

Kristin Milius

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW