Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM August 2018 | Page 29

Judi Hoggatt Childhood Cancer Connection [email protected] Childhood Cancer Connection Inc. (CCC) is an all-volunteer, 501c3 organization that has been around since 1985. First as Candlelighters of Galveston, then as The Rainbow Connection, and now as Childhood Cancer Connection, and has provided support for families of the University of Texas Medical Branch’s Pediatric Cancer and Chronic Blood Disorder patients. The diagnosis of a life threatening illness in a young child can be devastating for the entire family. Treatments can weaken the young child’s body, making them even more susceptible to even common childhood illnesses. The stress of knowing a loved one is hurting strains emotions in parents and siblings. The disease may be confined to one patient, but it affects many lives. The Rainbow Connection, our weeklong residential summer camp provides outlets for the children (patient) and their families. The Rainbow Connection Camp is especially important for healing and nourishment of children and their siblings. One such family attended many years ago, when one of the girls, Janette, was diagnosed with leukemia when she was in Kindergarten. Now an adult, Michelle, one of the sisters, tells the story of how memorable attending camp was to her. It remains a very important part of their lives at that time. Her story was sent to the staff via email, from Iraq, where she was deployed. Subject: Proud Camper of the Rainbow Connection I’m in Balad, Iraq right now on my first deployment and earlier this morning we had our chaplain giving us one of his many motivating speeches so that we don’t go too crazy over here. Anyway we did an exercise where he had us close our eyes and think of a time in our livfe when it was carefree, filled with joy, happiness, laughter and when we were at peace. No joke, I closed my eyes and I was at Camp Cullen (where Camp Rainbow was located at that time). Me and