A few minor changes…

Since we now have gone through six monthly spotlights, we wanted to make everyone aware of a few changes that have occurred.

The first change that we made is in our qualifications. When we originally started out, we wanted to limit this to children up to three years old in active treatment. We became very aware early on that this was very limiting. The reason we wanted to do three and under was not only because that was what Wylie was during treatment, but that is also a somewhat left out group when it comes to care packages, discussions, and overall awareness. In discussions with a few child life specialists about this, it pretty much came down to available resources. We wanted to fix it or at least attempt to make a dent in the problem. Most of the resources out there were for school age children. This is where we noticed what about four year old children? So now we will take up to and including four years of age.

The second change, is exactly where in the treatment plan the child is. Some plans are very short with four months or even less, but others are still quite long like three years for leukemia. To try and hit the window with the little ones on the short schedule is very difficult and not to mention, the first month or two of treatment is heavily involved in just accepting and getting accustomed to what is going on. So, we will now take children up to six months post treatment as long as everything is initiated where the spotlight will occur in that six months.

That pretty much sums up all the changes. As for other items going on, we have ordered some pins designed to look like a ribbon in the shape of the heart. The background is gold for childhood cancer with the front ribbon being a different color to represent the various subtypes. We will have these available to purchase in the store for $20. $10 from every sale of a ribbon goes toward funding packages. The remainder covers costs and shipping. Every family in our spotlights will receive one for free. We also have some stickers available. These will be a permanent addition to the store. They are $6 which $5 of that goes toward the packages. Shirts will be available again next week with one design being a permanent addition to the store.

I will end on our funding goals. This year we are aiming for $7500. This will allow for 12 care packages for next year, an increase in stocking some items in the store, creation of memory boxes both to buy and for our spotlights, and of course, maintenance of everything to keep this running. Thank you for everyone that has donated over the last year to make this possible. We are continually growing and reaching out to other organizations and companies. If you have any questions or want to help, you can always reach out to us via email.

Trying new things…

some by choice and others not really. I know, we are late with this one. Let me start off by saying that no matter if the newsletter and updates come late, the packages always go out on time. When we started this, I will be the first to admit that we had a goal with no idea on how to get there. We are learning and accomplishing a lot at the same time. We did encounter several delays with other aspects this month as well as life getting in the way. Regardless, our monthly spotlight, Kehlani Hoke, received her package by the middle of the month. We had heard she likes the movie Frozen so we went wild getting several items based on that.

While doing the first care package, we noted some difficulties that we would definitely face as we continued. With that came a bit of change. We are now acquiring items on a quarterly basis. This switch took a little bit of adjustment, but it allowed us to catch up with October and finish November well before it needs to be sent out. That package will be sent next week so hopefully, it will arrive at the beginning of November. This will give us a chance to also report sooner on their reception. We are also only waiting to receive two items for December. We will soon be starting on the first quarter of next year as it will be here before you know it, especially considering the holiday season.

What’s in each box? Every family gets a questionnaire that helps us pick items. This makes every box unique. We do not take direct requests as we cannot promise anything, but we do our best to fulfill any direct present need. We also try to put an emphasis on items that can be cleaned, washed, reused, and will last. A few items may be expensive, but we would rather something give a child joy for possibly years to come than last through the afternoon. Families don’t have the time to go looking for specific items. It can be very hard to find niche items. The focus for these families needs to be on making it through this journey.

You may also notice that the discussion is missing this month. We wanted to do this one justice as it is a very important topic so instead of just half putting something up, it will be in the November update. December will be about the holidays and early next year we will have one on how to get involved in raising awareness. We have also started our first raffle. This one is a beautiful handmade glass pumpkin from StarWorks in Star, NC. The link to purchase tickets can be found here.

In November, we will do another shirt design. This one will only be a couple of colors to help keep costs down. It will also feature some hoodies and long sleeved options since it is getting cold.

As for Wylie, she has pretty much been discharged from most services. She goes back for her next scans in about five weeks. She is also now back under the direct care of her pediatrician. Although the fight never ends, we are all slowly returning to some normalcy.

Starting…

Fundraising:

As of today, we are about halfway to our first-year goal of $6,000. I need to log some banking entries to get the official total which I will share this coming weekend. We are so thankful that within a couple of months we have been able to start doing this. Ever since we were first on the receiving end of people’s generosity, we have wanted to do something to give back. You all are making this a reality.

Over the next few weeks, we will be finalizing how to do corporate sponsorships. We have had a few companies ask on how they can help and want to give them something back in return. We have a few ideas that we are entertaining but need to work out which one will be the best option for the organization, the individual supporters, and of course our followers and families we feature. If anyone out there owns or works for a business that wants to help, please reach out to us. Our emails are the best way, nic@wylieraeslove.com or amanda@wylieraeslove.com.

Our first shirt design is in full swing. I believe there is a little over a week left in that campaign, but I will probably stretch it out until the end of the month. We need about 10 more purchases to get it printed. This shirt is 13 colors which is why the price is what it is. Shirts after this will be reduced to a maximum of 4. This is also why we will not be reprinting this one. It’s bold and colorful which should help get the word out not only about us but awareness about childhood cancer. If you haven’t already, please check it out at the following link.

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/wylieraes-love-7305

Depending on the pricing point we continue to get, we should be able to run a new design each quarter.

News:

Since this is our first newsletter, there isn’t a lot of news to report.

Our phone line will be down through the 19th. You should still be able to leave us a message on the system, but we won’t have access to it until then.

Amanda’s email is up and running, amanda@wylieraeslove.com. We both do different aspects of the organization, but you can always email either of us.

Here shortly, we will be adding a birthday wall. If you have read this far, you will know that Hudson just recently had his birthday. Birthdays are such a precious gift for these children, so we thought why not try and make it even more special. If the parent/primary caregiver gives us permission, we will have a running calendar of each child’s birthday as well as their address where anyone can send them a card. Receiving a card can mean so much as the world becomes so small when going through treatment.

We also will be doing our first raffle in the coming weeks. It will be posted on the website as these newsletters will only be sent once a month. I need to do a little bit more research, but North Carolina will allow us to do four a year. This will be a trial run. Depending on its success, we may or may not do them. Hopefully, it will be!

We will end on this note. We have families all the way through January now. We are aiming in the next couple of years to go further than just one family each month as going into this we knew there would not be a shortage. One day, we hope that organizations like ours aren’t needed anymore.

Expect the next newsletter around the middle of October. In the meantime, we are always no more than an email away and thank you again to everyone out there reading this and supporting this cause.