Big Climb 2012 - Team Ezra! Join us as we fight Leukemia

Join Team Ezra

Team Ezra 2012 is raising money to fight Leukemia, please join Ezra's Team or make a pledge here. The Big Climb is an awesome fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We climb the interior stairwells of the Columbia Tower - Seattle's tallest skyscraper.

69 Flights of stairs. 1,311 steps. 788 feet of vertical elevation.

Climb. Conquer. CURE!

Last year the Big Climb raised over $1.6 million dollars! This money goes to blood cancer research and patient support.

This is Team Ezra's 4th year participating. In the past 3 years we have raised over $85,000. That makes us happy. Thank you for supporting Team Ezra and for giving generously.

I will be the first one to admit that I dislike fundraising. It is hard for me to fundraise. I don't like asking people for money. BUT, every time I think how hard it is for me to fundraise, I think how much harder it is to hear the words - your child has Leukemia. We are raising money to help some family that is hearing those words today. I hope that their child can live because of money we raise. Research makes a difference. Please give. Many thanks, Ezra's mom.

Get involved. Join Team Ezra. Make a pledge in Ezra's memory.

Make a difference in the fight against blood cancers.

condolences

iSad pumpkin & iPod case, created by Milo

We all felt badly this week when we heard of Steve Jobs' death. We don't know Steve personally, but we are an Apple family and we use his creations daily in our home and lives. Also, we are a family that knows how hard it is to lose a loved one. Milo was able to create something that showed not only how we feel about the death of Steve Jobs, but also, how we feel about the death of Ezra - every day.

When Ezra died we were so grateful for all of the condolences we received and are still touched by special things people do to remember our boy and honor his life.

Milo left his condolences at the Apple Store in University Village. After he left his pumpkin and ipod case we watched as many stopped and admired his creativity and smiled at the cool things he had made. I like to think that Steve Jobs would smile as well, if he has a chance to see them, ihope he does. Thanks Milo, for reminding us of the importance of doing something to remember the lives of those we miss and sending heart felt condolences.

The Big Climb 2011 - Team Ezra! raises $19,683 to fight Leukemia

Thank you

On behalf of Team Ezra! Thank you for every donation made to our team!

Team Ezra! ended up in 3rd place overall for fundraising - that's out of hundreds of teams! Awesome! As many of you know, the Big Climb raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This particular event - a stairclimb up the tallest building in Seattle - is one of their biggest fundraisers, not just in Seattle, or Washington, but in the United States. Altogether, the Big Climb raised just over $1.6 million dollars. Hooray, thanks for helping everyone!!

One of the things that makes me feel really good about raising money for this event is that only 5% of money raised goes to overhead and 95% goes to blood cancer research and patient aid.

Thank you to everyone who climbed up 69 flights of stairs to raise money for our team. If you haven't climbed with us before, I hope you will consider it next year. Climbing up those never ending steps is hard, but of course not as hard as being diagnosed with Leukemia. In the stairwells, on each floor is a poster of someone has been diagnosed with a blood cancer - they may be currently fighting the disease or be a lucky survivor, or an unlucky victim. It helps me see the importance of why I'm climbing and why I'm raising money.

If you can't climb with us, but you can make a donation I hope that you will also feel like you are part of Team Ezra! Climbing is great, but raising money is the real reason for the event. There are lots of folks who sign up for the Big Climb just to participate in an athletic event and don't raise any money at all. The point is to raise money. The point is find a cure for blood cancer. The point is to give doctors money to conduct research. When it's your child in the hospital and you've just heard the words Leukemia and your child's name in the same sentence, you hope that the doctor will know how much chemo to give and what the proper steps will be to give your child a chance to survive. It is hard to fundraise, it is hard to ask people for money, but it is harder to hear the diagnosis of Leukemia. In memory of Ezra I hope that we can continue to raise money to fight against this terrible disease and to give others the chance to LIVE.

You can imagine that in the current economy with all of the budget cuts going on, cancer research is not top on anyone's funding list. Cancer is the No. 1 disease killer of children in the US and the second overall killer of children, behind car accidents. Just as an FYI, of the millions our government dedicates to cancer research each year, only 3% goes towards childhood cancers. Ouch. What could research do? Perhaps lead to a breakthrough - maybe less invasive treatments, maybe early detection screening. I know with Ezra, they were not sure if the amount of chemo they needed to give him would kill him, but if they didn't give him enough chemo he would die. And this was at Seattle Children's Hospital - whose cancer program was ranked in the top 10 nationally by US News and World Report 2010. Seattle Children's Hospital is AWESOME, but their oncologists need money for research. Ezra's oncologist receives money from the LLS for her research. Thank you LLS.

My son has already died. But maybe some other child - who is being diagnosed today, or tomorrow, or next week, will get to live, because of the money WE helped to raise. Thank you for helping us raise money. Every dollar counts. $5, $25, $250, $500, $1000. It all adds up. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for helping us make a difference.

Thank you for being a part of TEAM EZRA!

Three years of the Big Climb: Total money raised thru fundraising for Team Ezra $85,894. In addition, for every team member who climbs, 95% of their $40 entrance fee raises money for research and patient aid. That is cool. I will have to count up our team members, but we have had over 100 in the last 3 years. THANK YOU!!!

The Big Climb! Help us raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

So it seems that this is the 3rd year Team Ezra! will be a raising money for the LLS. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society raises money to fund blood cancer research and to help families financially that have a loved one struggling with this disease.

Last night Milo showed me something he is reading for his science class - it was about Leukemia. The irony. Milo knows more about Leukemia than anyone sitting in his science class. At 12 years old he could give the class lecture. He could give all the facts. And then he could tell more. What is it like to lose your identical twin, who also happens to be your best friend? Not many people know what that would feel like, but Milo does. How does your family change after one of the kids die. He knows all about that too.

His homework reading assignment was just about what the disease is. But here are some facts about the disease. Fact: every 4 minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer and every 10 minutes someone dies from one. Fact: over 54,000 people in the US will die from a blood cancer this year. Fact: Leukemia, in particular causes more deaths than any other cancer in children and youth under the age of 20.

Unfortunately, Leukemia isn't just about facts to our family or to any other family touched by this disease. Leukemia is about sadness, loss, devastation, and heartbreak.

As many of you know, my son Ezra had Leukemia for less than one week before he was diagnosed. It was so fast and so silent. On the day Ezra was diagnosed he was doing fitness tests in PE and taking a test for advanced placement learning opportunities. He ran around with friends at lunch. He stayed after school to play with his brother and friends.

And when our extremely healthy 10 year old said he wasn't feeling well later that evening, we were concerned. Concerned enough to take him to urgent care, even though the consulting nurse thought it was nothing and there was no need to bring him in. Within minutes of arriving at Urgent Care, Ezra slipped into a coma. Not that we knew it, we just thought he had fallen asleep. He had. A few minutes later blood tests came back and we heard the words Leukemia for the first time. He presented with a white blood cell count well over 300,000. Ezra never woke up and died 6 days later.

We received test results after Ezra died, it seems he had a very rare and aggressive form of Leukemia that here in the US only about 10 kids a year get. Their odds at survival are less than 5%. Here is another fact. I read recently that children diagnosed with Leukemia - that present with very high white blood cell counts are not likely to survive.

Leukemia sucks. It killed my son. There aren't any facts or statistics that can explain what that feels like.

And so, for all of these reasons our family is raising money for the LLS . I hope you can join us in our fight against Leukemia. Donate to Team Ezra!

Thoughts of Ezra and Open House Feb 13 6:00-7:30pm

Of course we remember Ezra everyday, but on his heaven anniversary he is even closer to our hearts. His unicycle, helmet, and waveboard on resting in the corner of our family room with a favorite pair of his Converse sneakers. A few of his favorite things. Reminding us of his active and fun life. Always on the move. Always laughing. Always enjoying life. Sometimes I put those sneakers on and wear them. I love that I can do that. It makes me feel so close to him.

A special thanks to all of our friends who remember Ezra and think of ways to honor his memory and life. It means so much to all of us.

We will have an open house February 13, 2011 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm. If you would like to stop by, you are welcome.

Team Ezra - First Place Fundraising! $56,795 - WOW!

Thank you to everyone who donated to Team Ezra! We are very honored to announce that the first place for team fundraising went to Team Ezra and the first place for individual fundraising went to Ryan. We were so pleased to be able to raise so much money in Ezra's name, it was truly an honor and a gave us a real feeling of accomplishment.

Thank you to everyone who climbed the Columbia Tower with us. Our team was 58 members strong and had participants from far off places like Chicago, Park City, and Washougal and many from our very own hometown of Seattle. Our team members did an incredible job fundraising. I know that hardly anyone likes fundraising, but everyone got in the spirit and got behind our goal which was to raise as much money as possible to fight blood cancers in honor of Ezra. Thank you.

In addition, we had so many donations coming in from far and wide from people who could not climb with us, we appreciate every single donation, regardless of the amount, every dollar helped us reach our goal. Huge thank you!

During February and March, Team Ezra made it into the top 10 fundraising teams and we saw our team climb from team #10 to team #4. And then in the last few weeks, we jumped from team #4 to team #1, with the results not being released until last Thursday night. We were surprised and happy to hear that we had made it to the #1 spot. Incredible. Last year we raised just over $10,000. This year, over $56,000. I got to say a few words at the awards event, which combined top racers and top fundraisers from both the firefighters climb and the non firefighters climb. I thanked the LLS for sponsoring the event which gave us the opportunity to raise funds in Ezra's name, funds that will go directly to helping fight the disease that took his life. I said it was sort of like letting me write in huge letters across the sky "Ezra was here!' That his life mattered. That he made a difference in the world. That he made the world a better place when he lived and that he continues to do so through ways we honor his life today."

Other Big Climb numbers... Last year the 2 Big Climbs raised $1.3 million, this year they raised $1.6 million (23% increase). 1st place fundraising: Team Ezra $56,796. 2nd place: Team Lisa A $50,530. 3rd place: Climbing for Caleb $33,789.

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Thanks for Supporting Team Ezra 2010

It has been about a month since the Big Climb. I think we have finally recovered!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who supported Team Ezra, we appreciate it so much! This Big Climb was very exciting for us as Ezra was the official honoree of the 2010 Big Climb. We felt so honored to have him chosen for this, but we also felt a lot of pressure to get Ezra's story out there and involve as many people as possible. This translated to many hours of emails, phone calls, interviews, and emotional exhaustion. But through this great effort we hoped to raise Leukemia awareness, and help the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society raise funds for blood cancer research, as well as helping patients and their families currently fighting blood cancers. We received donations from a great number of people far and wide and appreciate each one of our supporters. The Final results will be tallied and released next week and I will post them here at that time.

Our team had about 50 people climb, which was awesome. Some were walkers, some were racers. Our fastest team member was my nephew Eric, who traveled from Park City, UT to climb with us. Milo was our 2nd fastest team member, and also the 2nd fastest racer under twelve. He finished in 12 minutes, which was smokin' fast. As with last year, most of our fastest times went to the kids on our team. In the recovery room after our climb, we got to watch my nephew Eric - who is a firefighter and paramedic - "assist in saving a life," when one of the climbers, not from our team had a heart attack and collapsed. Eric is as modest as he is awesome.

Stay tuned for final result tallies.

Fight Leukemia, join Team Ezra!

So as many of you know, we are gearing up for the Big Climb Sunday March 21, 2010. The Big Climb is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's biggest fundraiser in the Washington/Alaska region. Every year they choose a patient to represent the cause. This year they chose our son Ezra. We are honored.

We know lots of people read this blog and lots of people have been touched by Ezra's life. We are asking you to donate to Team Ezra. $5, $10, $25, $100, $1000. You get the picture. Donations to the LLS go to researching blood cancers and financially helping patients dealing with these horrible diseases. Ezra's oncologist at Seattle Children's Hospital receives research money from LLS for her work. The LLS is important. Every single day in America a child dies from Leukemia. Every 10 minutes in the US someone dies from a blood cancer. You can make a difference. Join us. Donate to Team Ezra today. We are counting on you. If you are reading this, go to bigclimb.org. Click on donate. We would love it if you pledged either Ezra's twin brother Milo or his one and only sister Luka! Please help this be the biggest year EVER for the fight against blood cancers.

Thank you for your contribution. Ezra's family.

Thank you everyone for coming to the candle lighting for Ezra

It was really nice to see everyone last month for Ezra's 1st heaven anniversary. We were delighted to have over 150 friends crowd into our home to share pink cupcakes and pink lemonade in Ezra's honor. The candles were beautiful and lit up Ezra's shrine, casting a beautiful glow over the photos and hundreds of origami cranes that still decorate our porch.

It was wonderful to here the stories of how Ezra has changed the lives of so many people - both young and old. We found that many people thought that that day would be so hard for us, but in reality, that day was not as hard as most, because so many of our loved ones were gathered around and talking about Ezra. We love to talk about Ezra. Unfortunately when someone dies, many avoid talking about that person or even saying the person's name for fear of causing pain. Ironically our pain comes from not hearing Ezra's name.

As you can imagine, this has been a really hard year for us. The one year anniversary was an important marker for us and one we wanted to share. At Ezra's candle lighting there was a very interesting conversation going on about how other cultures mark the death of a loved one, yet in our culture there is no set way to do this.

In our grief therapy group - with other parents of children who died last year, we were able to hear what a few other families had done to mark this important day and we got some ideas from them. We are so greatful to Seattle Children's Hospital for creating these grieving groups, this allows us to come together with others who are on the same path as we are and we appreciate their comfort, wisdom, support, and friendship and especially just being able to share our honest feelings about grieving with others who completely understand.

One common misconception that many have about losing a child is that after the first year of loss, things begin to get easier. This is quite simply just not true at all. Most of the first year is spent in shock and as you come out of the shock you are actually in a very painful place, often even more painful than the first year. Also, we face many side effects from grief, sort of like post traumatic stress - problems staying focused on things, problems remembering things, problems getting things done. Everyday simple tasks are hard for us to accomplish. And so we find that time has not made Ezra's death easier for any of us, but the love, friendship, and support of our friends continues to warm our hearts and helps to give us courage to face each new day.

Thank you for being Ezra's friends and ours too. We are thankful to have you in our lives. Thank you for sharing Ezra's first Heaven anniversary with us.

Friends of Ezra - Light a Candle & Open House

Friday, February 5, 2010 is the one year anniversary of Ezra going to heaven.

We invite all who would like to join us to come by our home on

Saturday February 6

from 6:30 - 8:30pm.

You are welcome to come and light a candle in Ezra's memory. Bring your own or we will have some here as well. Also, we will have an open house during this time and you are welcome and encouraged to come in and visit or if you would prefer to leave your candle at Ezra's shrine on our porch and not come in, that is fine too.

Kids are welcome, adults are welcome, we hope you can join us. If you are so inclined, we would love a note or letter that expresses how your life has been touched by Ezra's life, we will keep them for a book.

If you are far away, feel free to light a candle in your home for Ezra and if you want to write something on the blog, that would be lovely as well.

On Friday, February 5, kids and teachers at McGilvra Elementary will wear PINK in memory of Ezra - thank you amazing teacher friends for organizing this lovely tribute.

Yoga Fundraiser for Team Ezra! 3/7/10 NEW DATE!!

Open Your Heart Yoga Workshop

led by the super talented Ann Henrie

at Lotus Yoga in Columbia City

Sunday March 7

1 - 2:30 pm

All levels are welcome! Kids are welcome! Please come! That's a personal invitation from Ezra's mom. Ann is generously donating her time and Lotus Yoga is generously donating their yoga studio - located at 4860 Rainier Avenue South #D (upstairs). Seattle, WA 98118

All proceeds benefit the LLS - Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - donations will go to TEAM EZRA!

Ann is an awesome teacher and this is a great fundraising opportunity for Team Ezra! Donations can be earmarked for any team member or for the team in general. Please come, did I say that already?? We are hoping for a great turnout. You won't be disappointed, the studio is lovely, Ann is great, and you will truly feel that your heart has been opened. What more can I say? See you there! Kandice, Ryan, Luka, and Milo.

The Big Climb Sunday, March 21, 2010 In Memory of Ezra Sherman Go Team Ezra!

We feel so honored that Ezra was selected as the 2010 Big Climb Honoree!

69 Flights of Stairs

1, 311 Steps

788 feet of Vertical Elevation

Climb the Columbia Tower - Seattle's Tallest Building

Are you up for the challenge? Please join Team Ezra to help us raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. To find out more about the Big Climb, visit www.bigclimb.org

Our family had a great experience participating in the Big Climb earlier this year and we all felt like it was a wonderful way to honor Ezra and to raise money for Leukemia research, as well as other blood cancer research, and also to financially help patients and families currently dealing with these diseases. We encourage all to join us - kids, adults, everyone. Don't be afraid of the climb, you can do it! Many of the 5th graders completed the climb in about 15 minutes or even less! And most of the adults were not far behind. You may sign up to walk or run up the stairs - your choice.

We Hope You Will Join Us!

Ezra Remembered

So once a year at our church the children, aged 3 to 12, put on the service for the congregation. As you can imagine, it is pretty sweet and everyone looks forward to it all year. This year of course was bittersweet, watching Milo give a talk - of course he did great, but it was the first time Ezra did not stand up to participate.

One of Ezra's past teachers, Tyler, shared some thoughts about Ezra. Tyler was Ezra and Milo's primary teacher (like sunday school) a few years back. He and his wife Stacy taught the boys in their primary class for two years and have remained close friends with our family. Tyler's remarks were beautiful and when I asked if I could share them on the blog he consented. So here they are...

"We would be remiss not to acknowledge that the primary program today proceeds without an incredibly important member. Ezra Sherman and the Sherman Family have been long time members of this ward - he and his siblings have grown up through our nursery and primary, and his parents have been constants here for the last 17 years. Ezra was an irreplaceable part of our primary and for many years blessed us with his incredible goodwill, tender spirit, and exuberance for life. As everyone knows, earlier this year he returned to our Heavenly Father , and this is the first time in many years that he is not a part of today's program.

It would be impossible to capture what he meant to all of us in a few short words, but we wanted to in some way honor his memory. I think the best way to do this is to recognize that he lives on. He lives on in his brother, in his sister, in his parents, and in all of us who were lucky enough to have been touched by his life. He also lives on in the things he loved and the passions he enjoyed in life.

One such passion was the Beatles. Ezra was a big fan - we had that in common - and when I hear the Beatles, I always think of him. There is a moment in the album Abbey Road that for me captures the emotions one experiences in difficult times. At the end of the song, "She's So Heavy," there are several minutes of swirling, disorienting noise. This noise starts in the background, but slowly builds, much in the way that you might picture a gathering storm. At the point when this musical storm feels as if it has reached it's peak, it instantaneously cuts off and immediately cuts off and immediately proceeds into the next song - the melodic and uplifting tune, "Here Comes the Sun," with George Harrison singing that reassuring refrain, "here comes the sun, it's alright."

In the scriptures, the sun is symbolic of numerous things and in many instances it represents Christ. In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 88:7 reads: "Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun and the light of the sun, and the power thereof, by which it was made." During our stormiest times, it is Him that emerges through the clouds and warms us with His glory, reminding us that through His saving power, "it's alright." As the living Savior of all, He assures us that our time on earth is not the end, but merely the beginning. In the words of the oft quoted scripture, in the book of John, "whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:15)

Through His triumphant resurrection, He makes it possible for us to live again in the presence of the Father. It is through our belief and testimony of Christ, that we can look forward to seeing our friend Ezra again someday."

So thank you Tyler, for your thoughtful words, they were greatly appreciated and sweet to our ears. Although I wish nothing more than to have Ezra in my arms and at my side - right now, I know that he is alright. I know that I will see him again and that he will always be my boy. I have faith that we will be reunited when this life on earth is over and I look forward to that day. That is what I believe. Even in my pain and deep sorrow of missing Ezra, I still have faith in these things. And it is this faith that keeps me going each day.

Photos shown: top - Ezra, of course, age 8. Below - Tyler and Stacy with Milo, age 9 (yellow, a wickersham brother), Luka, age 10 - (Yertyl the Turtle), and Ezra, age 9 - (Mayor of Whoville). Performing in Broadway Bound's production of Seussical the Musical at the ACT Theater in Seattle.

Halloween Memories

The conversation in our home during October has always been about - Halloween Costumes. The kids have always loved to plan their costumes, gather materials, and make something creative. Sometimes there was a theme, sometimes not. For weeks this subject would be discussed. They even had to worry about what the dog would dress like.

In any case, in honor of Ezra, here are some photos to share as we approach Halloween 2009. When I look at these I remember Ezra's creativity, humor, self confidence, passion, and joie de vivre - Ezra had fun doing everything, he truly loved life. He taught me so much, even through something as silly as dressing up for Halloween. Amazing Ezra, here's to you.

Photos: Ezra as an Oompa Loompa (Milo as Groucho Marx) - 3rd grade. The White Rabbit from Alice and Wonderland - Ryan made that nose through a complicated and scary (for me) process that involved taking a mold of Ezra's face which required him to breath out of straws stuffed up his nose for about 20 minutes while it set. I still shiver. Milo was one of the Queen of Heart's cards that was 4th grade. And last year: Tweedle Dee. All the kids got in on the Alice in Wonderland theme last year. Milo was the Dormouse. Luka was the Mad Hatter.

A New School Year Begins

Excitement and sadness have been in the air of our home this week. As we prepared for the start of a new school year, the excitement built for Milo and Luka, especially for Milo as he is starting a new school this year - middle school!
But of course this excitement is accompanied by our deepest sorrow that Ezra is not starting school this fall. He always loved school so much and looked forward to each new year with great anticipation.

Losing a child causes you to miss that child so desperately - all the time - every day, every second. But certain times are somehow even more painful than others, like a missed birthday, or a graduation, or a summer vacation or the start of a new school year.

Ezra didn't get to go with us to get new school supplies this year and that was sad. We missed him so much. We remembered him running around the store last year, filling our cart with everything from his school list, talking excitedly about what supplies he needed, explaining what pencils he thought were the best, and of course, playing with Milo. Ezra didn't need a new pair of shoes. Ezra didn't try on any of the clothes in the closet to see what fit and what didn't. Milo did that for me and when he tried on some of the things Ezra always wore it took my breath away - he looked so much like Ezra. Ezra didn't get to go to the orientation for new students, etc. So there is lots of sadness intertwined with the excitement and happiness that two of my children are now experiencing.

And so the new school year begins for Luka and Milo and millions of other children and students. I hope everyone is able to enjoy the new school year... The little things, like a new class list, new books and supplies, new pencils, new clothes, and maybe even new shoes. And the bigger things, like a new school, new teachers, new friends and new opportunities. And the biggest thing, LIFE. Hope everyone can enjoy and appreciate being alive this fall.

Photos shown: Milo and Luka posing with Ezra's tiny woodland friends this summer - who accompanied us everywhere we went this summer. And Milo and Ezra on the first day of 4th grade - 2 years ago.

A Pink Dogwood Tree Planted for Ezra at the Guide Dog for the Blind Campus in Oregon

On Saturday, June 27, 2009, a tree was dedicated in memory of Ezra at the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus in Boring, Oregon. Thank you to everyone who donated money for the purchase of this lovely tree and the beautiful plaque - written in both English and Braille. The tree was planted a month or so ago, but this was the day that we dedicated it. We had some of our puppy raiser friends from Seattle and beyond that were able to come down that day and we met together before attending a guide dog graduation there on campus. All of the puppies were sporting showy pink bandanas which they wore proudly around their necks in honor of Ezra. Our Seattle group leader, Heidi said some lovely words about the tree and Ezra. As most of you know, Ezra's favorite color was pink and he loved dogs, so a pink blooming Dogwood tree was perfect for him, as well as for the location at the guide dog campus. After Heidi's remarks we all enjoyed some ice-cream and had a few minutes to visit before going into the graduation.

Inside, as part of the opening remarks for the graduation, Heidi stood up in front of everyone in attendance to tell a little about Ezra and the tree that was planted at the campus in his memory. It was a lovely tribute to him. Thank you Heidi! The graduation was great as usual, with one of our own Seattle puppies graduating - Chaz and one of our West Seattle puppy friends graduating too - Melissa. Congrats to their dedicated puppy raisers and their new partners! After the graduation they have campus tours and as were outside visiting near Ezra's tree we noticed all of the tour groups stopping at his tree to see this lovely living memorial and the beautiful plaque.

This memorial is very sweet to my family and I. And we look forward to visiting it frequently in the coming years.

As many of you know, our family started raising guide puppies a little over 2 years ago. As a family, we had been discussing getting a dog for some time. We had read lots of books about the different breeds and caring for and training pets. Our pet knowledge was limited to a goldfish or two that we had acquired over the years. Yet, somehow, although not particularly a dog person, I wanted the kids to have a dog and thought it would contribute to the idealic childhood I wanted them to have. Then a dear friend of mine from California - Carolyn, told me about how she and her daughter Megan were going to become puppy raisers for Guide Dogs for the Blind. My first response was that I didn't think this was what I had in mind for our family. Raise a puppy, go through all the hard work of training it, fall in love with it, and then give it away! No thank you. But yet, my interest was peaked and this was a person that I love and respect very much. Ryan and I both like the idea of involving the kids in acts of service within our community, but hadn't thought of raising a dog for this purpose. I began finding out more about the puppy raiser program. When I talked to Ryan about it, his first response was similar to mine, he just wasn't sure this was the right project for our kids and not what he had been thinking of when we had decided to get a dog. We thought we would run the idea by the kids since getting a dog was something we were doing for them.

We brought it up at a family meeting, the words were barely out of my mouth - would you rather get a dog that we will keep as a family pet or raise a guide puppy for the blind. "Raise a guide puppy!!!!" - all 3 kids yelled. Their were screams of joy and the happy dance being performed by 3 excited kids. Wait, a second. "Hold on," I said. "This is a big decision, lets talk about what it means to raise a guide puppy." We told them all the requirements, about how we would all have to follow all the rules and all help in the training and then give the dog away and still the excitement never waned. They were hooked - we would raise a guide dog. In the next few months we went to weekly guide puppy meetings and all 5 of us became certified to raise guide puppies.

At the time, my kids were 9, 9, and 10. In the 2+ years the kids have faithfully attended every meeting, helped with all of the dog training, and become great spokespersons for Guide Dogs for the Blind. They have become amazingly insightful dog trainers and handlers and more compassionate people. They have met and worked with many other wonderful puppy raisers and through them others have become interested in this great organization. At my daughter's middle school this year, the students chose to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind after learning about this through my daughter. Because of our involvement with Guide Dogs for the Blind, our lives have become greatly enriched and somewhere along the way we have all become "dog people" which I believe is a very good thing.

So thank you Ezra for shouting with joy at the chance to become a puppy raiser. Ezra always loved helping others, always. He knew he could make a difference in the world. He taught me that every person can reach out and help another, no matter how old or young they are or how much money they have. Everyone can do something for someone else. Thank you Ezra. And thank you to everyone who is helping to keep Ezra's memory alive, it means so much to us.

Photos from top: Ezra & Beckley - after 15 months of training & Family shot w/Beckley - Nov 2008. 3 & 4: Beckley under Ezra's desk on the first day of 5th grade, note the pink socks, and though you can't see it, he is wearing a Guide Dogs for the Blind t-shirt. 5: Ezra, Luka, Milo and Beckley @ the puppy truck in December. 6: Ryan, Art - our current guide pup, Beckley - our career change dog and Luka at Ezra's tree. 7) Puppies at Ezra's tree: backrow - Willy (black), Gideon (golden), and Chaz (in harness); Front Row: Art - (yellow), Fantine, Faraja, and Beckley - our career change pet. NOTE: all the photos on this blog can be enlarged simply by clicking on the individual photo.

a pink crane for Ezra from McGilvra 5th graders

On Thursday, we went to McGilvra to meet with the two 5th grade classes.  They had planned a great surprise for our family.  Some talented art parents - Dan, Alessandra, and Tom helped the kids think of a tribute to Ezra and then made it happen.  The result is a beautiful steel crane, powder coated in bright pink, with laser cutouts on each wing that read Ezra Sherman 1998 -2009 and pie + unicyles = Ezra on the other.  These parents designed the crane with help from the 5th graders.  The kids earned money to have the components built, Tom welded the pieces, some work was donated by craftsmen who were touched by Ezra's story, and somehow it all came together before the last day of school!  Thank you to all!

These are the same amazing 5th grade friends who gathered together after school the week Ezra was in the hospital and with the help of some loving parents folded 1000 origami cranes and strung them together on strings, I should add that Milo and Luka were also there to help with this most important effort.  

An ancient Japenese legend promises that whoever folds 1000 cranes will be granted a wish, such as recovery from illness. Ezra's friends faithfully completed 1000 of these cranes, strung them together, and hoped they would see their friend recover from cancer.  Although this specific wish was not granted, the love and care from Ezra's friends and classmates strengthened Ezra and his family during a most difficult time.  Several strands of these cranes are now buried with Ezra and the rest are hanging proudly on our front porch.

The crane was dedicated by his classmates.  Joseph read a poem called Hope, by Emily Dickenson.  

Then Ivy and Courtney read a piece they wrote for the dedication entitled "Ezra"  It reads... "Ezra was a friend to anyone and everyone he met.  He had the rare ability to be exceedingly bright, exceedingly kind and caring, and exceedingly funny.  We all remember Ezra for many reasons, but today we are sharing some of the main reasons he was treasured.  Ezra was the sort of friend who would catch you if you fell, then wipe away the tears.  But his funny side showed more often than not.  For instance hiding Jordan's water bottle was one of the small but very memorable moments that shined in his honor.  He had many shining moment in his life.  Although we are deeply touched by Ezra's absence, we know that he deserved the privilege to go to heaven.  From the heart of the 5th grade."  

Then Dan and his trusted assistant Milo, climbed the entrance to the garden and installed the pink crane.  (If you click on any of these photos they will enlarge for better viewing.)

In the garden is a tree that 5th graders planted for Ezra early this year. While the crane was being installed we all placed wishing rocks around Ezra's tree and decorated it with pink flowers.  It was beautiful.  

Because this art work is on public school grounds, it had to be approved by the school district which took some efforts by these parents to jump through all of the appropriate hoops and make sure that this was all done legally.  

Thank you parents and children of the McGilvra class of 2009.  We will never forget you.  We have been strengthened by your love, support, and thoughtfulness.  Peace and Love, kandice and ryan

Broadway Bound May 2009

As many of you know, Broadway Bound has been a big part of our lives these past few years. For those of you unfamiliar, Broadway Bound is a children's theater for kids - ages 5 to 18.  They put on musicals.  Lots of singing, dancing, and acting.  All 3 of our kids have auditioned and performed in many of their productions.  Ezra and Milo have not missed one since they first began 3 years ago.  

 2 weeks before Ezra went to the hospital he performed in the Wizard of Oz with Milo.  Milo was the Mayor of Munchkin Land and Ezra was the Barrister of Munchkin Land.  They sang a duet together and sang and danced in many of the scenes, loving every minute of it.  

A few days later they auditioned for the next Broadway Bound production, "Once Upon A Mattress," to be performed in May.  The cast list came out the day that Ezra got sick and went to the hospital.  He never got to hear what his role would be.  Milo hoped that he would get better in time to perform and was looking forward to telling Ezra what his part was.  

Ezra never got to hear what part had been assigned to him.  He died the next week - during the first week of rehearsals.  It was hard for Milo to continue going to the rehearsals and to perform his first musical without his brother, but he did it.  Thank you to Jimmy and all of the other Broadway Bound staff and kids who provided love and support to Milo during these past few months.  Thank you for dedicating the production to him - we all loved that!

Many of his friends and family were able to come to one of his performances that took place the last week in May.  Thank you to all for coming and supporting Milo and our family!   For Ryan and I, it was definitely hard not to have Ezra up on stage with Milo, though we knew he was there in spirit.  We miss him so much, but are proud of our kids and the way they are going forward with their lives and doing what they can to honor Ezra.  

Milo's bio in the playbill read: This is my 6th Broadway Bound show.  Woof to Art, my guide dog in training, is he sitting next to you?  My performance is dedicated to my twin brother Ezra who auditioned for this show, but died of Leukemia before rehearsals began.  This one's for you.

Yoga Class in honor of Ezra Sherman 5.17.09

A friend and fellow McGilvra Mom - Ann - will be teaching a yoga class Sunday, May 17, 2009 from 1 to 2:30pm.  The class cost is by donation, with all proceeds to benefit Leukemia research in honor of Ezra.

 This "Open Your Heart" yoga class is open to all levels of yoga experience.  It will be held at Lotus Yoga: 4860 Rainier Ave. S. (upstairs) 98118,  in the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle. 

Special thanks to Ann and to Lotus Yoga.

I hope all will feel welcome to attend.

Thank you to everyone who is doing something to honor Ezra's life and memory, we appreciate your thoughtfulness, energy, and creativity.  

Big Climb Awards: Ezra Team wins "Community Spirit Award" - raises $9,416!!

Last night we attended the Big Climb Awards Ceremony at the Columbia Tower Club - on the 76th floor of the high rise we climbed to raise money for Leukemia.

The awards ceremony was a very cool event.  They combined both Big Climb fundraisers - the one that we participated in on March 22nd, as well as the one that firefighters participated in on March 8th.  The firefighters' climb was just slightly harder than ours.  They climbed in full combat gear.  It is the largest individual firefighter competition in the world.  Both Big Climbs benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The awards party was a formal event with gentlemen wearing suits and firefighters wearing "Class A" uniforms.  We dressed up, Art wore his green guide puppy in training vest. Everyone loved Art.

Awards were presented for top 3 in each category - fundraising, racing, team fundraising and team racing.  

Ezra's team won a special award.  They told a little about Ezra and that he died on February 5, 2009.  They said they got a phone call about a week later from Ezra's 4th grade teacher, wondering if it was too late to get a team together to climb in Ezra's memory. Although Ezra's team was one of the last to sign up, we ended up being in the tenth place for the largest team and 10th place for fundraising - out of hundreds of teams.   Most teams signed up and began fundraising in October 2008, while Ezra was happily living his life.  Ezra's Team had 38 members and raised $9, 416.00.  So our award for was for making it into the top 10 in just over one month.  

HUGE Thank you to everyone that so generously supported our team.  Money raised goes to blood cancer research and aid to current patients living with blood cancers.

Milo was our winning fundraiser, with $1,158.00 - Another HUGE thank you to everyone who donated to him.  He was enormously proud that he could lead our team in this area.

Our family attended the Awards event along with one of Ezra's 5th grade teachers, Ms. C and one of his classmates - Ivy.  It was a great night.  We shared a table with a firefighter that was very impressed with Milo's Big Climb accomplishments in honor of his brother.  Actually more than one firefighter stopped to congratulate Milo, which was very cool.  What can you say about a firefighter all dressed up in a formal uniform, holding a trophy or two, and talking to an 11 year old boy, telling him that they are impressed with him or that they think his accomplishment is cool or that his brother would be proud of him, etc.  A priceless experience.  

So many people have asked me how this fundraiser went, with the economy suffering and all.   The Firefighters raised $640,000 (up $90,000 from last year).  The Big Climb raised about $1,296,000 - final sponsorship money still being counted - (almost $300,000 more than last year).

We had a great experience participating in this event and felt like it was a great way to honor Ezra' s life and memory.  Ezra would absolutely LOVE the Big Climb.  Please consider joining Ezra's Team or pledging us next year, we thank you in advance.  Milo has already started planning for next year's team.  Here we go...