Twenty days ago, we were all reeling from a wonderful and successful benefit fundraiser for Mailia’s Night of Hope. We were so grateful and happy to have so many people and businesses come forth to support Mailia…that prompted me to share the particulars of the event, with Dr. Grekos and his team at their Regenocyte clinic in Florida.
I wrote them a couple days after Mailia’s fundraiser to tell them how much we had raised to date, how grateful and excited we had become at the prospect of getting us a little closer to funding Mailia’s initial stem cell therapy.
A day later…I had an e-mail from Greg and Nancy saying they had some wonderful news to share with us. Apparently…an incredible miracle itself…was forthcoming as they told us a benefactor had come forth through the nonprofit Alliance for Adult Stem Cell Research and Therapy to cover the remaining funds needed for Mailia’s procedure in Florida and the Dominican Republic. I about fell out of my chair and you can imagine the emotions that ran through me when we received this miraculous news. When I told Mailia…she too became so overwhelmed and excited and asked…”how soon can we go”?
The news came on a Thursday…and we quickly looked at our schedules…our employers and everyone else’s including the schedule of Dr. Grekos in Florida…who would oversee Mailia’s blood draw and the lab in Tel - Aviv who would process her blood and stem cells, to the doctors and hospital in the Dominican Republic…and last but not least, a preliminary visit in San Francisco, Ca. with Mailia’s future heart surgeon Dr. Michael Black who would need to get a baseline and assist with some preliminary testing.
The date for the blood draw would dictate and be the driver for everything else and we were told by Nancy that May 25th would be Mailia's scheduled blood draw, the blood being couriered to Tel - Aviv Israel for processing and then her actual stem cell procedure would occur a week later on June 2rd in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
So with this news...we had to hurry up and materialize everything in readiness for our trip, for this was not going to be any ordinary trip...for Mailia cannot and should not fly by commercial air. No...a nice long trip by vehicle all the way to Florida and back, going the southern route in order to maintain Mailia at sea level as much as possible...was the order of the day.
The weekend we received this wonderful news and once we had a date...the wheels started to turn and the universe opened up the portals to bring us the guidance we so desperately needed. Dr. Julia Robirds, her husband Kelly and their wonderful staff had made arrangements weeks before to come meet Mailia personally on May 2nd and bring her a "huge" check from their fundraiser two weeks prior. Talk about an exciting day...they had no idea and when we told them the news and how everyone these past few months who have literally come together to do what they could to help Mailia...well all I can say is that this is very special and very big!
This past week we scrambled to find the means to make it all happen. Planning a trip like this...working with our employers who were kind in spirit also...to afford us the time off and all our support system in our community (you all know who you are)...to really step up and help with additional fundraisers, like Jesica and Tammi...who once again, came out for MORE...last weekend with a wonderful hot dog and bake sale at Columbia Basin Grain & Feed this past Saturday.
The folks at Eagle Printing...Chris, Trina, Shellee and Dave & Marci Henry made Mailia a beautiful Mailia's Miracle vinyl stenciling for our Ford's side and back windows. As we travel south making our way from Washington...south through Oregon, California...Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and finally Florida...you can bet folks will see the "Mailia's Miracle Mobile" in route. Thank you so much for this beautiful gift!
In fact...as we left the Tri Cities this morning...halfway to Hermiston a vehicle pulled up beside us and a Red Tri Mini Aussie was just a grinning at us and literally waving! Mailia said "It's Cowboy"! We pulled off to the side of the highway and met Julia's husband Kelly, his friends Paul and Mike who saw Mailia's photo and logo on the side of our rig. They could not believe it and Kelly was adamant that Mailia was destined to have this miracle.
We will make it as far as Roseburg Oregon tonight....and get to our folks place in Turlock, Ca. tomorrow and rest up before we venture into San Francisco Sunday evening. You see...we also have been blessed to meet and see Dr. Michael Black who will be available to see Mailia first thing Monday morning, the 17th of May at California Pacific Medical Center so she can have an ECHO done on her heart as a baseline and we can discuss a path forward with Dr. Black...on her future heart repair.
I think this is a good point to exit...Max is looking to exit off the interstate now so in closing please know how truly grateful we are...especially to Ramona and her family and to Edwardo...for taking care of our home and animals while we are gone. God Bless you all!
P.S. My fortune cookie this week said: Your traveling East...will result in great rewards. I know!
P.S.S. Pictures soon!
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