As many of you can only imagine being in the hospital over the holidays is no fun…now imagine yourself as a child fighting cancer, a new way of life for you and your family that you have just embarked on in the last month. Nathan started his chemo treatments on Thanksgiving day of 2010, what better day we thought to be thankful for a “beginning to an end”. The chemo treatments were three weeks out of four in the hospital as inpatient, he was pulled out of school and taught by the teacher in the hospital and a home teacher the schools sent to our home, when he was there. Nathan and our family spent every holiday in the hospital as in patient either for chemo treatments or fevers/isolation with the exception of Halloween. The staff did everything they could to help make this as joyful and painless as they could but when it all came down to it we were still in the hospital for the holiday’s, childhood cancer seemed determined to take from us those special moments that we as a family cherish.

We at Nathan’s Story C.C.O. wanted to help make it even more special, beings we could look at it from a different perspective then most since we actually were in the situation. We personally came up with the idea of bringing in “A Piece of Home” for the holidays. Our first year and within months of becoming an official 501(c)(3) we raised funds to get the children that would be in the hospital for the holidays their own holiday tree. The trees we chose were specifically chosen with the children in mind and with the help of Nathan himself. The trees are no more then 32-36″ with fiber optic lights, lights that change colors automatically and cascade through the room with soft soothing colors to be able to relax and and enjoy. This year would be our second year, and we hoped to make it even more magical then the last…We wanted to provide the children and families not only the trees but a holiday evening, that would include dinner, trees, gifts, crafts, and maybe a few games…an evening that will let them forget where they are and let them feel like they have “A Piece of Home” with them.

We have started “Sponsor A Tree” to help us do just that; these trees are a very special addition to the children’s rooms bringing much needed smiles and calming moments and they get to keep them and take them home. If you’d like to “Sponsor A Tree” please donate below; each tree is a $16.00 sponsorship, and please feel free to leave a message to the child/family and one of our volunteers will fill out a special little note card with that message on it for you. We will order the tree and have it shipped to us at the organization to personally give to the children at our “PIECE OF HOME” event on location at the hospital(s).

We’d like to thank everyone for becoming part of such a wonderful moment for the children and families over the holiday season, you all truly are a blessing.

Thank you!!!

Nathan’s Story Childhood Cancer Organization