To those who have brightened MY journey…

Everyone kept telling me that this would be the best weekend of my life, and they were absolutely right! This was an amazing experience that I will never ever forget. For once, I didn’t feel so helpless. For once I felt like I could actually do something to help Emily and the Whiteheads who are going through so much. I don’t always know the right thing to say, but this weekend I really felt like I took on her pain and suffering to show her what she means to me, and that is why it felt so easy. How could I complain about my feet, when back at the Hershey Medical Center 6-year-old Emily is asking for morphine? How can we complain when Emily never does? My pain and my fatigue felt like nothing when I got texts from Tom and Emily. She sent us her strength and courage this weekend and it carried us through to the end.

But we are lucky enough for not just one THON family, but two who are so amazing I can’t even put it in words. Hugh, Catherine, Ian, Colleen and Analia (probably butchered that spelling): you’re support and love was so strong and so helpful to us. You know more about THON than we do, and you provided the wisdom and honesty to get me through. Hugh, I’ll never forget when you left late Saturday night and said “These next few hours are going to suck, but you can do it, and we’ll be back before you know it.,” and you hugged us both hard. Somehow, whenever I needed a boost you showed up. It was so great to see Ian, Colleen and her friend running around soaking wet from constant water gun battles. We danced in honor of Colleen’s battle and to celebrate her blessedly normal life. She is such a caring and mature girl, and she is going to be something great. We danced thinking forward to Emily’s 9th THON, where new PRSSA members will celebrate Emily’s life and the one in front of her. We cannot wait for that day <3

A few highlights: Mail call (I have never cried so hard and felt so special, thank you everyone, I will cherish it for ever), Wings Overrrrrr and a Shamrock Shake, a Cookie Monster with familiar dance moves (Dad? is that you?), Friends and family who traveled miles just to see me for one hour, a mom who only slept 8 hrs to stay with me as much as she could, a moraler with the biggest heart, inspiring texts from Tom and Emily, time spent with the Scotts, Mom washing our hair in our own personal bathroom (thanks BJC guy, haha), inspiring messages from friends and family, signs in the stands, actually dancing the whole time (who does that?!), hugs, laughter and tears <3

Thank you everyone for the most incredible experience of my life. You have truly brightened my journey. I have the most amazing people in my life, and I am so blessed <3 One of the first things I did when I woke up this morning was to thank God not only for the strength to get through this weekend but for bringing such amazing people into my life. I cannot express to you how much you all mean to me but I am going to try my hardest. Expect personal thank you notes within the next week or so. I’m going to be buying a jumbo pack later :)”When you dance with your heart,
your feet never touch the ground.”I love you all. FOR THE KIDS, FOR THE CURE, FOR THE FIGHT <3
Kels