"Holy Nashville"

For some crazy reason I can't seem to get sleepy tonight so I thought I'd do a little blogging.  It's not been long since my last one but boy, it seems like a lot has happened lately; especially these past 2 weeks.  The week of April 12^th was pretty awesome.  That Tuesday we had our 10^th annual Kevin Carter’s Celebrity Waiting for Wishes event.  That’s always lots of fun.  Bryson was our wish ambassador for this year and his wish was to have a Lakers themed basketball court in his backyard. That’s a pretty awesome wish huh.  Bry also celebrated his last day of treatment on Wednesday which is a great accomplishment!  I was kind of worried that he may be a little shy when it came to meting people but he sure surprised me.  He looked so handsome all dressed up.  He wore his shades almost all night and when I would take his photo, he would ask me if he could see it and then he would say “I look good don’t I”…lol!  Everyone at the Palm fell in love with him and he got to meet so many celebrities.  I think all 200 people in the restaurant introduced them selves to him at some point during the night.  I’ve got some photos on Facebook so check them out. 

My friend Devin and his family also arrived in town on Tuesday.   I actually took a few days off to spend time with them.  Devin came to Nashville last May for his Make-A-Wish, to meet Josh Turner.   Devin enjoyed Nashville and it’s been on his bucket list to return.  It was Spring Break in Utah, and he and his family spent it in Nashville. Devin’s favorite saying is “Holy Nashville”.   I was so happy that they came back!!  The Harris family includes Denzil, (dad) Karen (mom), Devin, Kyle and Derrick.  I just love all of them!  J  We were able to do lots of fun stuff together.  We went to the zoo (Poor Kyle had never been…lol); we went on a tour of the Ryman, which I had never done; and we had breakfast with Josh Turner….that was pretty darn cool.  Josh is a great guy.  He has kept up with Devin over the past 11 months and he was kind enough to take the time to meet us for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. What a yummy place!  Devin and his family had lots of new eating experiences while they were here.  They ate at places they had never eaten before like Waffle House, Krystal’s, Jacks Bar-B-Q, and Steak and Shake.

Saturday night we said our goodbyes at their hotel and I was sad for them to go back home.  Sunday afternoon I had an email from Devin telling me about his bumpy flight home that morning.  Apparently they had a lot of turbulence which scared everyone except for him.  He said one lady even pulled out her bible, some people were crying, but he enjoyed the dips and bumps in the air.

Devin went for his scans on Wednesday and Karen called me that evening with the news.  Unfortunately it wasn’t really good news.  Devin is 15-years-old and he had a brain tumor when he was a lot younger….I don’t really know all of the specifics.   Over the years he developed bone cancer which has now metastasized into his lungs.  Unfortunately his prognosis isn’t good.  I’ll never forget Karen calling me last September when I was at our Ice Cream Social and she told me that Devin wanted to stop his treatments.  I was heart broken!  I understand why he wanted to stop, but…..  His treatments were affecting his hearing.  Music is like, the most important thing to him.  He loves listening to CD”s and he has this amazing memory.  When we were at the Ryman he would have me read to him a CD title and all of the tracks on that CD and he would memorize it!  He’s amazing!   You can tell him a phone number or email address, he will repeat it to you, and then it’s permanently in his brain.  He’s such an amazing young man.    So when Karen called me last Wednesday I could tell from her voice that the news wasn’t what they had hoped for.  Devin’s MRI showed pretty significant tumor growth in his left lung.  The concern is that one of the tumors in the lower lobe area, if it keeps growing at the pace it is it, could touch his aorta which will be devastating.  I’m asking that you keep Devin and his family in your prayers.  Pray that his tumor growth slows down…I’m being selfish but I want to spend time with him again.  Just please pray for him and pray that these damn tumors stop growing!

I also have another family that I’m asking you to keep in your prayers.  I received a call from a dad of a kiddo that lives in Cottontown last Monday.  Dad said that his boy, Landon, was 4 ½ years old and was on hospice and his time is running out.  Landon is on a vent, trach, has both a G and J tube, he’s on a heart monitor and dialysis.  He has no kidneys at this point and his little body is shutting down.  Landon can’t communicate verbally but he does seem to enjoy listening to country music.  After speaking to his nurse and parents, they feel the best wish for Landon is to have someone come to sing country music to him…..so that’s his wish.  They say that country music is one of the only things that can soothe him.  He has it playing next to his bed and listens to it 24/7. 

 Thanks to the help of a few former wish parents and some of my Facebook friends, I think everything is coming together nicely.  Tuesday night we will grant Landon’s wish.  I have some folks that have agreed to come to his house to sing to him and several friends and family members will be there to enjoy it with him and his family.   Landon ha s a twin sister Brooklyn, and two brothers Dayton and Braiden.  I’ve got a few surprises that I’m excited to share with the kids.  They have had a hard time with their brother being sick and I’m sure it will be difficult for them once their little brother earns his angel wings.  Keep this family in your prayers too please. 

So I’ve taken off this week….well, kind of …lol.  Landon’s party is Tuesday night and Friday is World Wish Day. World Wish Day is going to be so exciting!  If you can, make sure you watch the news on Friday night or Saturday morning.  I’m guessing that most of the local channels will cover this really cool wish story that we will present to little Larry David Gray on Friday.  We’re having a big party at the Hard Rock Café to celebrate World Wish Day, which is a day set aside where every single Make-A-Wish chapter in the WORLD will grant a wish on this day.  So lots of wishes will take place on Friday.  Woo-hoo!!!

“Larry David Gray”, as Shelley and I like to call him, (for some reason we never just say David Gray…we always have to say his full name…lol), anyway, he has a really cool wish.  He is 5-years-old and he loves astronauts.  His wish is to go on an astronaut ride and pretend he’s an astronaut.  We’ve gotten him the cutest little astronaut outfit and I can't wait to see it on him!  We are going to pretend that we are just taking him and his family to dinner and then I’m going to give him this precious astronaut outfit to put on.  Once he’s dressed in his uniform, we will go to another area of the Hard Rock Café where lots of wish granters (which we are also celebrating for all of their hard work in granting wishes!) will be and we will give him the good news about his wish coming true.  He has no idea so it’s going to be an awesome surprise!   

I hope everyone has a great week and don’t forget to keep Devin and Landon’s families in your prayers this week.  Actually, if you don’t mind, we have so many sick little kiddos right now and they could all use a prayer.  Don’t forget to watch the news Friday night for World Wish Day!