As 2022 draws to a close, we are sharing with you one of the many chains of giving that happened at Team Summer this year! It’s a beautiful thing to be there as these kids find each other…to watch them connect…and to see firsthand how they help each other cope with their difficult circumstances. We are ever mindful that these moments can only happen because of your donations, and we are so grateful!
In Part 1, we told you about how Lex, who is fighting cancer in Georgia, gave a fishing trip to Beckett, who is battling cancer in Pennsylvania. In Part 2, Beckett overcame his shyness and gave an Xbox to Melody in Florida, whose dreams of being a contortionist had been derailed by her cancer diagnosis. This is Part 3 about how Melody then reached out to 13-year-old Alba, also in Florida.
When this year started, all was right in Alba’s world. School was pretty much back to normal after the pandemic, and the seventh-grader had joined the volleyball team, which she loved! Then, in a single day in May, Alba’s world turned upside-down.
Alba woke up that morning with a mysterious pain in her leg. She went to school anyway, but the pain persisted. After school, her mom took her to a walk-in clinic, which did some blood work. The results were so troubling that Alba’s next stop was the ER. The ER sent her directly to the children’s hospital. There, the diagnosis was made: Alba had leukemia. Her fun, carefree days were put on hold indefinitely. Her life had changed on a dime.
Since her diagnosis, Alba has been through endless rounds of chemo that have left her feeling perpetually sick and exhausted. Alba missed her teammates. She missed her classmates. She missed her normal teenage life. One thing that helped was her virtual classroom – the only way she could attend school. She liked pretending she was really there. Virtual reality became her new reality.
If anyone needed a cancer friend, it was Alba, and Team Summer kid Melody was determined to be just that! Melody understood how Alba was feeling because she was struggling in the very same ways. They met for the first time on Zoom.
This gift-giving event started the way they all begin, with the gift-giver reading the Team Summer Welcome Letter. Melody read to Alba: “You are now part of a very special group: Team Summer – kids helping kids with cancer. As kids who have battled cancer, we know how tough it is when you hear you have cancer. You might even feel like you are alone, like you’re the only one.”
That’s as far Melody got before Alba started crying. Hearing someone say those words, someone who really understood how difficult and scary her life had become, was overwhelming. And, not gonna lie, as Melody continued to read, we all started crying!
After Melody finished reading the letter, and we all paused for a tissue break, it was time for Alba to get her Team Summer gift! The virtual girl was going even more high-tech! Melody got Alba a top-of-the-line virtual reality gaming system! The system would allow Alba to experience all the things she was missing. Virtually, she could now hang out with friends, play sports, watch movies, and listen to music! More tears! Happy ones!! Way to go Melody!
The girls exchanged cell numbers and promised to stay in touch. Truly, the beginning of a special friendship with a connection few others could understand.
One more cool side note: Melody was so excited that she had been able to help Alba, she didn’t even dread going to the cancer clinic the next day. Instead, she was determined to find another kid with cancer she could help. And she did! That nomination is in the works, and we can’t wait to make it happen!
IMPORTANT UPDATE ABOUT THE TEAM SUMMER MATCHING GIFT FUNDRAISER:
We did it!! Late yesterday, three donations came in that sent us just over our matching goal of $20,000! YAY!! We are so grateful to all of you who donated. Your generosity amazes us!
If you still want to contribute, it’s not too late! We can help even more kids like Lex, Beckett, Alba and Melody! Click here to donate!
