Dear Dave, Falen and Steve
I have listened to KDWB for years. Every time I listen to Christmas Wish I think, “Do I know anyone who could use this help?”. Then I am grateful the people in my life don’t need this much help. We have been very blessed. That is up until this year. I have a family that could use a little extra help this year and is very deserving of that help.
I have a co-worker, Mike, and he and his family are being tested this year. Mike’s wife Susan was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She has been fighting this disease for over 7 years and recently told there are no more treatment options left for her. Susan has been put on home hospice in the last months, and Mike took a leave from work so that he could be her main care giver. What’s so wonderful about Susan (one of the many things) is that she is trying to help others in her same situation. If you were to look on her Facebook page you would see Susan sharing information about her type of brain cancer to make everyone aware. She also posts about people with similar cases, asking the rest of us to pray for these people. She very rarely asks for people to pray for her, take care of her, etc. She is such a strong woman!
Mike and Susan have 4 daughters; Genevieve is 13, Vivienne is 11, Amelie is 9 and Lilian is 7. These are 4 very active, bright, personality filled girls. They are in soccer, gymnastics, volleyball, ice skating, girl scouts, theatre (at school and church), and the list goes on. They have been to camp to learn about mom’s cancer and done some of the walks/runs to raise awareness for cancer. What is hard to hear about is all the activities the girls are part of and that Susan has had to miss watching them participate. Due to her cancer Susan has been limited to the things she can do. She sleeps/rest the majority of the day due to the treatments she has been on. They are very lucky that Susan’s parents live close and Grandma Ann and Grandpa Neill are very helpful with the girls. Not sure the girls would be able to be as active as they are without them.
My Christmas wish is to give this family the Christmas they deserve. There is talk this may be Susan’s last Christmas, and I would love to make it as memory filled, and stress-free as possible. Shopping is a struggle, time is a premium, and with Susan’s cancer her left leg and left arm are not working the way they should. These girls love their mom and I want to give them memories they can cherish for years to come. Hopefully giving them a holiday filled with memories will make future Christmases easier as they can look back on this one and smile and remember that one Christmas…
Mike does so much for everyone else, and never complains about the hand they have been dealt. There are many people at work that didn’t even know about Susan’s cancer until Mike had to take his leave. He just works hard and tries to make things better for everyone else. I really would like for someone to be able to do something for him.
Please help me/us help this family make a lifetime of memories.
- Kim and the WTW crew
We jumped at the chance to grant this Christmas Wish for Mike, Susan and their family!
For the Nelsen family we gave a $1,000 Coborns Delivers Gift Card, $101 SuperAmerica Gift Card, 5 Free large Red Savoy’s Pizzas, 25 Rounds of golf courtesy of Glow in One Mini Golf, $100 SMAAASH Game Card, plus gift cards for a night out. Christmas decorations for their home. Arts & crafts. A bunch of movies for family movie night. Games like Heads Up & Pie Face for family game night. Christmas baking goods. For Mike a Netflix gift card and plush blanket. Genevieve got fashion accessories, clothes, fidget spinner & volleyball. Vivian got bath and body accessories, a snowboard, fidget spinner & basketball. Amelie received fashion accessories, clothes, a sled, fidget spinner & soccer ball. Lastly, Liliane received bath and body accessories, fidget spinner, pillow & backing supplies.
We couldn't do KDWB's Christmas Wish without your donations. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation. Special thanks to Venture Bank. Plus, part of the donations will automatically go to YouthLink to help homeless youth in the Twin Cities.
LISTEN: Dave Ryan calls to surprise the Nelsen Family with a KDWB Christmas Wish
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