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Here is a picture of Trav's favorite band From Autum to Ashes who were nice enough to come to visit him in the hospital while in town for a concert two days before his birthday! We owe a huge THANKS to Bridget a production manager at MTV. She heard about Travis and his like for music and emailed and called me to find out just who he liked and had this entire thing set up. So thanks to Bridget and to the guys! Your all wonderful!
I can not express how very greatful I am to the wonderful people in the music world. FATA and Thrice both bands Travis loves so much were there for him. He was able to attend the Thrice concert and then went into their bus to visit with them. I hope they know they made him happy.
I found a website called Teen Angels please use the link below to visit Trav's site there. Vote for Trav by clicking here!
It's the same site but the more hits he gets the more votes!
I was playing with pictures today! Here is what I came up with! 
I miss him so very much!
I have I said lately how much I hate Leukemia????
I'm going to share some pictures of Travis before leukemia!
Trav being his silly self!
On this day we were having a new driveway poured. Trav didn't want to come outside and watch. Later he thought he was missing something came running out and fell in head first! It was so cute!
His preschool picture. I've always loved this picture!
His tiger cub cake bake cake!
He loved playing his guitar!
He lived for Ninja Turtles! He so wanted to be one!
He loved his dog Cindy!
His Guina Pig Squiggles!
His cat Shasty!
His bird Spike!
He was such an animal lover he even let a lizzard he caught hang from his ear!
Travis and Cory on Cory's graduation day!
aHere are some pictures I took of Travis this one afternoon after the transplant outside the hospital!
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Hi Welcome to Trav's page. He was diagonosed with biphenotypic (AML with T-Cell ALL) leukemia on June 23, 2003. In Nov 2003 he was released from the hospital and considered in remission. The news we had waited to hear for several months. He then spent 5 months enjoying life like any teenager should. Then on April 29, 2004 we recieved the news we had all feared. Trav had relapsed. He was readmitted to the hospital June 3, 2004 to start chemo.
Yipee he's again in remission.
He recieved his bonemarrow transplant from an unrelated donor on July 23, 2004.
WHOO HOOO Day 19 Aug 11, 2004 He's engraphed! This is the news we have been waiting for! The new marrow is growing in his body!
On November 29, 2004 we found out that Travis had again relapsed. At this point he chose to have no further treatment he felt that he had been through enough. If he went ahead with another transplant he would have to have more heavy chemo which would surly cause him to have some major organ damage (kidneys, liver, and heart) he would also have an 80% chance of another relapse. Travis didn’t feel that these odds were good enough to endure another transplant and live with the risks he would have to live with. We brought him home to live as happy as he could for as long as he could. He was taken from us on December 16, 2004. My life will never be the same again, buy my baby is no longer in pain or suffering. Here is an article the local paper printer about Travis. Trav's article
Here is a picture of Trav's baby. Travis never did get to play this baby to much but it is now in the hands of his best friend in the entire world. Kevin! We all know Kevin will cherish this guitar he felt like Travis was his brother.
Here are some pictures of Trav playing his guitar and mom got a bit camera happy! It was so great to hear him playing again! I miss the sound of him playing his guitar so very much!
Help us Fight Leukemia in Trav's honor!
Always keep Light The Night in your mind! I'm working on raising funds for the walk already. Our team has over 20 people registered!
Light The Night
Our team this year was a huge success last year. We were in third place in Grand Rapids. Thank you to everyone who donated!I raised over $1600 and our team raised just under $4000!!! Way to go team! I'm hoping out team makes number 1 this year as we walk in honor of Travis! He’ll never be forgotten.
Anyone read magazines? If so you can help our team! Click on the link below and either order a new subscription or renew one you already have at discounted prices, but the best part is 40% of your order goes toward out walk! What a great way to help. So lets start reading!!!! Click on the link below and read away!
I want to share some pics from out walk with you all from the walk!
Our entire walking group!
My sister Jami and nephew Cody!
Cody and Fred!!!
My son Cory with my nephew Cody!
My son Cory with his girlfriend Kristina!
Jami, Jodi, Rachel and Sandy!!!
Teena, Jodi, Rachel, and Sandy
 Another group shot!
Earlier this summer there was a new painting hung at the hospital. From the first minute I saw this painting it was something I wanted. It's an image of how I think of Travis. First of all we all know how much Trav loves playing his guitar second of all we know that Trav loves his dog Chance (who just happens to be a beagle) even more than his guitar. Well this painting says it all. I contacted the artist who gave me permission to share it here with you all! The picture says it all.
The Duet
“Painting © 2000 Tom Sierak”
Here is a poem I saw and wanted to share with anyone dealing with cancer especially a child!
"What Cancer Cannot Do"
Cancer is so limited:
It cannot cripple love,
It cannot shatter hope,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot destroy peace,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot suppress memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot steal eternal life,
It cannot conquer the spirit.
Author Unknown
Here is a thing I came across and would like to share with everyone especially those mothers out there with a child with cancer!
WHY US
Author Unknown
Most women become a mother by accident, some by choice, a few by habit.
Did you ever wonder how mothers of children with cancer are chosen?
Somehow, I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagtion with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instucts his angels to make notes in a giant ledger...
"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron Matthew"
Forest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint Cecilia"
Ruthledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint Gerard. He's used to profanity"
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and says, "Give her a child with cancer."
The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy."
"Exactly", smiled God. "Could I give a child with cancer to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."
"But does she have patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have to much patience or she will drown in a sea of self pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she will handle it."
"I watched her today," said God. "She has that feeling of self-independence that is so rare and necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has its own world. She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy.
"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you," said the angel.
"No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect, she has just enough selfishness."
The angel gasps, "Shelifhness? Is that a virtue?"
God nods. If she can't seperate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive.
Yes, here is a women I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take anthing her child does for granted. She will never consider a step ordinary."
"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see.....ignorance, cruelty, prejudice....and allow her rise above them."
"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in mid-air.
God smiles and says "A mirror will suffice."
I'm also putting out a request for anyone who may be willing to become a bonemarrow donor please check out this website.
National bone marrow registry
Without this orginazation Travis would have never have had a chance at life. There are not near enough minorities in the registry. If Travis had been able to recieve a transplant in his first remission he may still be with us today. Please help out and maybe save someones life! Someone who does not even know Travis chose to have her name put on this list and out of the entire registry she was the only match there was to give us hope for him. Without this brave person I would not be here right now making this request. Just remember you never know who's life you may be able to save.
I had someone tell me this little story I would like to share. This person was brave enough to be bone marrow donor. She told me once she was walking along the beach and came upon a eel that had washed up on shore. Seeing the eel scared her and she wasn't quite sure what to do. Her first instinct was to walk away but then she figured the eel would die if she chose to do that. She then went to find a stick and used the stick to help get the eel back into the water. Although, she was scared she was able to save that eel. She then started thinking maybe like she was scared of the eel and the unknown of what could happen, maybe most people are scared of becoming a bonemarrow donor because of the unknown. Well according to her if given the chance she would donoate again if there was a chance to save someones life.
The registry is especially in need of people of minority decent such as American Indian (which is what Travis has in him making finding his donor a real challenge)& Alaska Natives, African American, Asian & Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics. These minorties are in great need. The cost of joining the registry is in a range of $65 - $96 but for those of the minority decents listed above the cost if free. So please take the time to join the registry and help find donors to save the lives of children and adults like Travis. Sometimes all it takes is that one special person to help save a life.
Here is a copy of a letterI wrote!
I have a couple of issues I would like to address in my letter. First of all my son Travis has fought a very brave fight with AML Leukemia. He lost this battle on December 16, 2004. He was a senior at Fruitport High School.
The first issue I want to address is how great teenagers really are. Teenagers tend to get a bad rap sometimes, but I have seen for myself just how awesome they really are. Travis had a very diverse group of friends. He had two friends that he has had since childhood one was the quarterback of the foot ball team and the other one just your average teenager like Travis. He also had another group of friends with whom he was very close to. These kids are the kids you may look at and think I would never let my child look like that. They tend to wear black clothes, color their hair different colors, and maybe had a different hair style, things such as a mow hock or just some really bizarre strange hair style. I know for a fact when people see these kids they tend to think they are strange and that their parents should do something to change the way they look. Let me tell you, these kids are kids with hearts of gold. If I have learned anything from Travis’ illness it is do not judge people by they way they look. These kids were there for Travis from day one of his illness.
When Travis was first sick and lost his hair to chemo they all shaved their heads so he would not feel different than the rest of the crowd. He spent 115 days in the hospital last summer which was before most of the kids had a license they did what they could and found a way to come and visit him. Even if it was just for a few minutes to brighten his day they found ways to come and see him.
When we found out that Travis had relapsed again after his bone marrow transplant and were told that he only had a few weeks these boys called daily. Before he was to sick they were all at the house hanging out with him making the last days he had ones they would all remember. Once Travis was to sick to see his friends the phone was always ringing off the hook they wanted to try and come see him.
The visitation for Travis was held on December 19, 2004 the place was packed with a wide range of ages. There were many people there to pay their respects to my wonderful son. Many of these teenagers brought him letters they tucked into his hands and his two best friends took the shirts off their back and gave them to Travis.
The reason I’m writing this letter is because I learned first hand never judge a teenager just for being young and most of all do not judge the ones who may look different after all these kids are our future and I have complete faith in each and every one of them. They stuck by Travis until the end.
I want to give a special thanks to some of the kids but I’m so afraid if I name names I’ll for get someone and I truly don’t want to let any of these boys think I do not have a great fondness for them. Travis loved them all. So guys all you special friends of Travis you know who are and I love you all just like Travis does. Thank you for sticking by him through this horrible illness, and most of all thank you for spending all the special time you could I know we all wanted more but what we had will be held in our hearts forever remember that okay guys?
The second issue I wanted to address is the wonderful staff at De Vos Children’s Hospital. The entire pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant team is wonderful. Everyone from the doctors, nurses, nurses aids, clinic staff, to the child life specialists are people I would like to thank in more ways than are ever possible.
Last year Travis spent 115 days in the hospital and this year he spent 112 days in there. To me the people there had become my new best friends. Granted we were only a little over a half hour away from home but we never left Travis alone while he was there so we spent most of our time there with him also. The staff on seven south at De Vos is a great group of people and Travis loved each and every one of them is some special way.
In conclusion, next time you see that funny looking teenager please look past the funky clothes, hair, etc…. and see the true person inside and remember that with out the special staff on seven south at De Vos Children’s Hospital there are many children would not get the loving care they give you there.
Sincerely,
Jodi Lind
520 174th
Spring Lake, MI 49456
Journal
Monday, May 29, 2006 9:00 AM CDT I know it's been a very long time since I have updated.
First of all thanks for the thoughts and prayers. I have made it through several holidays. Trav's birthday etc..... I miss him so very much! What I would give to hear his voice. I hate cancer!
I'm walking in the light the night walk again this year!
If anyone would like to donate I have set up a fundraising page.
My donation page
I appreciate all you have done.
HUGS,
Jodi
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