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Hanna Michele Gibson
November 20, 2000 - August 9, 2004
We love you and miss you so much!!
Hanna was diagnosed with a brain tumor in January 2002. She was 14 months old. The only sign we had that anything was wrong was her head tilting. Thankfully, her pediatrician, Dr. Narayanan, knew what that meant. She was soon sent for brain surgery to remove the tumor. Surgery was a success, but it wasn’t over. Hanna's tumor was a very malignant one, Anaplastic Astrocytoma. She was to undergo chemotherapy for 18 months followed by 6 weeks of radiation. She handled chemo unbelievably, but after being on it for only 8 months, the tumor was back. This time the tumor was too close to the brain stem. She had another surgery, but some of the tumor had to be left behind. As soon as she recovered, she began 6 weeks of radiation. That was completed January 2003. She did great for that entire year. Her tumor remained stable. However, her MRI in February 2004 showed regrowth. She began a different type of chemo that helped her for a little over 3 months. But sadly, by late June, things had taken a turn for the worse and nothing seemed to help. We filled as much fun as we possible could into Hanna's last few weeks. She had a great time, and we got memories that we will always hold on to. Thank you to everyone who prayed for Hanna and who continues to pray for our family. The love and concern we have been shown through all of this is truly appreciated.
 
ANGEL JANE
CLICK HERE
“The Strength of an Egg”
Parents of children with cancer are often referred to or viewed as having "strength like a rock". Albeit flattering it is not quite true. It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg you ask? Yes!
If you'll think about it, you'll see my point.
An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be
as smooth or solid.
Most children, at some point, are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an even
slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no-longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.
A rock, on the other hand is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock. It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the "HAND OF HOPE".
Parents of children with cancer are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household,
going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed!
Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence. Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of children with cancer will pick
themselves up and put themselves back together again.
St. Jude Marathon Information
It is time, once again, for the St. Jude Marathon Weekend. Since this year is a major milestone (5 years), we have decided to set our goals a little higher. We will have a Team Hanna this year. We want everyone to be there for “Hanna’s hospital”. She loved St. Jude, and we love her. There are many jobs that need filling in order for us to be successful. We need runners, walkers, AND cheerleaders. Even if you cannot participate in the race, you can come show your support by cheering and holding a “Hanna sign.” This is one way that we can remember Hanna and give back to St. Jude. If you have never been, it is an amazing experience. We will be ordering t-shirts. The cost for the shirt is $7.50, but ordering one will let everyone know that you are part of “Team Hanna.” I would really like to know who is planning on being there. Please drop me an e-mail tammy_pinnow@yahoo.com not only to order shirts, but also just to let me know that you will be thinking about my angel that day.
To order a Team Hanna shirt:
Send me an e-mail with your size. They are $7.50 each, but it will make it easier to find each other on race day. AND, they are super cute! :)
Here is the back.
To donate to St. Jude in memory of Hanna or to visit our team page
CLICK HERE
THANK YOU!!
Journal
Sunday, August 30, 2009 9:38 PM CDT For those of you who know Hanna and our story, you don't have to wonder why I love St. Jude so much. You know what they did for Hanna, as well as for us as a family. But, I know there are those who wonder why or how I could still love a hospital that my child had to go to for cancer treatments - a hospital that did not save my child. I know this because, occasionally, people will ask me about it. And the reason is simple. I love St. Jude because they loved Hanna. No, they weren't able to save her life, but they certainly gave her life. Hanna loved everything about St. Jude. They loved everything about Hanna. Being a part of St. Jude is so much more than just being a patient. It becomes part of your life. It became part of our life. No, we certainly did not like the reason we had to be there, but we did love being there. Everyone at St. Jude treated Hanna as if she were their only patient. She believed that it was her on their logo and that it was actually her hospital. It was her favorite place to be. They made her feel special and loved while she was there. They made sure that she was always comfortable and never scared. They made sure I knew that they were doing exactly what they would be doing had it been their own child. They made sure that her quality of life always came first. They cried with us when we ran out of options. They loved Hanna. I will never stop loving and supporting St. Jude.
If you have ever been to the St. Jude Marathon, then I don’t have to tell you how much you will love it. It just makes your heart smile to see so many people come together for a place that means so much to so many. If you have never been, well, then you are certainly in for a treat. We would really like to have a Team Hanna there this year. We are hoping that our friends, family, or anyone else who has just been touched by our sweet girl will come and wear a Team Hanna t-shirt. There is a marathon, half marathon, and a 5K. Even if you choose not to walk, we would love for you to come and be one of our cheerleaders holding Hanna signs along the race course. It will be a precious reminder that although her life was short, it was truly sweet. I know she touched a lot of people. Please consider doing this, not only for Hanna, but for all of the children still fighting. I promise you, you will not be disappointed!
To register, go to stjudemarathon.org. We are currently getting ready to place our first t-shirt order. They will have Hanna's picture on them and will be a way for us all to find each other on the day of the race. They will also show our girl off, of course, and let everyone know how much she is loved. :) They are only $7.50. If you would like to order one, drop me an e-mail at tammy_pinnow@yahoo.com with your size. Thank you!!
This is a music video to a song about St. Jude. It’s only 4 minutes long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w8SbKC39kw
Read Journal History
Hospital Information: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
332 N. Lauderdale St.
Memphis, TN 38105
(901)495-3300
Links: http://www.quiltingangels.org/hanna.html Hanna's quilt
http://www.bens-story.com Hanna's friend
http://www.stjude.org Hanna's hospital
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