For Eddie and Mary Grampp, life is full of “good distractions” with three active kids all under the age of 5 including one starting kindergarten this fall. Eddie, diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in June 2012 when their youngest was only four months old, continues to work as an animator at Nickelodeon Animation Studios and inspires others with his positive outlook and words.
The Grampps consider it a miracle that Eddie is still here beating the odds and they’ve found CaringBridge to be a great outlet for sharing their story of hope and encouragement. When Eddie was first diagnosed, Mary found it hard and emotionally draining to respond to the large number of people who called, texted, emailed or asked how he was doing. Two weeks after his diagnosis, with Eddie in the ICU being treated for hydrocephalus, Mary started their CaringBridge site.
Sharing Their Story
Initially they had their CaringBridge website private but after hearing how people were being positively impacted by them sharing their journey, they decided to make it public. Mary said, “CaringBridge helps us share our story. It’s such a big mouthpiece and now people we don’t even know are reading our story. It’s benefitting our spirits knowing that others are being touched by our story and that we are helping others who are also facing cancer or other challenging situations.”
CaringBridge Lessens Their Load
Mary said that she couldn’t imagine not having CaringBridge and that it helps lessen her and Eddie’s load. From the beginning, guided by Eddie’s courageous lead, the Grampps have had this attitude: “It’s not happening to us but happening for us.” Focusing on the blessings and miracles that have happened throughout their journey, the Grampps have also provided comfort for others facing brain cancer including encouraging them to start CaringBridge websites.
Mary says that one of the best parts of CaringBridge is seeing the comments of support left for her family. She says, “I love that people can leave comments and like our posts. We really enjoy reading everyone’s comments. The words of support and encouragement mean so much to us and we’ve also been able to see how people have been touched by our journey. It’s neat to see people we barely know showing us such care and compassion.”
How has CaringBridge touched your life? Share in the comments below.