MEET TREVOR TREDAWAY- HE NEEDS US!

Good Morning! Say "Hello" to my newest friend, pictured above. His name is Trevor Tredaway and he is 3 years old. He is pictured with his younger sister Morgan. Trevor is the son of parents Todd and Melinda Tredaway. Last night, Trevor and I spoke long-distance over the telephone for the first time. That's right! I told him I lived in Arizona, and he told me that he has a train. When I asked if it was Thomas the Tank Engine he said "YEAH!!!!". So, as you can tell, we had a short but fun conversation and bless his heart, he said "BYE" and kissed the telephone twice before handing it back to his Mom!

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For those of you just joining us this morning, I had blogged on 05/12/08 about another new friend of mine named Gunner Gillespie who is 7. Both Gunner and Trevor love trains. And they are both fun, energetic, vivacious little boys who deserve the chance to grow up and live full, rich lives. But there's an obstacle that is threatening their lives and it is cancer of the brain stem. Now before some of you turn away, please give me a chance and read on! This form of cancer is so brutal and unforgiving, that I feel compelled to "step in the arena and draw my sword" --so to speak--to stand with these children. I want you to join me and it won't cost you anything but it will fill your heart with Love. And no one can tell me that the world doesn't need this more than ever.

Can you think back and remember being a young kid? For most of us, it was a period of an endless horizon of FUN and JOY. You can see it in this picture. I'd like to turn my Blog over to Trevor's Mom, Melinda who is far better qualified than I am to tell you about her adorable little son, his personality and where things currently stand on the medical front. In a moment, I'll close with a few ideas about how we can help. Here's excerpts from Melinda...

Melinda: "Trevor is an energetic, fun-loving 3 year old. He is 100% boy..he loves big trucks, cars, tractors, trains etc. He can tell you what kind of tractor it is, like a back hoe, excavator etc. He loves music and most of the time knows the words to the songs and likes to dance and be a clown. When he hears one of his favorite songs he says "Let's boogie". He loves anything having to do with Disney's "CARS" or "Lightning McQueen"! He can tell you all about the characters! Trevor loves the outdoors. He doesn't care how cold it is, he wants to go outside and play. Trevor has a smile that is contagious to all around him.

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"We, me especially, have really been struggling with the fact that the doctors want to start Trevor on a 3rd chemo drug with no known benefits in children. It is used to prolong life in adults with very aggressive brain tumors. The data on its effectiveness in children will not be available for 1-2 more years. Trevor is very sensitive to medications: i.e: after his first chemo treatment, his jaw pain was so severe that he couldn't swallow; he hallucinated after taking Ativan; all of the nausea and vomiting. Frankly, chemo just scares me. It is the only option other than radiation. Dr. Murray told us what will, not could, happen if we have to radiate. He said that there is an almost a 100% guarantee that Trevor will suffer from some form of retardation. That is not an option for him.The tumor remains stable, BUT there is an area of the tumor that is concerning to the doctors. It looks as if part of the tumor could be a little bigger. Also, the "spots" on his spine are confirmed tumors. Well, as confirmed as can be without doing a biopsy of his spine. The tumors on his spine have not changed since January. So, the brain tumor metastasized into his spine. They treat tumors of the spine with the same chemo drugs as they do the brain. This has never been verbalized until today, but Trevor basically has brain and spine cancer.

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"The response from the community has been completely overwhelming. I guess the greatest thanks will occur when I can write that 'Trevor is cured', which will happen. Until then, all I can say is Thank you so much to everyone participating in any type of event for the Triumph for Trevor."

Trevor with his Father, Todd singing and signing!

Trevor

Closing thought from Michael: When I was Trevor's age, I spent two weeks in a hospital intensive care unit and my life was saved. The following year at age 8, a bicycle accident sent me right back into that same hospital, and by the Grace of God, I am here this morning in Arizona writing to you as an adult. I was lucky. I had a chance. And now, it is time for Trevor to have that same kind of chance. Just as I did with Gunner, I have a good idea of how we can help Trevor and his family. First and foremost, I feel certain that I can say that prayers are welcomed and encouraged. For those of you who don't pray, meditations, good vibes and healthy positive thoughts and shout-outs are also welcomed. Caringbridge, a non-profit organization has enabled the families of these two fine young boys, Trevor and Gunner to communicate with and keep each of us informed who care to offer Love and Supportiveness through their Journal at: http://caringbridge.org.

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Since many people are asking, here is a fund that has been established to help The Tredaway Family with their extraordinary medical expenses:

Trevor Tredaway Fund
Citizens Federal Credit Union
P.O.Box 51070 Midland , TX 79710

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I know this is a heartbreaking subject,
but God Bless You All for taking the time to visit today.
I wrote it because I believe these children can WIN!
Love, Michael