We Care Event Highlights

The Children of We Care In Anthem >>>

Be gentle with the young. Juvenal, Roman Poet

Joshua Thompson was seven when he was diagnosed with Medulla Blastoma, a cancer at the base of the brain. Most of the tumor was removed and after months of chemotherapy, the cancer went into remission, but it left Josh in a wheelchair with slurred speech. With help from therapists, he has recovered beautifully. He astounded people at the last We Care golf tournament when he walked out onto the field to help select the raffle winners. Joshua's father Jim has said, "The people and neighbors in Anthem are so wonderful that I can't even express it."

Jeremy Pascua was hospitalized when he was only six months old with the flu and pneumonia and was subsequently diagnosed with a heart condition - cardiomyopathy, or an enlarged heart. He still has to take medically prescribed supplements and prescriptions, which We Care still subsidizes, but his heart condition has improved dramatically. At the beginning of his illness his ejection fraction ( the percentage of blood that is pumped out of a filled ventricle with each heartbeat) was at 19% - normal is 60%. Jeremy, now two years old, has improved to 57%! The family also has been given the rental management responsibilities of a Bounce Around inflatable party activity, The Castle. A portion of the proceeds from the rentals goes into Jeremy's account.

Patrick Penkalski, a 14-year old student at Gavilan Peak Elementary School was seriously injured when an automobile ran into him as he was waiting for a school bus. H e was flown via helicopter to John C. Lincoln Hospital in critical condition. Once again, We Care stepped in to help Patrick and his family. We are happy to report that he has fully recovered from his injuries.

Amber McCulley, a resident of New River, was just 14 years old when she was hospitalized at Desert Samaritan Hospital for a type of cancer called Synovial Sarcoma. It is an extremely rare form of cancer - the odds are one in 600 million people will ever get this disease. Because of the large mass in her throat, she experienced breathing and eating difficulties, as well as side effects from multiple chemotherapy treatments. What made matters even more catastrophic was the fact that both Amber's father Johnny and her step mom Cindy had lost their jobs and had no health insurance.

We Care In Anthem was able to help Amber financially until the family was able to secure better health insurance. They sponsored three events to raise funds for Amber

- two comedy nights (one at the Community Center and one at Franco's Ristorante) and a Bunco/Auction affair. In addition, the Make-A-Wish Foundation arranged for a shopping spree for the young teenager. Amber always wanted to take a trip to the East Coast, and so her family took her this summer to Boston and other places to see the sights.

Sadly, Amber's prognosis is not good. She received her final treatments back in January and since then, the 15-year-old's weight has been decreasing. They have made arrangements for care with the Hospice of the Valley. Her mother, Laura, says. "We knew from the beginning that this was a terminal disease, but we went against hope - that if we could extend her life, maybe a medical miracle could be found." She goes on to say, "Amber's attitude has been so great. I think she has impacted in a positive way the many, many people from New River, Anthem and the surrounding communities that have come forward to help. We are grateful to all of them and to the medical staff at the Desert Banner Samaritan for the love and care they have shown her and to We Care for their generosity and compassion."

Brooke York was just four years old when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Brooke's battle was not an easy one. Numerous chemotherapy treatments, injections and transfusions left her tired and weak. But her will to survive was strong, helped no doubt by the outpouring of support and attention she received from We Care and the Anthem community. Brooke's mother, Redonna said back then, "My husband and I are overwhelmed by what has happened in the community. Strangers are fund-raising for our family. It's amazing!" The York family has since moved from Anthem, but we have been informed that her cancer is now in remission.

The Crisis Nursery is a shelter in Maricopa County for young children who have been victimized by domestic violence, homelessness, neglect or other crises. The nursery was established in 1977 to care for these children. There are three caregiver shifts daily and the shelter is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Each child taken in by the Crisis Nursery receives a warm bed, clothing, nutritious meals and nurturing by a trained and caring staff. The children are placed there on a temporary basis by Child Protective Services (CPS) to protect them from an unsafe environment or while waiting for placement in a foster home.

Representatives from We Care In Anthem visited the nursery and were emotionally drawn to the sweet little faces they saw there. Their eyes filled with tears and they were overwhelmed with the desire to somehow make things better for these innocent children. So, they organized another golf tournament, which was held in the fall of 2003, and were able to donate over $16,000 to the Crisis Nursery!

Generosity at its Best
The 3rd annual golf tournament at Anthem turned out to be another great success, with the event raising over $21,000! The We Care at Anthem Crew would like to thank their sponsors for their generous donations. Whenever a child is helped by the organization, every dollar raised represents a bit of hope and relief for that family.