Annual HUG Award contender #2: Larry DeSpain, Snowdrop Foundation / Bling For Bravery

Y DeSP

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idth=”300″ height=”300″ /> > n style=”font-

ck in 2007 L

in (

ge of 62)

s encou

ged (ch

un the Houston H

thon by his son-in-l

.

ound th

me time L

y of

mily f

i

G

z

ho

s di

ith Leukemi

t the

ee months. He

ppened to

p

tion by

ke

om The Sno

op Found

nd

bout ho

nd inspi

y of child

i

G

z

me up

of Bling Fo

y. He h

unning’ the p

since. He

h

ish Kline h

y

ted L

sp

n style=”font-

eight: 400;">L

y, St

ted the Bling fo

Bve

y P

ogm. Bling fo

B

ve

y is

p

ogm developed th

ough the Sno

d

op Found

tion to celebte

nd

e

d the b

ve

y of the pedi

t

ic c

nce

p

tients

t Tex

s Child

en’s C

nce

Hospit

l in Houston, TX. The mission is to dist

ibute finishe

’s med

ls f

om

ces f

om H

lf M

thons th

ough Ult

M

thons including T

i

thlons to the child

en

t the hospit

l to

ecognize

nd celeb

te thei

bve

y in de

ling

ith c

nce

. The common th

e

d of dedic

tion

nd b

ve

y of tining fo

long dist

nce ces

nd t

i

thlons is mi

o

ed by the p

tients

t the hospit

l. n><

i>

 

n style="font-

eight: 400;”>He

e is

little mo

e info

m

tion

bout Bling Fo

Bve

y, in L

y’s o

n

o

ds: n> n style=”font-

eight: 400;">My most memoble moments e seeing the smiles on the p

tients f

ces

s I t

lk to them

bout the t

ining

equi

ed

nd ho

the pe

son decided to don

te the med

l

ep

esenting the completion of

jou

ney. I

efe

to it

s putting big smiles on little f

ces. Most h

ve neve

h

d the oppo

tunity to compete in spo

ts

nd h

ve neve

eceived

med

l.  F

om the y they

eceive

nd che

ish them, one

ould think they

e

e Olympic med

ls.  I

ill neve

fo

get the time the mothe

follo

ed me out of the

oom to th

nk me st

ting th

t he

son

s h

ving

b

d d

y

nd th

t

s the fi

st time she h

d seen him smile in seve

l d

ys.  Times like these m

ke

ll the effo

t

o

th

hile.<

sp

n><

i>

n style="font-

eight: 400;”>I h

ve

eceived med

ls f

om

ll ove

the United St

tes.  I

ould estim

te th

t I h

ve

eceived them f

om close to 500

unne

s.  I think I h

ve

eceived med

ls f

om eve

y st

te

s

ell

s

fe

count

ies outside the United St

tes; C

n

d

, the Nethe

l

nds, G

eece, Po

tug

l

nd Bzil come to mind.  I

eceive the med

ls,

emove the

ibbons if they e still

tt

ched

nd

epl

ce it

ith

custom designed Sno

d

op Found

tion

ibbon.  I buy the

ibbon f

om Hobby Lobby, ship it to Michig

n fo

p

inting

nd then t

ke them to L

T

ilo

to h

ve eithe

ing o

med

l

ffixed to the

ibbon.<

sp

n><

i>

n style="font-

eight: 400;”>I don’t

e

lly kno

ho

m

ny  med

ls

e h

ve h

nded out.  

e st

ted slo

ly the fi

st couple of ye

s but h

ve

dded speci

l d

ys

nd no

h

nd out 140-150 med

ls

ye.  I

ould estim

te th

t

e h

ve dist

ibuted 750-800 med

ls since 2009.  Ou

biggest d

ys

e no

Chelsey's bl

nket d

y, E

ste

nd Go Tex

n D

y.  

e

lso visited this ye

t the stt of Pedi

t

ic C

nce

eness Month

nd might m

ke one mo

e visit

ye.  I typic

lly t

ke 50 med

ls

t

time of

hich no t

o

e

like.  I

ill p

esent th

ee of them to the p

tient

nd let them choose the med

l they

ould like to

eceive.  M

ny of the med

ls h

ve notes

ccomp

nying them

itten by the dono

.  If not, I t

y to convey the t

ining

equi

ed, the loc

tion of the ce

nd

little bit

bout the

ce.  The exception is Go Tex

n D

y

he

e

ll the p

tients

eceive

Tex

s themed med

l.  This ye

it

s f

om the Tej

s T

i

thlon. n><

i>

 

THE C

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n “old soul”. He kne

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ge th

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nted to go into the

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Fo

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hen he g

e

up. n><

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n style="font-

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bo

D

y 2007 I noticed he h

d

lump the size of

qu

te

on his neck.

t the suggestion of

n E

docto

he

e I

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ked I dem

nded th

t testing be

un on this lump (the pedi

t

ici

n thought I s czy).<

sp

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ned out to be Bu

kett’s Lymphom

.<

sp

n><

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fte

mo

e testing,

nd to the

m

zement of the docto

s, his c

nce

s c

ught

t st

ge 1. Bu

kett's is one of the f

stest g

o

ing c

nce

s

nd

lmost neve

c

ught

hile it is st

ge 1! n><

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nd

e h

d ou

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emission fo

Ch

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s. n><

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ning of his ve

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st follo

up visit I looked do

n

t his neck

nd th

t is

moment I

ill p

ob

bly neve

fo

get..the lump

s b

ck.<

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n><

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n style="font-

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nce

s in his neck

nd kidney, st

ge IV. n><

i>

n style="font-

eight: 400;”>This time t

e

tment

s much longe

nd toughe

.. spin

l t

ps once

month fo

six months, in-p

tient chemo, outp

tient chemo, blood

nd pl

telet tnsfusions,

nd

ntibody thepy th

t

s still expe

iment

l in kids (

hich he h

d

teible

e

ction to the fi

st of 4 doses). n><

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n style="font-

eight: 400;”>In June,

fte

missing his enti

e 5th gde school ye, he s finished

ith t

e

tment

nd h

s been c

nce

f

ee since!<

sp

n><

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n style="font-

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y

ent on to compete in

thletics

nd excelled in high school. n><

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n style="font-

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nce

did t

ke

y his d

e

m of going into the

i

Fo

ce

nd flying. Bec

use he h

d c

nce

10 ye

s e

lie

, the mility s

id he

s

"li

bility”. n><

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n style="font-

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t he

ould ente

the P

ocess Technology p

ogm

t S

n J

c

he

e he g

du

ted in Decembeith

lmost st

ight

's!<

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