January 7 - Back to School!

I just found out that Quigley's Irish Pub in Oak Lawn will be hosting a fundraiser for me on January 31st from 1-5 PM. Everybody is welcome. There is a $30 cover charge and you can have domestic beer, wine, soft drinks and all food. There will also be a silent auction and live entertainment. If you need more information you can call or email my Dad: Matt Sharp @ 630-670-8481 or sharpie0473@yahoo.com

My family is also taking orders for Brianna's Brigade T-shirts. You can get white or gray, short sleeve or long sleeve with a special logo for my battle against DIPG (that tumor I have.) My Brianna's Brigade logo is a cross wrapped with a gold ribbon and it also has my cross country saying on the shirt, "Start fast, finish faster, start strong, finish stronger!" Short sleeve shirts are $15 and long sleeve shirts are $20. If you want to order a T-shirt, email my Mom at jensiemann@sbcglobal.net or my Dad at sharpie0473@yahoo.com

I went back to school today and my mom picked me up. I was a little nervous but I was happy to go back to school with my friends.

Love,
Bree

Note from Parents:

We pray that Brianna enjoyed her day and that her level of anxiety decreased after realizing the support system she has at Gregory Middle School. Everyone in our community has been so wonderful and compassionate we are truly blessed! Brianna was extremely anxious last night and could not get to sleep, but this morning she woke up in good spirits and when we dropped her off she seemed very happy to be back in school.
After dropping Brianna off at school I (Jennifer) met Leanne Lacewell (Max's mom) at Panera Bread. This was our first meeting and I was thrilled to finally get a chance to give her a big hug and talk about Max and Brianna. The Lacewells' are a blessing and have a special place in our hearts. After 2 1/2 hours I left Leanne with a big hug and a huge feeling of peace that we were finally able to meet and will have each other to support through our difficult journey. We discussed the kids and how they must have been chosen to endure this illness because they are special children with special hearts. Brianna and Max are very kind, caring, loving kids and have a unique ability to connect with all people. Brianna's smile and her openness to give hugs, and her empathy towards others despite what she has to endure makes her very unique. They are both very special to us AND to God.
Leanne and I also discussed how grateful we are to have an unbelievable community of people supporting us in a variety of ways. From giftcards, to medical fund donations, spiritual guidance and support, employers and co-workers kindness and understanding, neighbors support with meals, shopping, and errands, etc. The list goes on and on but we mostly want to thank everyone for all that they do and if we have not been able to send you a personal thank you note, please know that all gifts and actions no matter how big or small, do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. We are so overwhelmed by the generosity of people that we can not even begin to say thank you enough!!
Please continue to pray for Max and Brianna's healing and that they find the peace to take one day at a time and focus on God's love and the blessings in their lives. Fr. Ted's homily last week focused our attention on choosing to look towards the light and focus on our blessings and the many positive aspects in our lives, as opposed to dwelling on the darkness and allowing negative thoughts to enter our minds. Leanne and I both ask for Jesus to come to us when our thoughts turn negative and He helps us focus on the light. We are reminded of the blessings we have, especially the time we have with our children and family. Most of all, we are thankful for the deepening faith we have as a result of having to endure such a difficult road. Now we KNOW GOD and not just ABOUT GOD!

Love,
Brianna's Family