I have to tell you that this day’s honoree was NOT planned! But after the last 48 hours he rushed to the top of my list of inspirees (that’s a new word – a person who inspires….LOL). Who the heck is Travis Moon? He’s not well known like Mickey Mantle or Robin Roberts but he’s one of the greatest motivators I’ve ever known. And I’ve now had the honor of meeting him twice – last year and this year. He’s such a down to earth guy with probably the very biggest heart I’ve ever seen in my life! That’s something for sure – and to say that about a man makes it even greater in my book (most men don’t want you to know that they have a heart that big but Travis lets it all hang out there for you to see and take into your own soul).

Why am I so taken with him? Not because he’s a radio personality here in San Antonio (at the greatest country station there is – KJ 97 ) but he is, in a sense, the country music voice of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital! This was, I believe, something like his 18th St Jude Radiothon for St Jude’s and it was the 4th in San Antonio (I’ve told everyone I know that when I moved to San Antonio from DC 9 years ago there were two things I missed immensely – one was my vet and the other was the St Jude Radiothons and now I have  a great Vet and San Antonio has the radiothons so I’m very happy).

Mr. Moon spends over 48 hours straight going strong on the air inspiring people to give to St Jude. Everything he says comes directly from the heart and you can tell that he’s living it right there with you and not just giving you  hype. He really cares (as do the other radio personalities at KJ97). It’s not “just a job” – he brought the radiothon to San Antonio – he didn’t “inherit it”. It’s not just something he “has to do”. It’s something he loves and has an amazing passion for. That’s why I feel so much akin to him. I have had that same degree of passion since I met Suzanne over 11 years ago.  We both seem to live to give to St Jude but we do so in almost totally opposite ways.

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I so respect Mr. Moon for being able to continually generate the required enthusiasm not only amongst the other folks at the radio station but amongst the entire “country music” population of San Antonio as well. He brings everyone TOGETHER at least once a year for 48 hours. But what people don’t seem to understand is that as hard as he works during those 48 hours, there is so very much preparation and organization/coordination that has to go into preparing for the event. He has to communicate with all the artists that contribute wonderful gifts that give folks an incentive to become a “Partner In Hope” and man were there some great ones this year. This takes effort and lobbying even though all the artists are extremely generous – you know they are getting hit up by every radio station (and others) throughout the country. It definitely requires a sales job but Mr. Moon has quite a resume to let artists know that San Antonio is an extremely caring community that pulls together to take care of others. He’s such an inspiration that he’s got San Antonio competing with other markets that far exceed San Antonio – raising almost three quarters of a million dollars in our area in just the 4th year required awesome preparation and then a solid 48 hours of hard charging and letting the world play his own heart strings – he didn’t play those of others – he let others see what’s in his heart and what’s behind his passion for St Jude.

I think so highly of Travis Moon that I wish there were something I could do to help him and the others – I know they are exhausted and yet they still have to work today and probably even tomorrow – radio life has to go on! The adrenaline can only last so long.

In your prayers tonight and when you’re saying your “gratitudes”  please thank the world for people like Travis Moon, Randy Carroll, Jamie Martin, and Bree who took all the children that will ever need help from St Jude Children’s Research Hospital into their souls, hearts, minds and lives for 48-72 straight hours and wrapped San Antonian hearts around that wonderful hospital as well. I hope you realize that the research done at St Jude’s is spread all around the world and not kept in a proprietary manner. Anything discovered at St Jude is given freely to the rest of the medical community. Another thing that many people don’t realize is that no one is ever turned away for an inability to pay. The entire family (including siblings of the stricken member ) are cared for completely – it’s one very big happy family. I have been “involved with” and passionate about St Jude’s for over 11 years and have been fortunate enough to have been able to visit there and watch what goes on and even through all my tears I could see the love and happiness that radiate in a place that you would think would be maudlin. It is so far from that it’s amazing. As they said on the air – the love and concern for the kids reaches from the people manning the doors all the way to the top administrators. They are all there for one reason and one reason only – to care for and love the kids.

I pray that you never, ever have to experience the tragedy of a pediatric catastrophic illness (or of an adult one either) but if you do or are friends with someone who is enduring such pain, I hope that you remember this post and know that your family can get help at St Jude’s. Please give. Mr Moon gives his heart and soul to this cause. You can give $0.67 a day (pocket change as Randy emphasiszed) to help some poor child who should not be suffering but should be out playing. If you want to support my memorial fund to Suzanne please contribute at my Tribute page  but if you just want to go to St Jude to contribute use their link.

  Even though this post is specifically to honor Mr. Moon, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention his wonderful on air family again – Randy, Jamie and Bree – and they really are a family. I thank Randy and Jamie for taking their valuable time to take this picture with me yesterday morning. I will cherish it forever!

Thank you all!

Terrie

Can you spell “Neuroblastoma”? Should a 3 year old child have to have something you can’t even spell? Suzanne was going to be my last day’s hero because she has provided the most inspiration of anyone in my life – and she only was on this earth for about 11 years. However, Suzanne and her parents (subjects of a separate day’s post) will remain indelibly planted in the minds and hearts of those remaining behind her. She’s been in several movies that will remain (a holiday movie “Angel Doll” and a St Jude movie “A Time to Live”) so at least on film she will remain. But much more importantly, her spirit lives on.

I met this young lady and her parents “by accident” (there are no “accidents” in the universe – always remember that) when I was in the Washington DC area. I had done my usual thing of purchasing too many tickets for a Shania Twain concert (always trying to get a better seat…LOL). So, I offered the extra seats to my friend who was the regional director at St Jude, Julie. Julie told me that there just happened to be a little girl and her family that might be interested. She contacted them and found out that the little girl (Suzanne) was a big Shania Twain fan. So we were all set. But Julie didn’t let it go there! She contacted Shania Twain’s agent and tried to get a meet and greet for Suzanne after the show. They said “no” because it was the night before Thanksgiving and Shania needed to leave as soon as possible after the concert. Julie was not one to be stopped however. She made more calls and here’s how the universe works – she ended up contacting a woman who had just LEFT ST JUDE and begun working for Shania so this woman knew what St Jude was all about and what Suzanne meant to everyone. So she said she’d try. Julie and this woman pulled it off! Suzanne would get to meet Shania.

But wait, it gets better. You’ll understand how remarkable this entire family is when I write another post about Jack and Barbara (Suzanne’s parents) but I will tell you here that Suzanne’s mom is in a wheelchair. Julie, Suzanne, Jack and Barbara came in and went to their seats which were way way back. I was up front and my friend was in another seat I had gotten for him way way up front. Next thing you know I see Julie and the gang moving along the aisle up to the front. Turns out they got very very front row seats because Barbara was in a wheelchair. I remember sitting there in awe at this little girl’s good fortune – even if it was only for a few hours that night – a few hours with joy and not so much pain perhaps. I got to go backstage with them and watch Shania interact with Suzanne and there were tears streaming down my face as I saw the great big smile on Suzanne’s face. Thank you Shania for doing that for her. That shows your true spirit too!

Suzanne relapsed twice after attempts at gene therapy – they had told her that if she made it 36 months she’d probably be cured and each time around 35 months she relapsed. But I have to tell you that I NEVER saw that child without a smile on her face. Every time something is difficult for me, I just think of Suzanne and I can go on. She endured about 8 years of treatment and not knowing what kind of pain and agony the day will bring. She didn’t know what her future would bring – or if she’d even have a future. But you know what, she was always there for others – that’s part of why she was the poster child for neuroblastoma and in the movies. Suzanne was so well known at St Jude’s. When she made her transition Marlowe Thomas even flew in to speak at her funeral. How touching is that. This little girl impacted the big and important heart of the founder’s daughter. Suzanne is my hero and the wind beneath my wings in so much of my life. She is always with me. I don’t know why we were brought together but I am so grateful that we were.

Today you can go to the radio station’s link to donate or you can honor Suzanne and work to treat so many other children at my St Jude Tribute Page for Suzanne. Of course you can always go to the St Jude website too – I’m partial because I have a goal for collecting an amazing amount of money in Suzanne’s name which is why I am torn each year because when I give to the radio station it does NOT go into the Tribute for Suzanne – all that means is that all that money is not counted in her name. All of the money goes to the hospital no matter whose name it’s donated in so it really doesn’t matter I guess. I just want the world to know about this great little girl and how courageous she was. I want the world to be as touched by her as I was.

To my hero – today is your day Suzanne – and may every day be your day in the lives of others. Thank you for being the “Wind Beneath My Wings”

Terrie

Those of you who have heard of Dan Pallotta know why I really admire him. I know I had never heard of the man. But back in the late 1990s or early 2000s I heard of two events that changed my life. One was the 3 day Breast Cancer walks – you walked 20 miles a day for 3 days in a row. This event did so many things for me. I had never asked anyone for anything but I had to raise about $2400 in order to participate in the event. How on earth was I going to do that? At that time I actually thought that would be harder than doing the walk. But I wanted to do this endurance event with so many other women (and fortunately some men too). So I buckled down and asked and guess what? I raised over $4000! I was flabbergasted and ever so happy. At the same time I was training to do this walk. The walk was so emotionally charged because of the cause and because of everything we had all gone through to get to that start line…and then even moreso the courage and hope it took to make it 60 miles more to get to the end – that end was the start of another phase of life –  a phase of life knowing that I could do something else that I never thought I could do. We were all in it together and we felt it. Our camps were glorious and we did have really nice amenities – something we all appreciated after 10 hours of walking in the DC heat. Mr. Pallotta changed my life because he had the courage and determination to create this event – it was a first!

Then he developed the AIDS Rides and I was fortunate enough to participate in that as well. It was a three day long distance bicycle ride raising money for AIDS. I knew I had to be a part of that because only because of the grace of God had I been spared from exposure. I was an ER doctor long before AIDS became an entity. We didn’t use universal blood and body fluid precautions. We didn’t use gloves except for sterile procedures. I was exposed to other people’s blood and saliva day after day several times each day. But I was so blessed that I was not exposed – the closest I came was giving mouth to mouth to a woman with Hepatitis B (but again I was blessed by the advent of the vaccine and its availability to me in the hospital). So AIDS was something I was very passionate about and wanted to help people in whatever way I could. Plus, I loved bicycle riding. My great friend, Ryan, and I took off on this ride (we had chronicled our training as we went along) and had the most wonderful 3 days we’d ever had! Another first for me and by this time raising money had become so much easier.

I owe Mr. Pallotta so much for coming up with and monetizing these tremendous ideas for such important causes. His creativity and ability to take action and put his passions into massive action changed my life. I was finally able to do things I never thought I could – I was on my way (and still am) to realizing that there really is nothing we can’t accomplish. At the same time I was helping so many other people by pursuing something I loved (either walking or bicycling). I was given these multiple opportunities because one man had a dream.

But you know what. He got screwed. Sorry to be blunt but he did. Some folks complained about the amenities he offered and how that money should have gone to the charities etc. Enough of a ruckus was made that he was completely pushed out and forced out of the arena and treated like a black sheep almost as quickly as an avalanche makes it down the mountain. I felt so badly for this gentleman who had really started to change the world. He had brought significant attention (in an organized manner) to such important topics as breast cancer and AIDS.  And then people dumped him.

I’m sure he was devastated. I know I was. I was angry too that other organizations came in and took over his concept, thinking they could do a better job of it (not true at all). That was stealing his ideas and even though they were still helping the causes, it just didn’t seem fair. But Mr. Pallotta was forced to withdraw from sight.

I didn’t hear any more for several years. Then I saw that his resiliency had come through and he had studied and written about how non-profit organizations really go about things the wrong way and how important it is for them to spend money on advertising and taking care of participants! He then published a book, Uncharitable, which addressed this! Then I noticed that he continued to write routinely for Harvard Business Review. He never backed down and I respect him so much for this. Considering that creating a non-profit organization is still an important point in my life, you can imagine why I’m very interested in continuing to follow him.

But what matters to me is that he’s so determined and dedicated. He did NOT let adversity get him down at all. He continued to persevere and stand up for what he believes in. That’s what we all should do. We should NOT roll with the political tide or “give in”.

Mr. Pallotta was just recently a TED speaker and that’s a very high honor.  He’s much more intellectual than I am and this talk demonstrates that. I just know in my heart that he did the right thing for myself and so many others and people booted him for it. I, myself, would follow pretty much anything he does because of his stick-to-it-ness.

Terrie

Now you can laugh. The real me is coming out in the next few days. I’m revealing my deep dark secrets – however, anyone who knows me knows that this is NO big secret. Ever since I was a child, Mickey Mantle was my absolute hero! I even had a letter from him – written BY HIM. But my parents threw it out when I went to college and they were mad at me. Do you have any idea how much that would be worth today? Of course I would never get rid of it because it meant so much to me. You’re probably thinking that this was just written by his secretary. But remember the time period I’m talking about – back in the 50s (that’s NINETEEN-50s, not Eighteen-50s for you smarty pants out there) – they did NOT have press secretaries then. And let me tell you, if this letter had been written by a press secretary, he or she should have been fired. There were more typos in the letter than there are in most of my emails (I believe that if you really want to hear from me you won’t care that I don’t take the time to capitalize perfectly or have perfect grammar – if you did care, you’d never get an email from me for sure). I cherished this letter but sigh, it’s gone as is Mickey Mantle.

One year when I did the NYC Marathon I ran for a charity that had us meet on Sunday morning (marathon Sunday) at Mickey Mantle’s restaurant. How wonderful that was. I didn’t want to leave but had to so that I could run the marathon.

I know I’m blabbering on but I idolized Mickey. Everyone who was a Yankee fan in my youth did (of course that was no one else in my family which is probably why I WAS a Yankee fan).

I don’t remember if we had a TV back then, but I know listened to the radio every single day during the summer. I kept score and drew pictures of him all day long (can you spell “crush”?).

What was it about him that everyone, including me, loved? His charisma and winning smile was part of it but, for me it was his amazing courage to overcome serious medical issues with his knees in order to become and continue as one of the greatest Yankees ever. The year 1961 would have been even more remarkable if he had not had an infection that landed him in the hospital – he would have competed with Roger Maris right up to the very end. And all without performance enhancing drugs too. Simply amazaing.

I admired his determination and dedication to a game that didn’t pay very much then and sure didn’t come with any creature comforts – he was out there every day with his very painful knees (osteomyelitis at one point) playing his heart out and loving it. It gave kids some place to “go” (virtually) and enjoy life. Listening to Mickey play with the Yankees allowed me to leave the real world for a couple of hours and be somewhere where the miserable things in my life didn’t matter or even exist anymore.  I was captivated by this man more than any other I’d ever been exposed to (well maybe Ben Casey – so maybe we did have TVs or maybe Ben was later in life). All I know is that I started loving Mickey Mantle and the Yankees about the same time I “decided” (knew) I was going to be a doctor – age 4. And I’ve never waivered from that love.

Mickey Mantle has been the hero of so many kids and although his life didn’t turn out terrifically after he retired, he remained in all our minds as something to aim for. He was just a country kid who worked hard and wanted to succeed and wanted to be there for people (especially kids) who hadn’t “made it” like he had. That’s a very important type of philanthropy.

I know I’ve blabbed on and on about Mickey and I apologize (be thankful I have to go to work or I’d go on even more) for that but he’s one of the best memories of my childhood. I still remember being able to go to Mickey Mantle day when he retired.  A tiny little girl at Yankee Stadium participating in such a wonderful tribute to a great man. How could that not stay indelibly printed in your mind.

Have the courage to continue on in spite of pain, be there for others when they need you, stay happy and positive and act like a country boy, smile all the time, and be there for others. That about sums up my childhood hero!

Terrie

P.S. In case you hadn’t figured it out yet – the number 7 is my lucky number!

 No I don’t know Robin Roberts – but I sure wish I did. Her return to Good Morning America last week (or was it the week before) was a major miracle and captured the attention of viewers the world round. Why is that? She is a very popular person. But there are alot of popular celebrities – however, how many of them have been positive no matter what the circumstances. We always see them with makeup and when they are “on camera”, not when they are having a bad day or some sort of tragic problem. But Robin Roberts shared her tragedies and the experience of them with us. She forsook her privacy in order to make people aware of the issues and problems that so many go through. It’s great when a news figure brings attention to some cause. But usually they do it after they’ve recovered or been through the experience. Robin brought people into the heart of her experience and periodically let people know what was happening and what she was going through. But have you ever seen her without a smile – and a genuine smile? I haven’t. I am certain there have been times that smiling was probably the last thing she wanted to do but that’s such a prominent part of her being that it was just natural.

Her positive outlook and determination is what inspires me. It helps me get through the dinky little troubles that I have day to day. She has alot of stuff to endure and yet she’s so caring and loving to those all around her. Her gratitude toward her team was amazing and the real center of her attention on her first day back. That’s truly amazing to me.

It was/is her determination and dedication that is keeping her going through the hard times she’s been going through. Can you do the same and behave the same as she? I don’t think I have the courage and the fortitude to endure all that. I am constantly amazed at all she’s been through and how she’s come out of it.

That’s why she’s an inspiration to me – her endurance, her dedication, determination and devotion are all above reproach.

Welcome back Robin Roberts!

Terrie