#12.16.2016

December 16th, 2016:  Harry Styles through the Make a Wish Foundation FaceTimed today a fan in Los Angeles battling stage IV lymphoma. Ollie Oxen was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in January of this year and has undergone numerous procedures and many rounds of chemo to try to treat the cancer. Unfortunately, about a week ago, the family was given the devastating news that at this point chemo has become futile and that efforts should be directed at keeping her comfortable.

Ollie was rushed to the ER a year ago due to a bad cough that didn’t seem to go away and pain in her chest when laying down. Following insistence by her mom, she was given chest X rays in the ER, which revealed a large mass in her chest. Further tests followed until the official diagnosis of large B-cell lymphoma. Ollie was immediately enrolled in a chemotherapy regimen at UCLA, which continued for months until in June scans revealed that the cancer was now in her brain. Biopsy followed and then more chemotherapy rounds. Throughout these months, Ollie never stopped fighting despite being bed-ridden most days and slowly losing the ability to walk or sit up.

Yesterday her mom posted on their Facebook page and on their GoFundMe page that Ollie was going to meet Harry Styles: “Tomorrow is a big day, we will finally have O’s Make A Wish to meet Harry Styles from One Direction!! It will be via face time as he’s in the U.K. already for the holidays but – we are thrilled for her all the same!!”. Today a post on Ollie’s Facebook page indeed confirmed that Harry called her on FaceTime. Her mom said that Harry sang with Ollie “If I could fly” which is Ollie’s favorite song written by Harry and that emotions were high in the room. Her mom reported that also Harry got emotional while talking to Ollie.

Ollie’s GoFundMe page is set up to help her family cope with the expenses of the treatment and with the fact that her mom had to give up her job to care for Ollie. Visit their page to make a donation if you can. Link here.

My Brail,cvdm.,fnbfmdknkf/ss

MY BRAIN

is like an engine that won’t start

There is no gas in the tank

And

Because

My Brain engine isn’t attached to anything

Not a car or lawn mower

My brain is an engine

sitting on the side of the road

unattached

There are some words you learn that resonates with you for a lifetime. I remember being in tenth grade Mrs. Mordecai-Moore’s class when I first learned this word.  It means lover of learning. Such a simple yet profound word.