Letter # 1
“I read about your wonderful foundation. If at all possible, could you help out my brother? My precious niece is terminally ill with brain cancer. She will be turning 14 next week. She has undergone several surgeries and numerous courses of chemotherapy. She is now in her fourth clinical experimental trial and her condition is deteriorating. She has lost her hearing and much of her eyesight. She cannot walk and experiences several seizures each day. My brother needs to buy her a hospital bed and your assistance would help with the cost.”
The Foundation immediately contacted the Elks who provided a bed, free of charge. In addition, we sent a check to the poor father. As always, there are no strings attached. “Use the money for whatever will make your daughter comfortable.”
Letter # 2
“We have three very seriously ill children. The oldest is an eleven year old who has been diagnosed with Celiac disease. Our middle child, age eight, has severe food allergies and asthma and serious auto immune issues. The third child is three years old, and has yet to be diagnosed. Despite their best efforts, doctors have not been able to find the cause of her hypotonic myocloclonic seizures. Without expensive medicine she can have up to one hundred seizures a day. CHOP was recently able to identify a q5 Deletion. An MEF2 chromosome is missing. The only other documented case is in a rat.”
Our trustees ran a hole in one contest at a golf fundraiser and raised $1,700.00 for the family. A month later, they ran another hole in one contest and raised another $1,400.00 for the family. The Carmie Brady Foundation also mailed a $2000 check to the family. There are no strings attached. “Use the money for the comfort and well being of your children. We wish that we could do more.”
Letter # 3
“My Daughter has been diagnosed with Acute Myleogenous Leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. She is unable to attend classes, jump on a trampoline or walk outside of the hospital room without a mask. The list goes on and on. Since she will be secluded in her room, for many months, her friends would like to build her a special room where she can feel the love from her family and friends.”
On Saturday, Sept. 12, our trustees and a group of our young members, traveled to a distant town to be tested in hopes that one of them would be a bone marrow match for the child. They so much wanted to help this seriously ill child. They also presented the family with a Check from the Carmie Brady foundation to be used toward the child’s room.
About Hope Lodge:
“Because of Hope Lodge, I have enjoyed solace and serenity in a time and place of distress and upheaval in my life. Perhaps one of cancer’s greatest “gifts” is that it cultivates in people like you a compassionate spirit of service to those in need and, at the same time, it creates in people like me a mindset of gratitude in my time of greatest need. While there is reasonable cause for despair in my life personally, you have given me reason for courage and hope.”
About Hope Lodge:
“Please know what a heavy weight was lifted from me when I was told of Hope Lodge, and then to have it be as wonderful as it is made it an even sweeter gift, I have been on this journey for five years and had been disillusioned by the lack of compassion I encountered in other surroundings. Hope Lodge has restored my faith in humanity. You are appreciated with the deepest gratitude.”
About Hope Lodge:
“Staying at Hope Lodge is to experience complete and total generosity. I have been on my cancer journey since August 2004. Before Hope Lodge, each of my visits to NY for treatment cost around $12,000, and this did not include my medical bills. We have been so strained financially, and I am not sure I would be able to continue my treatments if it weren’t for Hope Lodge. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU! My husband and three little boys thank you as well.”
About Hope Lodge:
While visiting Hope Lodge, Mr. Brady met a man who was staying in the Carmie Brady room with his seriously ill wife. With tears in his eyes, the man uttered,” I would like to introduce you to my wife, but she just returned from treatments and is too ill to speak.” The poor woman was wreathing in pain. He continued,” I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me and my wife. Prior to learning about Hope Lodge, we had given up all hope. We could no longer afford to come to New York for treatments. Thanks to you and the Brady Bunch, our hope has been restored.” Weeping openly, the man said “Please go back and tell the Brady Bunch how much I love them.”
The Carmie Brady Foundation 