Heart of gold

First with some housekeeping: I have bought my own domain name. I am moving from http://letshaveacocktail.blogspot.com to http://www.letshaveacocktail.com/.  Please update your bookmarks or readers. For those of my fine bloggy friends who have me listed on your blogrolls, I have been advised to ask you to update the link. The transition should be final in the next few days. Everyone who uses the blogspot address will be rerouted when the transition is final but it will not update your blogrolls. Sorry for the chore! 

Now, for the good stuff. I love to come across a laudable article that weighs against most of the austere components that make up your average daily news. Sometimes a spoonful of such sugar is exactly what we need.

I read an article from the Vail Daily News about a cancer survivor who opted to fund a support dog for another cancer victim. What makes this article even more compelling is the cancer survivor is only 9 years old. The second cancer patient is only 2 years old.

After two years of surgery, chemotherapy and treatment for a brain tumor, 9-year-old Allison Winn wanted other kids with cancer to have a companion dog like hers. So when she regained her strength,Allison initiated a fundraising campaign to pay for feeding and training of companion dogs for other kids diagnosed with cancer.

Allison's idea was to bake homemade dog biscuits and sell them by the thousands at a lemonade stand in front of her house or a store. At the same time Allison was baking dog biscuits, Shanell Mullen, began noticing odd behavior in her daughter. When they went in to have her eyesight checked, other signs led them to an oncologist. Diagnosis:  brain cancer. This tiny girl had a tumor the size of a golf ball removed this past summer.

And recently, Allison watched as 2-year-old cancer survivor Krysta caressed the nose of Lucky Bug, a gentle black Labrador, her new companion dog.

Allison earned about $1,000 over the summer, enough to buy Lucky Bug and two other dogs she can give to other cancer-stricken kids. She's also planning a new dog biscuit-making campaign.

I love that children can learn compassion, and kindness, and philanthropy at this young age. I can't imagine what a parent would experience hearing their child has cancer, and I hope I never do. Bravo to you Allison for demonstrating what it is like to be graceful and loving in spite of your own adverse circumstances. Love your giant heart.