Help Pass the Nation’s First Ovarian Cancer Car Tag for Brittany Here in Alabama!

To all:

It has been almost a year since we first contacted most of you in an effort to generate subscriptions for the Ovarian Cancer Tag that was approved by the legislature. At present we have approximately 500 subscriptions, so we are short of the 1000 subscriptions necessary for the tags to be issued. Our family and a few close friends took on this project as a memorial to our Brittany that we lost to ovarian cancer in July of 2006. It has been a daunting task to say the least.

We’re down to the last 27 days as I write this email message. Through the generosity of the Birmingham Automobile Dealers Association (BADA), the remaining 500 tags have all been paid for, so the tags are absolutely free. All that is necessary for us to reach our goal is for 500 car owners to simply walk into any new car showroom in Jefferson County and ask for a free ovarian cancer tag. If the employee doesn’t know what you’re talking about, ask to see the general manager and he or she will get you subscribed for a tag in less than 2 minutes. All you need is the information on your tag receipt or the insurance card you carry in your wallet or purse. You do not need to go to the courthouse, license commissioner, etc.

Cynthia Isom works at the BADA office and she has volunteered to make it possible to get the tag without leaving your computer. Simply call Cynthia at 205-980-0540 or email her at bhamautodealers@bellsouth.net. If you live outside Jefferson County, call Cynthia and she will see that you get signed up for a free ovarian cancer tag.  You may also log on at www.carsbirmingham.com

Click on the Ovarian Cancer Car Tag

User ID is – bada
Password is – cancer
Download form—fill out and get a notary to sign it
Mail to-      Birmingham Auto Dealers Association
2101 Providence Park
Suite 150
Birmingham, AL 35242

Each year ovarian cancer claims too many lives of our daughters, mothers, wives and sisters. This tag will generate almost $50,000 for ovarian cancer research each year. If we can do this in Alabama, we can do it in other states and soon you’re talking about real money. Enough money to develop a test that will detect this awful disease like the mammogram does for breast cancer.

During Brittany’s last illness so many of you prayed for her recovery, but that was simply not God’s perfect will. There was nothing we could ask you to do, but pray. But now we are asking for something tangible that has guaranteed results and it costs nothing—sign up for a tag at any new car dealer in Jefferson County. I sincerely hope that the next email you receive on this subject from me will be to inform you that our goal has been met! Thank you for taking the time to consider our needs.

Charlie

Charlie D. Waldrep

205.327.8348 Direct Dial

205.254.3216 Main Phone

2323 2nd Avenue North

Birmingham, AL 35203

Please Apply for an Ovarian Cancer Car Tag

It is hard to believe, but it has been a year since we lost Brittany. Since then, our family has worked toward the creation of a car tag to fund ovarian cancer research. The proposed tag received legislative approval and the “commitment phase” has begun. Between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008, 1,000 commitments must be received for the tag to be manufactured. I am writing to ask you to commit to purchase a “Funding Support for Ovarian Cancer Research” car tag. The tag costs $50.00 more than a standard Alabama car tag; $41.25 will go through The Norma Livingston Foundation to fund ovarian cancer research at UAB. In addition, the tag itself will promote awareness.

Presently, there is no reliable test for ovarian cancer. Since there is no test, most women are in the later stages when the cancer is discovered. Despite a fierce struggle, Brittany lived less than two months after learning that her Stage 1 ovarian cancer had returned. Research can develop a test providing early detection to save lives. To commit to purchase the car tag, please follow the instructions listed below.

1. Go to the Courthouse DMV and bring your vehicle registration information.

(car tag receipt)

2. Ask the car tag clerk for a “Commitment to Purchase” form for the Ovarian Cancer

Research Tag #85.

3. At this time, you will pay $50.00 for the cost of the tag. You will be given a copy of

your commitment form and a receipt. Place these in a secure location.

4. Continue to use your current tag. When 1,000 Commitment to Purchase forms are

completed, the tag will be manufactured. You will be contacted when they’re ready

for pick up; be prepared to provide your original Commitment form and receipt to

claim your tag.

Please encourage your family and friends to purchase an OVCA car tag. This is an incredibly meaningful way to fight ovarian cancer and remember our sweet Brittany.

*Please email us your name and no. of tags ordered if you are so inclined. We are keeping count at ALOvarianCancerCarTat@gmail.com

WWW.OVARIANCANCERCARTAG.COM

God Saw You Getting Tired

God saw you getting tired when cure was not to be.

So he closed His arms around you and whispered, “Come to Me.”

You didn’t deserve what you went through, so He gave you rest.

God’s garden must be beautiful, He only takes the best.

And when we saw you sleeping so peaceful and free from pain,

We could not wish you back again to suffer that again.

–We will always love our darling Brittany. Sept. 25, 1981- July 20th 2006

Our Darling Bitt

It doesn’t seem true. Brittany’s viewing will be held tomorrow July 21st at 6:00 p.m.  We are having both her funeral and viewing at Huffman Baptist Church where Brittany grew up.  The funeral will be held Saturday, July 22nd at 11:00 a.m. All of Brittany’s childhood friends will be meeting on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall at Huffman Baptist Church. Please bring fond memories, pictures, and Brittany’s spunk. We ask that any remembrance of Brittany be directed towards ovarian cancer research. 

Thank you so much for praying for Brittany.  Brittany touched people around the world.  I still can’t believe our sweet girl is gone.  I can’t believe she’s gone 8 weeks and two days after her diagnosis. I have a lot of happiness knowing that Brittany is in heaven feasting with my Mawmaw.  I have a lot of happiness in knowing that her suffering did not continue for months.  Our sweet sweet girl is no longer in pain. 

I would like to say that this website has helped me cope with Brittany’s passing tremendously.  My entire family is so very grateful to everyone for caring for our Brittany.  Today, 6,188 people viewed Brittany’s site.  Brittany literally affected people all over the world.  She inevitably changed my life forever.  Please pray for my family.  Please thank God for the peace he gave her, and please donate to cancer research. 

 A note from my Father:

On July 20, 2006 at 8:43 pm Daddy Said:

Brittany -
Yesterday I began this comment and after having written a few sentences, I received a call suggesting that I come to the hospital. When I arrived I was informed that things were not going well. You were in a great deal of pain. The pain couldn’t be managed, so you had to be sedated. We were told that you might have a couple of weeks or maybe six months left. As we now know, you had only a matter of hours.
You took us all on an incredible journey in your fight with cancer. You never, ever considered quitting, as you were sustained by your faith. When you were a little over 3 years old, you wanted to go to “big church” like your two older sisters, instead of the church nursery which was mandatory for all children under 4 years of age. We finally relented when you were about 3 and 1/2 and let you go to “big church” after making you promise to be quiet, well behaved, etc. Well, after sitting quietly for about 15 minutes, you leaned over, pointed toward the pulpit and whispered in my ear, “When is Jesus going to come out?!” With the faith of a child, you expected Jesus to be in “big church”! It was this same child-like faith that sustained you through all of the trials and tribulations wrought by your cancer. Never complaining, but always trusting your Lord. Last week you told me that you wanted “your” scripture to be “My mercy is sufficient for your needs, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Amen!
Throughout your ordeal, you displayed the heart of a warrior! You are such an inspiration to so many people! You simply can’t imagine how many people that I encountered daily who said, “I haven’t prayed in years, but I’m praying for your daughter.” Some of these folks will pray for others as well as themselves. Look at what you started!
Let there be no mistake, for the benefit of all our “Prayer Warriors” our prayers for you were answered. We asked for you to be healed—and today you are! Maybe not in the concept of our time, but certainly in His time! You told us that you were going to “own a house”, but it would probably be next year. Now you will choose from “many mansions”, not just any old house!
You are a beautiful, sweet child who was plucked from us far too soon. Your friends and family will miss you everyday that we’re apart. But we know that you are in a far better place. This morning around 1:00 a.m I sat next to your hospital bed and looked at your eyes, closed almost three-quarters due to the pain medication , and you were still groaning with pain. I saw all all of the tubes, and wires that performed every bodily function for you and I listened to your labored, gasping breathing as your pulse raced at 150 beats a minute. I saw another person’s blood being dripped into your veins because your “white count” was too low, and they couldn’t even give you the blood until your sister and I had continuously sponged you off with cool water to bring your temperature to just under 100 degrees. You were so miserable, but you were so sedated you couldn’t speak! I prayed for you to receive sweet rest and for you to be healed in every respect. At a little after 2:00 a.m. my prayers for you were answered.Praise God that you are now perfectly formed just as your mother and I received you into the world! No more pain! And no more waiting “for Jesus to come out!” I’m sure you’ll have Him wearing Orange and Blue in no time!
You’ve already met some folks that you have gone before you, MaMaw and Pop come to mind. Wouldn’t surprise me if you have had a good run with ‘ol Dukey boy, too! I realize that you are “gone” from us, so I don’t want folks reading this to think I’m a little touched! I just happen to know that you now have the answers to all the mysteries of the universe revealed to you, so it stands to reason that you can read your own blog site! Your mother and I love you more than life itself, and you know that we would have taken your place in a heartbeat if that was possible. But our life on earth compared to eternity is less than the twinkling of an eye! So, you get that new house ready for a Hallelujah Homecoming!
Daddy

Our dear Brittany

Today my little sister passed on to be with my grandmother Mawmaw and God in heaven.  She started running a fever last night with Stacy and her friend Jennifer.  My Dad was by her side when she slipped away peacefully.  My Mom was told by us.

Our beautiful little girl fought so hard and never gave up.  Words cannot express my love for Brittany.  Nothing can ever replace her light.  It gives me comfort to know that she no longer hurts.  Her wound, tubes, medicine, everything has disappeared now.  Our sweet girl does not suffer anymore.

Brittany lived for others and by doing so her sickness affected so many people.  My life will never be the same.  The amazing oncology nurses who treated Brittany loved her so much.  We all do.  God blessed us with Brittany.  I thank God ever day for Brittany.  I love her so so much.

I will post the last posting with her funeral arrangements later on today.  It will be exactly what she wanted. With every breath I take I will be remembering Brittany.

We Love Our Britt Britt

Brittany fought all night long, but this morning when I arrived she still was still in pain and vomiting even with the NG tube in. My Mom said her Dilauded dosage wasn’t lasting 15 minutes, and on Monday night I was calling for it ever hour. Our chief nurse Dianne kept trying to help her, but we couldn’t get the pain medicine high enough or make her comfortable. Dr. Cantrelle saw her in this state and ordered a morphine drip. The dosage in the morphine drip had to be bumped up today as well. Dr. Barnes told my Mom yesterday that her medicine is so high her heart may stop from it. Brittany is now sleeping more than she is awake and is no longer in pain. I feel a lot of agony in typing this.
There is a mass caused by cancer that has developed, and it is next to her kidneys. We will get a pin put in externally to perserve her kidney and relieve the lower back pain she’s having. This procedure will not be painful and will help her. Hopefully it will relieve her enough that we can come back down on the pain medicine. Chemo is still scheduled as of now, and there is still a chance that chemo will kick in. Her white blood cell count is extremely low, so we’re still a little way from knowing when she will be able to do another round of chemo.

The family is also meeting tomorrow to discuss our options moving forward. Brittany hasn’t been living a life since she was diagnosed. She hasn’t eaten food in over a month, and she recently told me numerous times that she just wants to go home. Her pain is relentless. Brittany’s been crying to go home the last few days. Maybe we will be able to take her home and keep her on the drip with everything she needs while we explore what we can do to reverse things.

I’m not going to be able to update the website for a few days. I still have hope and faith in God that having the pin put in will relieve her pain enough that she can come down from the morphine, and we can try a new chemo. I just love her so much, and I don’t understand any of this. Brittany is God’s child, and she is still very much alive and our precious girl. Please keep praying hard for Brittany. We will never give up on her. Please pray to God for a Miracle.

Britt will stick with same chemo treatment

Dr. Cantrelle was hopeful to see major results within 24 hours of Brittany’s chemo and we have not but Dr. Barnes doesn’t want us to be discouraged. Dr. Barnes sent off a portion Brittany’s mucinous tumor to find a chemo that would work on it. Some types of her cancer have been sensitive to Carbo/Taxel has while others are completely resistant. Dr. Barnes and Dr. Cantrelle agree we must give her two rounds before thinking about another type. This chemo is hard on her so we have to wait another 8-10 days before she can have it again.

Britt’s pain makes it nearly impossible for her to speak during the night. I think the sunlight helps her in the morning. We’re all very worried about her. Dr. Barnes is going away to a convention this week so I am hoping he will be discussing Brittany’s condition on his trip, and I am sure he will be. Brittany’s touched us all and we all want to save her life.

Stacy is giving me some more pics to put up on the web so I hope to have those up soon! Thank you so much for your constant support and for your prayers.

I received a kind email from Brittany’s friend Nat Nat (Natalie) encouraging me to not lose faith in Brittany’s healing and I am asking you all to please do the same.  Brittany would not lose faith in any of us and I know God is shining a light on Brittany, even in her darkest pain.

Britt is having a better day…

Brittany had a rough night last night and was running a fever.  My Mom came up to the hospital, and her fever broke a little while later. Britt was doing better by 4 a.m., and she is continuing to do better today.

Friday and Saturday went very well.  There were positive signs by the way Brittany was sleeping comfortably on her back, drinking plenty of liquids, and talking frequently.  Saturday morning Britt and I listened to Fleetwood Mac and drank hot tea.  We reminisced about high school, and later that day my Dad sent over a masseuse, so Brittany had a facial and a head massage!

Sunday the doctors increased her pain medicine.  A side effect from chemo is aches and pains, and she came off her steriod, so we’re hoping some of her pain is due to that.  Her potassium levels are low, so she started to receive potassium with her tpn.

I wish I had better news to deliver for Brittany.  All we can do is continue praying that her cancer will shrink from chemo and that she will not be in pain.

Stacy is looking forward to being able to come back to the hospital tomorrow after being quarantined, so I know Britt will be way glad to see her!

Britt has completed 1st round of new chemo…

Brittany has completed this round of chemo and so far she’s not experiencing side effects.  Dr. Cantrelle met with her this morning and told her that she may be sore tomorrow when she comes off her steroid but right now she’s looking good. 

Brittany did not get into pain last night (thank goodness) and she actually slept some too!  Britt can now go 3-4 hours between dilauded now that we have increased dosage.  The medicine makes her pretty out of it.  Dr. Cantrelle said that this chemo should show signs that it’s working within a day which is great because we don’t have to wait a week like we did for her past two regiments.  Dr. Cantrelle asked Britt if there was anything more he could do for her and she said, “you might want to fix your tie because it’s wrapped around your stethoscope.”  He looked down and burst out laughing!  He hadn’t noticed until Britt Britt pointed it out.  Brittany’s getting hungry again and she’s trying out all sorts of drinks in her brand new Superman mug!  She’s now able to have cold things again since we’re 10 days out from Oxaliplatin.  Cold cider, Grapico and Sprite are some of the drinks she really enjoys!  Thank you so much for praying for our Britt! 

Britt takes new chemo through the night

We increased Brittany’s pain medication yesterday (Wed.), and we doubled it today to give Britt more comfort. Now Britt’s doing much better managing her pain.  She’s a little out of it which is probably a good thing because Dr. Barnes is preparing us for negative side effects, so we’ll see.

Dr. Cantrelle is adminstering the chemo through her picc because her port can so easily cause infection.  We’re only going to run her TPN through her port for now.  We want to see immediate relief from this chemo.  Side effects are worth it if it will just shrink the cancer and give Brittany relief.  Sister Ann Marie said a prayer with us, and she asked that Jesus heal Brittany as He healed the woman who faithfully touched His cloak in search of healing. Have faith that Jesus will heal Brittany too.