From the Director

I have been asked many times, as I am sure everyone who works with seriously ill children have, how can you do such work? Isn’t it sad?

My reply is 'yes, it is.' At times it is full of sorrow, tears, and sometimes despair. At other times it is hopeful, filled with happiness, inspiring and soul stretching.

The capacity we develop to endure sorrow is the same capacity we develop to embrace happiness. With death at the door, visible and real, we are reminded to live in this constantly changing moment and embrace it – no matter what “it” is – sorrow, pain, joy, happiness. I have seen kids go from crying and throwing up to running and laughing within a span of five minutes.

We are all living with pain – it is a part of life. How we live with that pain defines what our life will be.

Many of us spend our lives trying not to feel. We become overly busy, we shop, we eat, we drink, we zone out with television. When we try to dull the sadness, we also dull the happiness.

All children inspire us to break through those barriers and confront life on its terms. No guarantees, just fullness and diversity.

Children with cancer show us the way

Mary Anne Ruddis

Calendar

Hospital Lunch - Thanks San Francisco Sourdough Eatery and BrickHouse Massage and Coffee Bar

General Meetings - have been moved to the fourth Tuesday of the month. at 6:00 at Sacred Heart Childrens Hospital.

June 15th - Family Support Night

June 19 - River Rafting Family Event

July 23 -Family Summer Party and Picnic

July 23 - Inland Empire Motorcycle Coalition Ride to benefit kids with cancer

August 13 - Josh Ashby Memorial Shoot

August 20 - Angel Flight Fly Day

August 27 - 2nd Annual Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk

September - Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

October 7/8/9 - SAVE THE DATE - Bereaved Parents Retreat

December 3 - SAVE THE DATE Annual Christmas Party/Reunion

Donate Online

Click here to donate on-line.

 Mail: American Childhood Cancer Org Inland NW

P.O. Box 8031

Spokane, WA 99203

Wish List

ACCOIN Family News

Click here

Educational Assistance

Extending Our Hand to New Families

Family Event at Bumpers

Family Support Night

Family Services

6th Annual River Rafting

Summer Party

In Loving Memory

The Currency of Hope by an anonymous admirer

Inspiration and Hope are human currencies that go around in one giant circle.  And thank goodness for that – because it makes the hardships in life more bearable.

In 2007 friend, family man, and coworker Mike Hood was diagnosed with lung cancer. While he was in Spokane in the hospital recovering from surgery to remove a tumor, he wondered where he would get the strength to fight this cancer foe.  And in came a young lady and her mom.

It was Liz Evett. 

She rolled-in in a wheelchair with a bright smile. She was only 16 years old and already a veteran of 2 1/2 years of her own battle with cancer - Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  Liz was up from the Tri-Cities for her cancer treatment and she and her mom, Angie Ivey, thought it would be a good idea to stop and visit her mom’s coworker.

This short detour within the hospital seemed like a simple act of kindness to Liz and Angie, but its impact on Mike and his family was huge.  He thought if this young person – this child – can make this journey and roll in smiling, I can take on this cancer battle too.  

                 Mike Hood

 As happens so often, cancer children show us all the way to quiet courage and how to face great difficulty with humility and the simple joy inherent to children.

 In December2008 Liz Evett passed away eight months after her ALL relapsed and in January2010 Mike Hood passed away.

Flash forward to May 14, 2011 and the now renamed Mike Hood Memorial Golf Tournament (previously called the Waste Treatment Plant Construction Golf Tournament)

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Mike’s wife Diane and Angie Ivey were thanking the150+ golfers (including Lyle Ivey – Angie’s husband) and volunteers for their generous tournament contributions of over $6000.00 to the American Childhood Cancer

 Angie Ivey and Diane Hood       Organization Inland Northwest (formerly Candelighters of the Inland Northwest). It was very heartwarming to witness Diane Hood cheer on each golf cart as they left the club house.   

These wonderful people were paying that precious currency of Inspiration and Hope in Mike Hood’s name to children and families currently battling childhood cancer right here in the Inland Northwest and thus seemingly completing the Inspiration and Hope circle.

Interestingly enough the WTP workers battle cancer in another way

These same WTP workers in their day jobs are also paying it forward in the battle against cancer because they are building the world’s largest treatment plant – the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant.  

The mission of the Waste Treatment Plant is to vitrify (render immobile in glass) the 53 million gallons of highly radioactive chemical waste currently stored in underground tanks.  By getting the waste out of the tanks and immobilizing it into glass, the Waste Treatment Plant will prevent the waste from getting into the groundwater and the Columbia River.

This will prevent significant cases of cancer in the region for thousands of years.

 Talk about hope and inspiration.

Thank you to everyone who supported this effort and especially The Hood and Ivey/Evett Families and the WTP Planning and Execution Team of Linda Togiai, Kelly Smith, Elizabeth Ervin, Cristi Cryblskey, Vicki Davis, Colleen Canfield, Lee Ann Snyder, Deborah Lozano, Sue Allen, Laura Kurkjian  

Put your Walking Shoes On!

2ND Annual Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk

Here's another picture of hope and inspiration.

Clayton and Shelly Schneider are busy planning the 2nd Annual Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk on August 27

        Clayton Schneider

Even while facing his own struggles with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL), Clayton is busy helping others.  We hope you'll join us as a walker or sponsor and help local families living with childhood cancer.

Shelly and Clayton invite you to join them at the Medical Lake Founder's Day Parade this Saturday to promote their walk by walking in the parade at 10:00 AM.

 Thanks to our recent sponsors:

Inland Imaging

Medical Lake Middle School National Junior Honor Society

Sponsorship Opportunities

 on our

Walk Information Page

Walk form will be available soon

Childhood cancer remains the number one disease killer of children in the United States.

National News

Consider a Pjammin fundraiser at your school or office for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September. Funds benefit local children when you designate our affiliate AND research.

Volunteers Make our World go Round

Sue Hundeby makes sure that all of our kids are remembered on their birthdays. Thanks so much Sue! It's the little things that really mean a lot!

Click here if you would like volunteer information or contact us at 509-443-4162. Click here for a volunteer application,

Thanks and Accolades

We are a community based organization and we want to thank our community for the AMAZING support for kids with cancer in the Inland Northwest. We represent families who struggle with some incredibly challenging and sometimes crushing circumstances. Your care and concern make all the difference!