"We Chose Joy" in honor of Melissa Herrera today...how about you?

This is Melissa Herrera.  

Last year she passed away on this very day, November 10th, due to complications from Leukemia and SDS.  Rather than focus on their sadness or loss, her family want people to "Choose Joy", today especially.  Their dream is to have people remember Melissa's smile, her bright energy, her life, and to make the choice to be happy and joyful in everything.  Rowan and I tried to do our part to help spread that message today here in Seattle, at Seattle Children's Hospital, where Melissa was being cared for when she passed away last year.  We also asked dear friends of ours to do the same back home in Texas.  These pictures will hopefully bless her Mom, Sherry, and show her how much joy was spread in their angel's honor today.  We wish we could have covered even more cities, but are so grateful that we at least had the opportunity to represent Melissa in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. 

Rowan had 2 appointments himself today at Seattle Children's Hospital, so we put on our buttons, and headed out for the day.

After Rowan's appointments were over, we went to pick up 25 mylar happy face balloons at the local Dollar Tree here in Seattle:)

We got lots of smiles as Rowan carried all those balloons down the streets of Seattle.

 

Getting them all in the rental car was interesting, but we just laughed and laughed:)

Rowan was so excited to take them in to the hospital.

Here we are delivering them to the volunteer office.  They were so thrilled, as the staff remembered Melissa:)  They couldn't wait to pass out the balloons and buttons on the hem/onc/transplant wing of the hospital.

They gave Rowan a sticker that said "I made a difference today at Seattle Children's", which he wore proudly.

Once back in our hotel room, Rowan looked at his button and said "She was so pretty! And I know God is happy to have her in Heaven with him."

Then he kissed the button...

held it on his heart...

rubbed it into his heart...

and said a prayer for her and her family...

Back home in Texas today, our friends Maris and Judy did the same at Rowan's hematology/oncology clinic, Children's Cancer and Blood Center in San Antonio.

(Thanks ladies for filling in for us there!)

 

I'd say both trips were a huge success!

Rowan told me how good it felt to do this for Melissa and her family, and that it made his heart happy:)  Maris and Judy enjoyed it as well.  The Child Life Staff told me it was wonderful! And there is no denying these smiles...

We "chose joy together" with you today, and it brightened so many lives.

Thank you Sherry, for being the strong inspirational woman that you are.

In loving Memory of Melissa Herrera...