My daughter Rachel was only two years old when she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. Her only hope for a cure was a bone marrow transplant. Fortunately for our family, her sister Allyson was a perfect match and one month later we arrived at Dana Farber Cancer Institute to fight for our daughter's life.

The fight has been long and hard. The past eleven years we have witnessed our share of great pain and suffering. Yet we have also witnessed the great love and the insurmountable resilience of the human spirit. We struggled as a family during a time of crisis, and Rachel and all of our family have endured the unthinkable and suffered great loss. However, in our darkest hours we became witness to life's greatest lessons.

Motivated by all that we have learned, Time For Life was formed. Once a child is diagnosed with cancer the dynamics of the family is changed forever. Although medical technology offers many families the possibility of a cure, it seldom comes without great cost.

Children are often left with numerous physical and emotional complications, and the entire family struggles to live in the aftermath of the diagnosis. Whatever the outcome of the disease, this experience will have a lasting impact on every loved one affected. Time For Life is here to help these remarkable families as they cope with such a difficult and painful experience.

Sincerely,

Marci Spellman
Executive Director