Stand Up 2 Cancer

I just finished watching the Stand Up 2 Cancer special that was aired on all 3 major networks tonight. It was an hour long, commercial free event where celebrities got together to plead for money to be donated to cancer research.

During the first 30 minutes of the show I probably teared up about 100 times. As these telethons are designed to be, it was very moving and tugged at your heartstrings in an effort to get people to loosen their purse strings.

But it was probably about 30-40 minutes into the show that my heart broke in two and the tears started to flow as I choked on them trying to breathe. What set me off? Four celebrities -Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Casey Affleck, and Forest Whitaker - sat on stools and told the stories of various individuals. Some of these individuals are still fighting and some have lost the battle. It was the story that Forest told that broke my heart.

Right now Jake is obsessed with age. Ever since Hannah turned 7 last month he asks on a daily basis when he is going to get to be "4, then 5, then 6". He wants to be a year old more than anything. It has actually turned into a good counting game for him although last night he skipped the age of 13 and tried to jump from being 12 to being 14. (And really, what 12 year old wouldn't want to skip 13 and become 14 right away?)

The story that Forest Whitaker told was from the perspective of a mother whose 4 1/2 year old son died of cancer. She felt his last heartbeats as she placed her hand on his chest. While I was certainly crying through the entire story it was when Forest Whitaker said the following words that I actually gasped out loud as Jake's beautiful smiling face flashed before my eyes:

"More than anything he wanted to be 5."

Please. Please give to Stand Up 2 Cancer so that parents never have to wish their children could have seen another birthday. And another and another. You can donate in a VERY quick process at www.StandUp2Cancer.org.