BRIEF UPDATES ON GUNNER GILLESPIE AND TREVOR TREDAWAY!

August 16, 2008

with Trevor
Gunner 2 weeks ago
Photo by: Dari McManus

With Gunner on August 10, 2008

For the benefit of newcomers to my Blogsite, very late in 2007 I started corresponding with the family of Gunner Gillespie. Gunner is 8 years old. He has a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)--a cancerous tumor on his brainstem. This past summer, I was very blessed to become friends with the family after they arrived with Gunner to Scottsdale, Arizona to resume new medical treatments.

-

When Gunner's condition changed considerably, he returned home to Kentucky on August 10th to be reunited with his friends from school, his teachers and his community who loves him. During September, Gunner's condition worsened. Last night, Calvert Methodist Church sponsored "GLOW FOR GUNNER". This powerful demonstration of Prayer and Love involved the local community lighting a candle at 8:00 PM. A group planned to gather at a park around 7:45 PM with participants bringing a candle, a flashlight or a glow stick before walking to the Gillespie's home to form a powerful circle of Love and Supportiveness around the outside of their house. I'd like to ask you to please keep Gunner, his 5 year-old sister Garlynn and his parents Gus and Janna in your thoughts and prayers. They have meant so much to me and I love them dearly. I know that hundreds of you have stopped by my site, and several thousand have visited Gunner's Caringbridge site as well.

-

An encouraging word can be sent to Gunner by visiting his website at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gunnergillespie. Now a brief word about Gunner's friend Trevor Tredaway.

-

It was no accident, coincidence, fate or chance that I began corresponding with The Gillespies on their Caringbridge website around last November, if my memory is correct. In the middle of this, I received an e-mail from my Pastor of 22 years and his wife who wrote the following. "We are so worried about this young boy. Would you please keep him in your thoughts and prayers?" That boy is 3 year-old Trevor Tredaway and according to his mother Melinda, I first contacted them on January 4, 2008. After my holiday move to Arizona from Ohio, I learned that my Pastor's wife knew of Todd and Melinda Tredaway from a mutual friend. This friend in turn knew a girlfriend of Melinda's who taught school with her. Ironically, The Gillespies are both teachers as well! Like The Gillespie family, Trevor's parents also made the decision to come to Scottsdale, Arizona for Trevor's cancer treatments. Trevor is coping with an Astrocytoma cancerous brain tumor, along with tumors on his spinal cord. I was blessed to have made new friends with The Tredaways--and like The Gillespies, I too love them dearly. Nearly two weeks after The Gillespie's returned home to Kentucky, Trevor returned home with his parents to Texas to enable the family to regroup.

-

At this time, Todd and Melinda are evaluating feedback from expert physicians regarding their next step in Trevor's medical treatment plan. Trevor's tumor has grown significantly since this past summer, and his seizures have intensified compared to last October, when they first began. Todd and Melinda are aggressively researching heir options and deliberately moving forward day by day. Your thoughts and prayers for Trevor, his 18 month-old sister Morgan and his parents Todd and Melinda mean so very much. An encouraging word to Todd and Melinda can be sent to Trevor's website at:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/trevortredaway.

-

Medical care for these precious children is very expensive. Some of you have recently e-mailed me asking for an update on the boys and how you can help financially. No amount is too small. Here is where you can take action towards this end.

-

The Trevor Tredaway Fund

Citizens Federal Credit Union

P.O. Box 51070

Midland, TX 79710

-

The Gunner Gillespie Fund

Community Financial Services Bank (CFSB)

P.O. Box 467

Benton, KY 42025

-

I'd like to express my Love and Appreciation to all of you who have remembered these little boys from my past Blog posts, and certainly with your thoughts, prayers, meditations and shout-outs! All of this is appreciated more than you'll ever know. Thank you for "Being the Difference That Makes The Difference"!

_

My Past Blogs on Gunner and Trevor:

August 16th: Trevor
August 10th: Gunner
July 30th: Trevor
July 26th: Gunner
June 21st: Trevor
June 13th: Gunner (& first of 2 Phoenix NBC 12 Newscasts)
June 8th: Gunner
May 29th: Trevor
May 12th: Update on Gunner
April 20th: Meet Gunner Gillespie

-

With Love & Faith,

Michael