4/3/10 - Well, it's that time of year again when mom and dad begin their door-to-door fundraising campaign! As soon as the weather warmed up a few weeks ago they began knocking on doors and to date, including the bachelor auction fundraiser the Smackdown Cancer Fighters have raised almost $7000. But there is still a ways to go to reach their 2010 goal of $20,000!
We are looking forward to Easter tomorrow as we will all be going to church together and visiting the cemetary afterwards. Because of Christ's sacrifice for all our sins we have peace knowing that Roo is with Jesus! I wish everyone a blessed Easter.
2/6/2010 - The Bachelor Auction was a HUGE success! We raised just about $6000.....amazing! The bachelors were wonderful, such a great group of guys. Mom and dad literally spend the last 3 months pounding the pavement in search of these guys. We have to give a BIG thank you to the Tobacco Co. Club, they were so accommodating and just a joy to work with on this endeavor, thank you Rachel & Rebecca! Over 50 businesses in the Richmond area donated dinners, spa gift certificates, hotel accommodations, and other exciting activities for these bachelors and their dates to partake in. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers that helped on Wednesday night, we could not have done it without you. Shelly Perkins from Lite 98's morning show was our emcee and Gail Maupin was our auctioneer....thank you ladies. It's already been decided that we will be having our 2nd Annual Bachelor Auction next year! The only thing else I can say is, if you weren't there you missed a fun night!
9/29/09 - Well we have now passed the 4 year anniversary of Roo's passing and another birthday. He would be 17 now if still here and a senior in high school, but where he is there is no school!! We have an exciting new fundraiser in the works. It's a bachelor auction and it's planned for February and it will be held at the Tobacco Co. Restaurant in downtown Richmond! Our goal is to recruit 25 of Richmond's most eligible bachelors and raise at least 10K for Smackdown Cancer Fighters team. More details to follow here and on Facebook! Also Mom received the American Cancer Society's Income Development Award for 2009! They give all the credit to our Roo because after all he started all this fundraising!!! I can only begin to imagine what he would have accomplished by now if he were still here.
7/18/2009 
Roo's beloved dog ~ FLASH Flash Lee Goodall
2000-2009
Flash departed this life on June 29, 2009 when he was tragically struck by a truck in front of his home in Mathews, VA. He took his last breath while in the arms of his mother, Lisa. Flash is preceded in death by his master, Richard L. Goodall, Jr. and survived by his human parents Richard & Lisa Goodall and his cat brother, Tiger. Flash was laid to rest in his the back yard of his home under the Butterfly bush that mysteriously grew after the passing of Roo in 2005. Flash was a spirited little dog. He always thought he was bigger than he really was. He loved to ride in the car and go through the bank drive thru where he knew a treat was waiting for him and he loved people and to be held and cuddled but not brushed! Many of his family members were known to have had food taken from them if they were not paying attention. Just a week before he passed, while visiting his Moosie and Popo he managed to swipe a piece of Papa John’s pizza out of Popo’s hand and a McDonalds cheeseburger. While the passing of Flash has been difficult and he is greatly missed by his family we can rest knowing that he is reunited with his master in Heaven and they are having a blast being back together at last!
Wesley Berry
2009 recipient of ACS Award "Richard "Roo" Goodall Youth Award For Excellence". Congratulations to a courageous young special man - A HERO TO ALL! 
Marlon Parker - Another Exceptional & Courageous Survivor- A Gifted Student Athlete who is an inspiration to All
Bascom giving his speech at the Relay 
Roo's cousin,Madyson, meeting a miniature horse at the Relay.
6/18/2009 - Wow is all I can say about the Smackdown Cancer Fighters! Once again mom and dad went out pounding the pavement throughout the spring and managed to raise $17,000 again this year. We have to say thank you to Walter and Melody for helping out too. To date since 2005 Roo's team has raised $80,000 to help in the fight against cancer. The relay was held on June 6th and dad gave his best speech ever according to mom and YES 2 hawks did make an appearance during the survivor's lap!! I was unable to attend because I was too tired from being up all night the night before at Gloucester's relay. What an amazing event that was too. Early in the week when they were calling for rain the committee made arrangements to hold the event indoors. What an awesome indoor event it was! That community is passionate about relay and the fight against cancer. I had a great time and was so happy to have been a part of it. Things are not slowing down for me just because relay season is over. The American Cancer Society is having quite a few summer fundraising events that I am helping with. But lucky for mom and dad they can take a well deserved break this summer. I will have more information soon on the golf tournament I am helping with, so if you are a golfer stay tuned!
3/31/2009 - With the warm weather we've been having mom and dad have been able to get out and collect for Roo's relay team. Despite the doom and gloom about the economy folks are still willing to give to this wonderful cause. Cancer does not care if the economy is bad, it continues to take lives every day! As a matter of fact because of the economy cancer patients typically have more of a financial burden. The American Cancer Society is there to help those that are struggling financially, they are also funding research that will one day lead to the cure of this horrible disease! I am loving my job with ACS. I feel very lucky to be able to have a job that is so rewarding. If you are able please consider donating $5 or $10 toward our relay team. Remember Roo's wish is that no one will have to suffer like he did. Thanks in advance!
Co-Captains Poppo and Moosie of the Smackdown Cancer Fighters. It has always been our mission to honor Roo by helping others in their fight against cancer. If you would like to contact us and see how you can help, call us at 804-276-1661. 
Strategy Meeting for 2009 Relay for Life Campaign 
Prior to Mechanicsville Christmas parade.
Parade participants Bascom (Poppo), Madison (Roo's cousin) and Carol (Moosie).
2/17/09 - Wow, things changed quite a bit since I wrote last time. I am now working for the American Cancer Society! When I wrote my last update I had completed the interview process but some time had passed and I had not heard back from them so I assumed I wasn't going to be offered the job. I got the call right before Christmas offering me the job. It was hard to say goodbye to my old job but I knew it was the right move for me. I love it!!! I am in charge of three communities, Gloucester, Mathews & Lancaster. They are all near me so it's perfect.
Mom and Dad continue to be very active volunteers for the Society. They both were asked to speak at the Mechanicsville Relay kickoff. No need to ask who they spoke about. They have gotten a jump start on their door-to-door fundraising thanks to some unseasonably warm February days. Will write again very soon!
12/10/2008 - Another Christmas season is upon us once again and without Roo. For anyone that has lost a loved one I am sure you agree that it is the most difficult time of year! Since my last update a lot has been going on. First, I am working a second job which takes up all my spare time, but that's okay because I really like the job. But because of it I have had to resign from my duties as Mathew Relay Chairperson. I am happy just to be a member of Roo's Smackdown team!
Mom and Dad were in Atlanta in November for an American Cancer Society conference for the Leadership Task Force. Sunday they walked in the Mechanicsville parade with other relayers. Despite the fact that it was freezing cold they had a good time. On a not so good note, Roo's cousin Mathew was in the hospital for 3 weeks after being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. I have to say I am sooooooo mad and frustrated once again with doctors!!!! Throughout the summer my sister would take him to his pediatrician and they would say he had a virus or that he needed to change his diet. Meanwhile poor Mathew was getting sicker and sicker, losing weight and lethargic. Finally at the end of October he was properly diagnosed, however by then he was so sick and had to be hospitalized for those 3 weeks. I am happy to report he is home and doing much better. Please pray for him. And to anyone reading this if you feel you are getting the run around from a doctor whether it be for yourself, your child or a loved one please speak up and tell them they have to do more to find out what is wrong. They are so quick to say you have a virus or something like that. What I learned going through Roo's illness and now seeing my nephew's illness is you have to be your own advocate for your healthcare needs. I hate to say this but doctors really don't seem to care, it's just another day at the office so to speak.
9/10/2008 - Today would have been Roo's 16th birthday. That is just so hard for us to imagine!!! Our little man, who would now be a big man would be receiving his first car today. Popo had always promised to give him his truck on this very big day but unfortunately the truck still sits in the driveway and will be passed on to Matthew, Roo's cousin when he turns 16. We had a nice visit to the cemetery. The rain held off and we did some trimming around his stone. We added more flowers to his vase which brightened up the whole area and we must say looked beautiful.
August 6th marked the 3rd anniversary of his passing and would you believe Richard and I had to attend a funeral on that day. A friend of ours, that Roo knew passed away. Jack Chartier was the landlord of the shop we rented in Mechanicsville died suddenly and was buried on the same day Roo passed away on. I am sure Roo was surprised to see him :) when he showed up in Heaven.
Richard and I both spent all summer working many long hours not doing much else. Even trying to get yard work done can be difficult when you are away from home at least 12 hours a day. We have a new pet. A tiny kitten showed up at Richard's shop around July 4th. We are certain Roo sent him to us because he knew we would welcome into our home and take good care of him. Not to mention he must have known Flash needed a companion while we are at work. I must admit it took over a week for Flash to accept the cat but he does seem to enjoy having him around, most of the time. Kittens are so fun to watch. The way they run and jump and leap and play is so fascinating to me. This cat is so attached to Richard it is unbelievable. He just wishes he would stop scratching and clawing him so much!!!
6/12/2008 - The Smackdown Cancer Fighters have done it for a 4th year in a row......the top fundraising team for the Mechanicsville Relay for Life. Mom and Dad and the team raised over $16,600!!! The stories and testimonies they have from their nightly collecting efforts are simply amazing. There is no denying that Roo was right there with them each and every time they asked their neighbors for donations. He is still touching the hearts of people. It was EXTREMELY hot at the relay on Saturday as you can imagine with the heat index well over 100° but relay folks are very dedicated and braved the heat and made for a good turnout and a nice relay.
5/7/2008- Sorry it took me so long to report on the golf tourney, guess I just got busy and kept forgetting. Well, we raised about $3000. I guess not too bad for my first time hosting this type of event. The weather looked questionable that morning but by noon the clouds were gone and the sun came out. All the golfers seemed to have a great time. Team "Bubba" won! Bubba works with me and he helped me out a lot with getting silent auction items and so I am glad his team won. Another guy from my work, Ken Lewis, got closest to the pin. No one shot a hole in one. Tater's Karaoke entertained us after the tournament. If you ever need a DJ for an event call Tater!!! I can give you his number, he's great.
The Mathews Relay for Life is on Sat. May 17th. We are just working out all the final details for what promises to be a fun and exciting relay for our community. What I love about Mathews is that we do this thing called "Paint the town Purple". We put up purple ribbons all over town starting next week, leading up to the relay. It really gets folks ready for relay and it is so cool riding through town seeing all the purple. Come check it out if you can :)
For those of you that have not heard I am planning a memorial golf tournament in memory of my son Richard to benefit Mathews Relay for Life. On the "Golf Tourney" page you will find information and a registration form. If you are not a golfer but know of a golfer you feel would be interested in this tournament please pass the info along. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Hope to see some of you there!!! Sincerely, Lisa
1/17/2008 - Happy New Year everyone! The year has started out very busy for me. On Tuesday night we had our 2008 RFL kickoff celebration in Mathews. We had a great turnout. Everyone enjoyed the evening and we had 3 wonderful speakers, my dad being one of them. I have a lot of work ahead trying to plan for 3 big fundraising events.....an all night bowl-a-thon in February, Lock up in March and the BIG one in April......The golf tourney. If you are a golfer please come. More details to follow.
I recently met a childhood survivor that lives in Mathews. She suffered a brain tumor, not the same kind as Roo. Her name is Brittany. She is so adorable and when I see her I have to hug her, something about her reminds me so much of Roo, she is so sweet and angelic. I trust and pray she is completely cured.
I hope that 2008 will be great for you. Never take anything for granted and try not to complain over the little things in your life!!!
11/14/2007- Since my last update I have been really busy in my world of Relay for Life. On Nov. 2-3rd I was at the annual Relay University in Portsmouth, VA. That was wonderful as usual and full of new information. Their new strategy this year is CELEBRATE...REMEMBER...FIGHT BACK! Which is what we have always done with Relay but this really refreshes and reminds us that we do have to FIGHT BACK against this horrible disease!
Then on Nov. 8-10th Mom, Dad and I headed to Atlanta for the American Cancer Society's South Atlantic Dvision conference. This was an exciting adventure for us! The conference was wonderful and we learned so much and were able to share Roo's story and hear stories from others throughout the division. The conference was first class all the way! We will post some pictures from it soon!! Since returning from the conference Mom and Dad have thought of nothing but how to raise even more money this year. They will stay within the Richmond area while I continue in my new region. We feel so committed to our original cancer society "family" since they all knew Roo but at the same time I am excited about the new people I have met in my new region. After all it is still the same cause, just a matter of which region gets the credit so to speak.
I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and don't forget to be thankful everyday for your loved ones, your health and all the blessings bestowed upon you!
10/7/2007- Roo was honored again on Sept. 17 at the American Cancer Society Region 6 awards banquet. The first Richard L. Goodall youth achievement award was given out to a young lady that did an awesome thing on her birthday. Instead of having her friends bring presents she had them all make donations to her relay team. Roo would be very proud of her!!! My dad spoke about Roo, his favorite thing to do!!!
I am keeping very busy with my new challenge.......Chairperson of the Mathews County Relay for Life. It is great to be working in my own community now even though I miss the people associated with the Mechanicsville Relay. I already have some great entertainment lined up and the event is not until May 16th 2008!!! A DJ/entertainer named "Tater" has agreed to entertain the Mathews crowd. He is Richmond's premier DJ. You can catch him on Friday nights performing at the Market Cafe out at Innsbrook.
November is going to be a busy month with relay stuff too!! I am attending Relay University in Portsmouth the first weekend and the following weekend, Mom, dad and I are flying to Atlanta for the Southeast Atlantic division of ACS for a volunteer summit. These are great opportunities for networking and sharing ideas with other volunteers and for dad to tell Roo's amazing story.
8/8/07- Monday was the 2 year anniversary of Roo's passing. It doesn't seem like it's been that long and I pray that it will never seem like it's been a long time. We talk about Roo everyday and sometimes we even refer to him in the present tense because his presence is always among us. Mom and Dad went to the cemetery on Monday and as usual the grass was cut around Roo's site. We have been so blessed by two very special groundskeepers at Hollywood Cemetery. The fact that they never knew Roo but they take such special care of his resting place is such a blessing to us. Not only do they bring flowers from time to time they also introduced a motorcycle group to him and they left a teddy bear. Since Richard, Sr. and I can not get there as much as we would like we are so thankful that between Mom and Dad and Rusty and Michael from the cemetery we know he is always well taken care of. Mom and Dad heard the hawk when they were out there but could not see him.
This is Rusty...one of the groundskeepers that
takes such good care of Roo's resting place.
Also we just want to say thank you to all Roo's regular website visitors and we continue to be blessed by the messages you leave in his guestbook.
6/26/2007- Relay for Life was held on June 2-3. It was really great except that it was over 90°. Of course we, the Smackdown Cancer Fighters, were the top fundraising team, raising over $18,200. Mom and Dad alone raised just over $10,000 ! We know Roo is very proud of our accomplishments following in his footsteps. Thanks also to Gina and Walter for raising so much money too. At the final meeting the American Cancer Society presented us with a special plaque thanking us for our fundraising efforts over the last 3 years. We dedicate this award to Roo's legacy because he is our inspiration.
4/27/07 - As we draw closer to the Relay for Life we have all been thinking of Roo and what we were doing 2 years ago at this time. He was doing awesome! We were out there collecting money for the relay almost nightly. It's hard to believe that it has been that long. We miss him so much.
Mom and Dad have been going door to door recently. They love the opportunity to share Roo's story with the person that greets them at the door. Most folks are inspired and enjoy talking with them and if they are lucky they walk away with a nice size donation. Being able to carry on his legacy is what we love to do. I have enjoyed planning this year's relay along with my co-chair Allison. It is so rewarding and we can't wait for the end result. It is all being done in Roo's honor. Please start to pray now that it won't rain on June 2nd!!!
3/19/07 - Friday night was our big pancake supper fundraiser. It went really well and we raised approx. $1100 for our relay team. The "stan cakes" were delicious and a HUGE thank you goes out to Stan for fixing those delicious hotcakes!! Erika had made bracelets with hawk charms on them. They are so awesome. If you would like one we will send you one if you make any size donation to our team. Just go to www.mechanicsvilleRFL.org and make sure you when you are donating you choose our team, the Smackdown Cancer Fighters. My mom (Moosie) did such an awesome job getting all the ingredients donated. The relay is a little over 2 months and I am keeping very busy with working on all the details to help make this relay one to remember. People seem to have a renewed enthusiasm this year. We have to thank Roo for that!!
1/31/07- Wow is all I can say about everything that has been going on lately. The Relay kickoff was a huge success. Channel 12 even came out and Dad and I were on the 11 o'clock news that evening. We are so in awe that Roo continues to make news. His spirit will always be alive and well!!! There have been many hawk sightings already this year and we know they are Heaven sent! We have in the works a potential national campaign that would carry on Roo's legacy. It's way to early to know all the details but we will be sharing it as it progresses throughout the year!
We have a pancake supper scheduled for Friday, March 16th at 6:30 PM at Stonewall Middle School. Tickets will be available in advance for $6.00. The pancakes are being made by local pancake celebrity........Stanley Watkins! You may have read about him in the newspaper recently? Mark you calendar and plan to come out for a yummy family fun night!
1/3/07- Happy New Year! Our family is very glad that the holidays are over. This was our second Christmas without Roo and it still isn't any easier. But we are very excited about all the wonderful things going on for 2007. First of all on Monday, the 8th is the kickoff for the Mechanicsville Relay for Life. All I can say is if you are local.............pleeeezzz come! It is going to be an awesome evening. Dad is hard at work preparing a speech he will give at the kickoff. Erika and Brenden from our team will also speak. The evening will be dedicated to Roo. Don't worry we will share pictures from the festive event. Also, Erika Morck is involved with Random Kids. A national organization that helps kids help other kids. Erika is so inspired by Roo that they are starting a national campaign to help her raise money for our team. Check out www.randomkid.org/rooswish.asp. You can donate to our team through Random Kids website or at
www.Mechanicsvillerfl.org and follow the link to Smackdown Cancer Fighters.
11/16/06 - Friday night most of our relay team member's and I spent the night cooking up two 40 gallon pots of delicious brunswick stew. This particular recipe was developed by David
Barden and his wife Karen Barden of K&D's BBQ & Brunswick stew and our newest team members. We had alot of fun cutting vegetables and stirring the stew all night long. By morning the pots were turned off, the stew cooled and put into quarts to be distributed to folks all over town. Most of which were pre-orders. It was such a success we are thinking of doing it again in March. We raised approximately $1,200.
Tuesday was another awesome day. Roo was awarded as Youth Philanthropist of the Year on National Philanthropy Day. It was such an honor for our family you just can't imagine. There were over 800 distinguished fundraising professionals in attendance at the Richmond Marriott for a delicious luncheon and award ceremony. My dad and I graciously accepted the award on his behalf and shared from the heart about our precious Roo. It brought tears to many eyes, followed by a standing ovation. We just want to thank Patti Jackson of the American Cancer society for nominating Roo. Also many thanks to Traci Pryor for her wonderful story she wrote about Roo in the award program.
Last, but not least, tomorrow I am headed up to Blacksburg, VA to attend Relay University. Hopefully I will learn lots to bring back with me to make the 2007 Relay for Life more awesome than ever! Several of us from the committee are headed up for an overnight stay. But I can already tell you that the '07 event is shaping up to be one of the best. We have some great people on the committee that have wonderful things in the works. Please mark the date of January 8th at 6:30pm on your calendars for the kick-off event. Location to be determined soon but please be prepared to come if you can.
Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday!
10/12/06- We had our first team meeting on October 1st. It is always great when we all get together. Our team is like our family. We are having our brunswick stew sale on Sat. November 11th at Hanover Friends Church. We have to start in the wee hours of the morning because the stew must cook for 8 hours. If you are interested in pre-ordering some delicious stew let me know! If not you can come by in the afternoon on the 11th to get some. Also, any volunteers that would like to come help stir the stew are welcome!! David tells us once it gets going it MUST be stirred the entire day. Gina will be selling her popular bracelets there too.
I am also keeping very busy co-chairing the 2007 Relay. I am really enjoying it and I promise to help make it a great event. The theme this year is "Pizazz" in honor of Roo.
Roo's cousin Mady's cheerleading team is busy raising money for the team also. Her charity was selected among all the entries. Their goal is $1000. We are trying to arrange a very special ceremony for them to present the money. We will keep you posted.
9/21/06 - On Sept. 10th, we celebrated what would have been Roo's 14th birthday in the same way as last year. Family and friends met at his gravesite. We had a very special visitor and friend of Roo. Our friend Tanja from Germany. Tanja knew and loved Roo, just as he loved her. After my dad said a beautiful prayer we released 14 balloons into the air. Afterwards we went to Olive Garden.
8/21/06- We are very proud to let everyone know that Roo was nominated and chosen to receive the Youth Philanthropist award for all his fundraising efforts with the 2005 Mechanicsville Relay for Life. You can't begin to imagine how wonderful this is for us. We will receive the award on his behalf at an event being held at the Richmond Marriott in November. He continues to touch lives everyday. I am also very excited because I have volunteered to be the Chairperson at the 2007 Mechanicsville Relay for Life. I want to make it one of the best relay's yet, in Roo's honor. You can be sure the event will be full of PIZZAZZ!!!
8/4/06- It was one year ago that God spoke to me and said, "the next few days are going hard but you need to be strong". From that moment on I knew that Richard would be healed in the next day or so. When he finally took his last breath around 4:00pm on August 6th, 2005 I realized that God chose to heal him in Heaven. Since that moment I have had many visions of what Roo's eternal life must be like. It has really made me think of what Heaven must look like. For instance, it's never too hot or too cold, there is no dirt or dust, no weeds, no annoying insects, etc. The flowers have vibrant colors all the time, the grass is perfectly green, the water is crystal clear. He is much better off than we are. If you have not made Jesus Lord and Savior of your life now is the time to say yes to Him so that He can add your name to the Lambs Book of Life and you can secure your spot for eternity! "No one comes to the Father except through me"
7/24/06- I know it has been a while since my last update. I am sorry for that. Just to let you know we did it again!!! We were the top fundraising team again this year. We managed to raise $10,203.00. I know Roo is proud of us. We have several new members that are coming on board to our team and we are really excited about them. First, David and Karen Barden of K&D's BBQ want to continue helping us and we already have in the works a Brunswick stew fundraiser in the fall. Also Gina Schiaffo has been busy making beautiful bead bracelets to sell to raise money. She can hardly make them fast enough to keep up with demand!
We had a really nice get together on Saturday to begin to discuss our new plans for next year's fundraising. And of course during the afternoon at one point we looked up and there was the hawk. He always knows what we are doing. It is a great source of comfort to us.
One other little tidbit, some of you know that I had been working on getting my real estate license, well, it is official I am now a licensed realtor. It really proves that we NEVER know where life will take us. Last year at this time I could have never dreamed of this for myself. I am really excited about my new career because it is my nature to help people so I figured what better way to help people then to help them buy or sell a home. I hope I will do okay.
6/8/06- Can't believe it's already June. We are coming up on the year anniversary of our precious Roo's passing. This time last year he had begun his decline. We are all trying to stay very busy so we won't think about what was going on this time last year. Relay for Life was Saturday. The main person was missing but he was there in spirit. My dad gave an awesome speech and just as he was mentioning the hawks, what was flying in the sky above, you guessed it.............. TWO HAWKS!!!! It was amazing and only proved that Roo was there. David & Karen Barden of K & D's BBQ helped make it quite a fundraising success with their delicious BBQ. We also sold drinks, chips & brownies. And of course Erika had her beautiful purses and fuzzy flip flops on sale. A good time was had by all and we have many new people that want to join our team which is great. Once people come and see how the event works they just have to become a part of it!!! I was really glad our friends, Christian, Rosi, Luis & Christian, Jr., from Germany were there also. I think once all our money was counted we raised around $10,000. Not too bad, I think Roo is proud of us. We knew we would never beat his record.
I also want to mention how glad we were that Nick and Gina came out and want to be on our team next year. They are very near and dear friends that we share a special bond with. Their dear son Danny also passed away to a brain tumor just like Roo. Just like us, they have made it their mission to make others aware of childhood cancer and are doing all they can to help eliminate this horrible disease!!!!!
5/9/06- I just want to let you all know that Roo's memorial ledger (stone) is now in place at his gravesite. It turned out wonderful. Also the bronze memorial at Stonewall Middle School turned out amazing as well. I want to thank Lynn Shope, a 6th grade teacher, Mr. Bob Staley, Principal and Tommy Nauman with Lighthouse Memorials for all they did regarding the bronze memorial at the school. Also thanks to Roo's grandparents, Poppa & Sweetie Goodall and Ann with Star Granite Company and once again Tommy Nauman for everything you all did to make the ledger perfect!
Please check out the article my dad wrote that was in the Richmond Times Dispatch recently which is now posted on the website. We hope to see lots of you this Saturday evening starting at 5:30pm at Fairmount Christian Church for the spaghetti dinner. Roo is expecting to see lots of you there, you can believe he will be watching from above!
4/26/06 -
Many thanks
to all of
you that
continue to
support our
cause in
memory of
Roo!
We still
have a lot
of work to
do. We
are having
the
spaghetti
dinner
fundraiser
once again
this
year on
Sat., May 13
@ 5:30 pm at
Fairmount
Christian
Church.
We hope to
see all our
friends and
supporters
there.
The
spaghetti is
being
generously
donated once
again by
Joe's Inn,
Italian
Kitchen,
Olive Garden
and Shoneys!
You can
purchase
tickets in
advance for
$6 ea., just
send me an
email or buy
them at the
door.
The bronze
memorial
stone has
arrived at
the school
which is
placed under
Roo's
dogwood
tree.
There was a
mix up with
an earlier
update,
the blooms
did actually
turn out to
be white.
As you can
see on the
home page it
is beautiful
just like
Roo.
His
gravesite memorial
ledger
should be in
very soon.
I hope some
of you will
have the
chance to
visit
Hollywood
Cemetery
this
spring/summer.
It is a very
historical
and
beautiful
place.
My dad,
Popo, was
recently
recognized
in the
Richmond
Times
Dispatch
during
National
Volunteer
week.
I will get
the article
on the
website by
next week.
It is a
great
article!
God always
brings good
things out
of a bad
situation.
The things
we do to
honor Roo's
memory are
what keep
our family
going!
4/6/06- I can't believe
it is already April and
that Easter is just
around the corner.
Last year at this time
Roo was doing so
awesome. Nothing
could stop him. We
were enjoying every
single day and not
thinking about tomorrow
or what "could" happen.
In my mind he was being
healed and getting
better every day! I will
always cherish the last
few months of his life.
Don't get me wrong I
cherish EVERY SINGLE DAY
we had with him but the
last few months in
particular were so very
special. I thought
about other families and
how they just run from
one activity to another
and worry about homework
getting done, etc. and I
felt so blessed that the
only thing in my life I
had to do was whatever
Roo wanted.
Sometimes I think
parents put way too much
pressure on their
children to be like the
Joneses. The child
must play ball, must be
a cheerleader, and must
be in this and that
activity that you really
don't take time to
actually enjoy your
kids. Take it from
me, making memories with
you children is
priceless!
3/9/06 - I received an email last week
from one of Roo's teachers from last
year and she informed me that the
dogwood tree they planted at school this
past September in his memory is already
blooming. I was so excited to hear
that especially since I really haven't
seen any other dogwood trees blooming
yet. She also said that it is
actually blooming pink instead of white
like it was marked when purchased.
I had to laugh, obviously Roo wanted
pink instead of white probably because
he knew it would look much better!
They have ordered a bronze memorial
stone to place by the tree. I will
be sure to post photos when it is in
place.
The Mechanicsville Relay for Life
Committee has named Roo the relay hero
for this year. Because of his
efforts and impact from last year this
is something new they want to start.
We all feel very honored. He will
always be our hero.
Our 2nd Annual Spaghetti dinner
fundraiser is already scheduled for May
12th at Fairmount Christian Church.
Please mark your calendars and plan to
attend. Also for all you
Mechanicsville folks, Anna's Italian
Restaurant has one of our relay team
collection jars so please make sure you
drop a buck or two in when you pay your
bill!!!! You can also make a
donation online at
www.MechanicsvilleRFL.org, click
on Smackdown Cancer Fighters and go from
there. Many thanks in advance.
2/15/06- I was blessed once again by another
sighting of the hawk! On Sunday
afternoon I was outside with Flash, he
headed into the woods and all of a sudden I
saw the huge hawk fly from one tree to
another and then he just stared at me and I
at him. Richard was so sorry he missed
it. He was not home at the time.
We also want everyone to know that we think
Roo had everything to do with the Steelers
Superbowl victory!!!! He knows how
much his daddy LOVES the Steelers.
There is a Relay for Life kickoff meeting on
Monday night. Remember if you live in
Mechanicsville and want to start a team or
join our team please let me know.
1/24/06- We moved into our new home on January
7th. A little earlier than expected.
The move was hectic, we never knew how much
stuff we had!! We are getting settled
now and we love it. It is so peaceful.
On the day we moved in my parents were
helping us and Dad looked up in the bright,
blue sky and just above the house he saw the
hawk flying over!!! Is that amazing or
what??? We knew right then Roo knew
exactly where we were and we had his
blessing!! I got a job less than a
week after we moved in. I am working
at Century 21 as a secretary. I really
like it. It was perfect timing.
Sunday was my birthday and my family and
friends made it very special for me since it
was very sad not having my baby there with
me. He loved birthday parties. I
knew he was smiling down on me and sending
me his birthday wishes.
1/3/06 - Happy New Year to everyone. Thank
goodness the holidays are behind us. It
was extremely difficult for all of us. On
Christmas day, after church, Richard and I met
my parents out at the cemetery in between the
rain showers. We are so thankful to have
the move to our new house to look forward to
otherwise we are not sure how we would be making
it to this point without Roo, on Jan. 6th it
will be 5 months. This past weekend we
packed up his room. His new room will be
set up exactly the same way. We will be
moving on January 12th. We absolutely
can't wait.
We also want to let everyone know that if you are
interested in being on Roo's Smackdown Cancer
Fighters team this year please email me at
Roo91092@aol.com. We are looking for
dedicated team members interested in helping us
be the top fundraising team once again this
year. Also, if you are interested in being
a team captain of your own team please contact
me at the same email address. We will have
some special guests on our team this year coming
all the way from Germany!!! We are really
excited about that.
Merry Christmas from Heaven
I love you all dearly,
Now don't shed a tear,
I'm spending my Christmas
With Jesus this year.
12/10/05 - On Wednesday VCU Medical Center held a
memorial service. It was a beautiful service
of remembrance of all the beautiful children that
have gone on to eternal life before us. As you
can see from Roo's homepage we have decorated a
small tree in Hollywood Cemetary for him. The
beginning of the holiday season was very difficult
for me but once I realized that Roo is really not
missing out on Christmas at all it has become a bit
easier. After all he will be with Jesus and He
is the reason for the season. My prayer for
everyone this year would be that you try not to get
stressed about shopping, decorating, attending
holiday parties and preparing food, etc. that you
not lose site of what Christmas is really about.
We listed the house this week with a realtor and I
think we may already have 2 contracts coming to
us!!! This would be a really nice Christmas
present for us, as we are ready to move to Mathews
and begin our new life. It will be very sad to
leave Roo's house but he goes with us wherever we
go. I also want to take this opportunity to
wish all our friends, family and regular visitors to
Roo's website a very merry Christmas and blessed new
year.
11/9/05 -
It has now been 3 months since our precious son
entered into his eternal life. Richard and
I find such peace in talking about Roo all the
time and remembering all the funny things he
said and did. We can't help but smile and
laugh about certain things. Of course
there are times when sadness comes and the tears
flow. God's grace and mercy get us through
each and every day without him. As you can
imagine none of us are looking forward to the
holidays. We have decided to skip all of
our normal holiday traditions. But please
don't feel sad for us. We will be okay.
It is simply what we feel we must do on this
first Christmas without Roo.
Richard
and I are keeping very busy with our auto repair
shop and trying to sell our house. We
thought we had it sold but it fell through.
We really don't want to lose the house in
Mathews. It is so peaceful there and we
feel we have Roo's blessing to be there.
We are already thinking about next year's Relay
for Life. My dad was recently asked to
speak at a team captains meeting and did an
awesome job. Of course it is easy for him
because he loves to talk about his wonderful and
courageous grandson.
10/4/05- On
Friday afternoon a beautiful memorial tree planting
service was held at Stonewall Jackson Middle School
in honor of Roo. It was a beautiful afternoon
and the school did an awesome job with everything!!!
We planted a white Dogwood with white mums around
it. The principal, Mr. Bob Staley shared some
words, Donald, Roo's best friend read his poem he
wrote ( you can read Donald's poem on the "Memoriam"
page) and I spoke from the heart. They are
having a plaque made that will say the following:
In remembrance of Richard L. "Roo" Goodall, jr. who
was sent here to touch lives with his smile,
laughter and his courage. He will be
remembered by all who knew him as a hero.
Also, just to
let you know what mom and dad have been up to, well
we have found a house in New Point, VA that we have
a contract on. A lot of you know that our shop
is in Gloucester Point, VA which is over an hour
from Mechanicsville. This house is closer to
the shop and the best part is that it is less than 1
mile from the Chesapeake Bay. Roo knew we were
going to move one day so we feel we have his
blessing. We will be sad to leave
Mechanicsville but Roo is always with us in our
hearts no matter where we are. We are looking
at it as a new beginning for us. It is an
older home with a beautiful yard. It is so
peaceful and we feel so at peace there. Please
pray that we can sell our home quickly.
9/12/05 -
On Saturday (9/10) we had a beautiful memorial
birthday celebration in honor of Roo's 13th
birthday. Friends and family met at his
gravesite. I read a letter I had written
to Roo and a beautiful poem my mom found.
We then released 13 balloons into the air.
It was also the one month anniversary since his
celebration of life and burial. On the day
of burial two hawks appeared as soon as Richard
and I arrived at the gravesite and stood on a
mausoleum next to Roo's site. They stayed
for the entire service. We have been back
to visit the gravesite many times since then and
had not seen the hawks. But on Saturday we
looked up in the sky and there they were flying
high looking down at all of us. We feel it
has to be some sort of sign.
8/29/05 -
We just wanted to let all of Richard's website
fans to know what his mom and dad are up to
since he left us. We have good days and
bad days. We cherish our precious memories
with our beloved son. For the last few
days I have been going with Richard, Sr. to our
auto repair shop in Gloucester and helping him
as much as I can. It helps to be out of
the house. We have a camper at the river
and we will stay there this week, as it is close
to our shop. We have many fond memories of
Roo and his dad fishing and crabbing there.
We have planned a memorial birthday celebration
on September 10th at his gravesite.
Stonewall Jackson Middle School wants to plant a
tree in his memory in their courtyard. We
look forward to that later in September.
August 15 ~ A message from Lisa and family:
Our entire family wishes to thank all of you for your
heartfelt expressions of sympathy in Roo's guestbook.
Please know that they are helping us all get through this
very difficult time. We hope that you will continue to
visit his website as we will keep it going. We plan to
continue what Roo started with Relay for Life / American
Cancer Society, therefore we will use his website to keep
you informed with our progress.
8/3/05 -
The last few days have been a bit rough for Roo.
I would ask that you all please pray the following
prayer for him. "God, we know that with you
ALL things are possible and we just ask that you
perform a miracle in him and we ask this in the
MIGHTY name of Jesus Christ, amen." And when
you pray this believe it with all your heart.
I know that if we all agree on this together God
will touch him in an awesome way.
7/25/05 -
Richard had a good weekend. This morning we
took him out for a short walk in his wheelchair
around the neighborhood. It was so great to
know he was out getting some fresh air. There
will be an another article in the Richmond Times
Dispatch on Tuesday about Roo and his Smackdown
Cancer Fighters relay team. Please be sure to
check it out, but if you miss it don't worry we will
have a copy on his news page.
7/21/05 -
Unfortunately today we spent most of the day in the
ER at MCV. Roo was breathing heavy most of the
night last night and had a lot of "junk" rattling
around in his chest. This morning we decided
that we better get him checked out. We are so
glad that he was able to be treated and released.
I came home with a nebulizer so I can treat him at
home next time. I really think I have earned
my nursing degree!!! While we were sitting in
the ER today we realized that it was one year ago
today that Richard's symptoms began.
7/18/05 -
Richard has had a really good weekend. On
Saturday he had a lot of visitors. His good
friends Brenden, Cory and Scott came to name a few.
Thank you so much to those of you who brought meals,
that is such a blessing to us. Today has been a
bit more quiet, although we have had visitors.
I went to church this morning. The worship
leader sang an awesome song in honor of Richard.
There were not many dry eyes. Afterwards there
was a special prayer time for Richard. I am
also thrilled to let you know that we have heard
Richard swallow some and he has not had as much
problem with phlem the last couple days. We
know that God is hearing our prayers!!!
7/15/05 -
Yesterday we got Roo into the car and headed down to
Duke. I could tell on the ride down he was not
happy about going. His condition has not
changed. He is still unable to talk, swallow
or move. He continues to communicate with us
by moving his eyes up for "yes". He received
the last dose of chemo for this round. It was
a long day and we were all glad to get back home.
7/11/05 -
During the wee hours of July 5th I felt it necessary to
call 911 because Roo was breathing really heavy.
They transported us to VCU Medical Center. They
admitted him for respiratory distress. He was
discharged today and we arrived home around 1:00pm.
During this hospital stay I was able to pick up a few
more nursing skills so I will be better able to handle
certain issues that will come up due to him be immobile.
He is unable to cough up the phlem that collects in his
throat so I am now better trained to take care of it.
All in all Roo looks really good. He communicates
with us by raising his beautiful blue eyes to answer yes
to our questions. Please know that our family's
faith is still extremely strong. God is holding us
up very well thanks to all the prayers. We know
that we are on the verge of a breakthrough so please
continue the prayers.
7/10/05
- I apologize for not having an update on Richard's
condition this week but I've been out of town and did
not have access to the website program.
Richard is not doing well and has been in the intensive
care unit at VCU Medical Center since July 5th.
Lisa and I will try to get a further update on the
website by tomorrow or Monday.
Wiley Poole ~ webmaster
6/29/05 -
As most of you know Roo has been at Duke Hospital
since Friday. He has been unable to speak
or eat since last week. He received
another MRI and it showed some changes with the
tumor but not necessarily progression. His
doctor is still hopeful that it is just swelling
from the tumor that is causing all these
problems. He had to have a feeding tube
put in for the time being. The plan is for
him to be released from the hospital tomorrow
(Thurs.) We will continue to care for him
at home. He will receive chemo this
afternoon. We are still very hopeful and
positive about his situation. Please pray
that his speech and swallowing will return
soon.
6/27/05 -Richard
has taken a turn for the worse and has been at
Duke University Hospital since Friday. He
is unable to talk or move. Lisa, Poppo and
Moosie are with him. We will provide further
updates as they become available. Please
keep Richard in your thoughts and prayers.
6/23/05 -
This has been another very difficult week for Roo.
He has been having trouble swallowing and he has
a lot of phlem in his throat that he can't get
out on his own. My mom and I had to take him to
the local emergency room yesterday. We went
back and forth by phone with his doctor at Duke
and it was decided that he needed a larger dose
of decadron. Decadron helps decrease pressure
being caused by the tumor and or fluid. He was
unable to keep the pills down we gave him so we
took him to the ER to get a dose IV. They ran
blood tests and a chest x-ray and everything
checked out fine, which was good news. The
diagnosis for all this is still the swelling in
the brain not new tumor activity. As good as
that is it is still very frustrating and
depressing to see him in this state. Today's
visit to Duke for chemo was put off until next
week and we will go down Saturday morning for an
MRI just to make sure everything still looks
okay. Please pray the decadron will kick in and
rid him of these awful symptoms and that the
scan on Saturday looks good.
6/17/05 -
Since my last update not much has changed with
Roo. He is still unable to move his right arm
and leg and his speech is still slurred. I
don't think the decadron is doing anything much
except increasing his appetite. We went to Duke
on Thursday for his chemo and the doctor didn't
really have any ideas on what may be causing
this problem. I have been racking my brain over
the last week trying to figure out what could be
going on. A couple theories I have are that it
could possibly be some type of weird virus or it
could be an imbalance of his electrolytes. He
is on magnesium and calcium supplements since
our visit on the 9th and I know his electrolytes
were out of wack at that time. Anyway, keep the
prayers coming. We will be back down at Duke on
Thursday.
6/12/05 -
The last few days have been difficult since Roo
has been unable to move his right arm and leg.
It is very hard for us since he had come so
far. We have to focus on the fact that his
latest MRI looked good. We pray that the
Decadron will kick in and make his limbs move
again. We will be going to Duke for the next 3
Thursday's for a new treatment that the doctor
has added. Please pray for movement to
come back to his right side soon.
6/9/09 -
Hi Everyone,
Richard is not doing well neurologically at the
moment. His right arm and leg are not
moving properly and his speech is very slurred.
We were very fearful that he might have suffered
a stroke but luckily that is not the case.
The tumor is causing fluid and or pressure to
build up and is causing the problems.
Therefore he is back on Decadron (steroids).
This should ease things up for him in a matter
of days and he should be back on track.
The MRI looked good as before so that is a MAJOR
relief!!!!! The doctor remains very
positive and has added another drug and has set
him up on a protocal. This is really good
because before he was basically trying different
drugs to see how they would respond so I think
now he feels more positive that he can destroy
this horrible beast!!!!!! We will go
weekly for the next 3 weeks then another scan.
So bottom line, even though at the moment he is
not doing well, he will get better!!!! I
must forge ahead and not let this latest "bump"
in the road cause me to lose focus. This
will add to the testimony in the future.
Thank you all for your care and concern, knowing
you are all behind us really helps us through
the rough times!!!
Best regards, Lisa
6/5/05
Hi
Everybody,
I would like to ask that you all pray for Roo, as we
think he is suffering from exhaustion from all the
excitement from this past weekend. Today he
has been very weak and tired. We will head
down to Duke early Wed. morning so that he can be
seen prior to his MRI at 5:00pm.
I just can't imagine that effects from the tumor
would appear practically overnight, as he has been
doing awesome lately. That is why we are
pretty sure he is simply exhausted.
I will keep you all posted as to what we find out,
just please lift him up in prayer.
Thank you so much!
Lisa
6/5/05 -
The Relay for Life was
AWESOME!! We all had a
wonderful time but we are
very tired today!!! We
arrived Saturday around
12:30 to begin setting up
our campsite. Everyone
pitched in and we got it
done. It looked like a
real Caribbean Cabana when
we were done. We sold
cotton candy and popcorn and
Erika's flip fuzzy flip
flops. Roo gave a
wonderful speech as honorary
chair of the
Children's Walk. We
had lots of friends and
family come visit us at our
campsite during the
afternoon. The
luminaria ceremony around
9:00pm was very beautiful.
It is a time to reflect on
those who have lost their
battle, very moving. Roo and
his dad finally crashed in
the tent around 1:00 am and
got about 4 hours of sleep.
I stayed up all night
walking the track and trying
to take down some of the
decorations while others
slept and the other kids on
the team ran around all
night long. At closing
ceremonies at 6:30am it was
official...........Roo's
team, the Smackdown Cancer
Fighters had raised the most
money, over $17,000.
All our efforts over the
last 6 weeks were
recognized. Roo received 2
plaques as the top raising
team and individual. It was
an amazing event and I am
sure we will do it all again
next year.
We head down to Duke on
Wednesday for Roo to get
another MRI and treatment.
Please pray for more
astonishing results.
As we know that God is more
than mighty and able to do
more than we can even think
to ask for!!
I
also have to thank the
following people for all
their hard work in making
our team such a success
because without them it
would not have been
possible!!!
The McCulley family (Cory,
Scott, Sue & Dan)
The Finley family (Katie,
Dennis, Brenden & Sydney)
The Morck family (Teresa,
Erika & Paul)
Donald Evans, Brad Ford,
Thomas Hauck, My parents
(Moosie & Popo), My sister
(Melody Driscoll),
Popa & Sweetie, Sherry
Knapp, Aimee Wilson, Laura
Waggy
Also, thank you to all of
you that donated to our
team!!
5/31/05 -
Richard had a whole week off
from school last week because
they were still doing SOL
testing and the schedules were
so turned around that it didn't
make sense for him to go.
However he did have his
homebound teacher come to the
house. We had a meeting at
our house on Thursday to discuss
how we will set up our campsite
at the Relay for Life this
Saturday. Of course
Richard wants it to be the best
so we have been busy getting
lots of things for the Caribbean
theme. We had our FINAL
fundraising event on Saturday at
Big Richard's auto repair shop
in Gloucester. We had a
carwash and hotdog stand.
We did really well despite the
fact that it was overcast. At
this point we are over
$8,100!!!! We are trying
to get to $10,000 by Saturday.
We will be going door to door
collecting all this week!!!
For any of you that are local we
would love to have you attend
the Relay. It starts at
3:00pm this Saturday (June 4th)
at Atlee High School on Atlee
Station Road. Richard has
been selected to the be Honorary
Chair Person for the Children's
Walk!!!!! Hope to see some
of you out there!!!
5/22/05 -
This week was not quite as busy
as last week. Richard went
to school only one day because
they were having SOL testing and
he is exempt, lucky him!!!!
He had a follow up appointment
with his eye doctor. The
Dr. was so impressed by the
improvement he saw in his right
eye. In December he had
recommended eye muscle surgery
to correct the right eye but we
had opted not to at the time but
this time he said he saw no need
for it!!!!!!! Roo just
continues to amaze everyone!!!!
On Saturday we had a not so good
fundraising event. We had
ordered 400 Krispy Kreme
doughnuts which we all thought
would go like hotcakes.
NOT!!!! By 2:00pm we still
had 200 boxes left. We
managed to get rid of them by
5:00pm by selling them at a
really, really discounted price.
At the end of the day we did not
lose money and somehow managed
to make $182.00. Sunday we
went to Sweetie and Popa's house
for a cookout for Uncle Vernon's
40th birthday.
5/15/05 -
We had another extremely exciting
week. Richard went to
school on Tuesday and Thursday.
On Thursday after school we
headed down to Williamsburg to
Bruce's Body Shop to meet Jeff
Gordon. We were specially
invited by the owners. Richard
met Jeff and got several items
autographed by him. All
day Friday we ran around getting
all the donated items for a
spaghetti dinner / silent
auction event on Saturday.
The event was a HUGE success.
We raised $1,776.00 at the
event. I have to say a
special THANK YOU to the
McCulley family that helped us
so much. We had over 200
people attend. A good time
was had by all and I think
everyone left full!! The
food was donated by Italian
Kitchen, Olive Garden and Joe's
Inn. You can check out all
the pictures from this week's
events in the photo section.
By the way Richard's relay
team has now raised over
$5,000.00 but we are not done
yet!!! Remember, if you
are interested in donating to
the American Cancer Society you
can do so online at
www.acsevents.org/relay/mechanicsville/rfl.
Thank you in advance!!!
5/7/05 -
We are still rejoicing from the
awesome news we received on
Wednesday. Dr. G said he never
expected the chemo to work so
good. Richard got another dose of
chemo on Thursday and we will go
back on June 8th at which time he
will get another MRI to see how this
treatment does. Depending on
how things look he may add another
drug to go along with the current
one. Please pray specifically
that Thursday's treatment continues
to wipe out this beast!!
5/4/05
Hi Everyone,
I am writing to you from Durham.
Richard had his MRI this afternoon
and I just had to page the Dr. to
hear some results. I wanted to
let you all know that his chemo is
working!!!!!! PRAISE THE
LORD!!!!!The tumor is no longer
spreading and some of what had
spread is GONE!!!!!!! I am so
happy I had to share the news right
away.
We will discuss the results in more
detail at our appointment tomorrow
morning so I could have more of an
update by Friday so please check the
website. Thank you all for the
prayers, as you can see they are
being answered so keep them
coming!!!!God is
sooooooooooooooooooooooo awesome!!!
Best wishes to all!
Lisa
5/2/05 -
We have done so much over the last week
I hope I can remember it all!!! We
spent all week working on our
fundraising events for Relay for Life.
Wednesday we set up a collection site at
a local drug store and raised
over $100.00 in less than two hours.
Richard's other grandpa "Popa" helped us
out with that. We have planned a
spaghetti dinner/silent auction event
for Saturday May 14th. Tickets are
$5.00 each. We went around to
local businesses asking for items for
our auction. So far we have over 8
items.
On Saturday we had quite an adventure.
We headed up to a motorcycle dealership
in Manassas, VA to meet two WWE
wrestlers, Maven and Batista. It
was so much fun. We had to take 3
SUV's to fit everyone that wanted to go
with us. Richard took two of his
friends, Donald & Cory. My
mom and dad and my sister and the kids
came too. Plus a few other family
friends. We were able to meet them and
get their autographs without having to
wait in the long line since we had
called ahead and told them about
Richard. You can see some pictures in
the photo section. Sunday we went
to the Lee Davis hockey game and then we
went to watch "Backlash" (a WWE
pay-per-view) at Cory's house.
Both wrestlers we met on Saturday were
in matches.
Richard's physical therapist is so
pleased with his progress. I
forgot to mention a couple weeks ago
that he got a new walker. This one
is more for his size. So he has
named this one "Buster, jr."
4/23/05 -
We are all overwhelmed by the response we
have gotten to our Relay for Life team.
We have many fundraising events in the
works. Richard absolutely loves
working on this. If you are
interested in donating to our team you
can do so online. Just go to
www.acsevents.org/relay/mechanicsville/rfl.
Click on Smackdown Cancer Fighters.
It's really easy.
Richard's physical therapy is coming along
great. Everyone is amazed at his
progress. God is awesome!!!
4/18/05-
We have been busy as usual. This will
be Richard's third week of physical therapy.
He goes twice a week. He really works
hard when he is there and does not get
tired. His goal is to be walking by
June 4th. June 4th is an important
date because it is the day of our local
Relay for Life event. We have put
together a team called the Smackdown Cancer
Fighters!!! Anyone interested in
joining the team just email us at
Roo91092@aol.com It should be a lot of
fun. This is our first year having our
own team. We go back to Duke on May
4th for his next treatment.
4/8/05 -
We left on Wednesday afternoon to head down to
Durham for Richard's chemo on Thursday since
his appointment was for 9am.
Everything went wonderful at Duke.
Jeanne, Richard's nurse practioner as well
as Dr. G (short for Gururangan) were
extremely pleased at how well Richard is
doing. Originally they were going to
do an MRI after the second dose of his
current chemo, however based on how well he
is doing he will get another dose 4 weeks
from now and then possibly do another scan
approximately 3 weeks after that.
Richard also started physical therapy this
week. He will be going 2 days a week.
He is so determined to "ditch" his
wheelchair, Fred.
4/5/05 -
Richard had a really great spring break.
He got over his cold very quickly. Thank
you all for the prayers. His friend Donald spent
a lot of time with him. They played lots
of video games. Saturday evening our
entire family was treated to a delicious dinner
at Steak & Ale by our wonderful family friend
Padgett. We all had a great time.
Sunday afternoon we went to watch his hockey
team play. Then in the evening we watched
Wrestlemania 21 at Richard's friend Cory's
house. It was a lot of fun and they are
huge fans too.
This morning Richard headed back to school. On
Wednesday afternoon we will leave to go back
down to Duke for his treatment on Thursday
morning. I am very excited for his doctor
to see how well he is doing.
3/28/05 -
Hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Richard
had another great week. On Wednesday
evening the youth group at church had a special
evening dedicated just to him. They had
his favorite pizza......"The works" from Papa
Johns. On Saturday morning he hung out
with his friend Brenden again. We went to
church on Sunday and in the afternoon we headed
over to Moosie and Popo's for an Easter feast.
Monday morning he woke up with a sore throat and a
cold. We know a lot of people that have
had this. I would just ask that you all
pray that it goes away quickly and does not
amount to anything worse, as his blood counts
are lower than normal because of the chemo.
We have quite a few things planned for this week
and hope this cold won't keep him down.
3/21/05 - Richard had an extremely busy week last
week. You already know about the helicopter ride.
He went to school 3 half days. He visited with his
friend Brenden on Saturday morning and Saturday
afternoon Richard had a very special visitor named
Bob Hayes. He rode over on his Goldwing motorcycle.
It was very cool. Roo got to go for a ride!!! It
was a beautiful day. We went to church on Sunday
morning and Donald came along with us. Sunday
afternoon Bob came again and brought some of his
friends on their bikes. We were all impressed by
the bikes. You can see some pictures in
Roo's photos.
All in all Richard is doing awesome. He is really
seeming like his old self as of lately.
We have all noticed his wonderful smile is coming
back and his laughter. Not to mention he is a
chatter box and keeps me on my toes. I can hardly
keep up with all he wants to do during a days time.
But believe me I am praising God for this. He also
has lots more on his agenda to do with his dad when
he gets home in the evening. Currently they are
working on a '69 Shelby Mustang model.
3/15/05 ~
Now, for
the surprise....................Richard, Moosie and
I got to go for a helicopter ride on Tuesday.
It was all organized by a friend of Mrs. Bailey
(Roo's homebound teacher) who works as a nurse on
the Life Evac flights. It was awesome. It
picked us up at Roo's school. It was quite an
exciting event for all!
Click here to see pictures:
Roo's Photos
3/14/05 -
I am soooo sorry to report that the surprise that
was supposed to happen today did not take place
however, check back next week.
On Sunday
though Richard was officially named as an honorary
member of the Lee-Davis roller hockey team. He
must have brought the team good luck because they
won their game 5 to 2. The team wanted us to
mention that they are looking for a couple more
players so guys from Stonewall and Lee-Davis if you
are interested please let us know and we will get
you in touch with the team!!!!
Check the "Photos" page tomorrow for the latest
pictures.
3/10/05 -We
arrived at the hospital at noon.
Richard's
port a cath worked perfectly. By the time his
blood work results were in and he saw the doctor it
was 2:30 and his new chemo takes 3 hours. He
was finished by 6:00pm. We arrived home at
9:30pm. Needless to say it was a long day.
I know now that we are doing the right thing by
trying this chemo. I truly believe in my heart
that we are close to seeing positive results. His
walking has gotten more difficult using the walker
but he is so determined. It is this
determination that gives me so much hope that it
will be soon because in many instances in the bible
circumstances became worse before they got better.
Please be
sure to visit the website news and photo sections
again Monday evening as Richard will be doing
something special Monday afternoon that you can see
and read all about!!!!
3/9/05- Since
my last update our entire family thought that we
were ready to leave Richard's healing completely in
God's hands. But after talking with the doctor
earlier this week we decided to try one more chemo
to see if we can stop the growth of the tumor.
I have asked God for a sign if this is not his
will. He will receive one dose on Thursday 3/10 and
four weeks later another dose then he will have
another MRI.
Thank all of
you so much for your continued prayers and support.
You can't imagine how much your messages in the
guestbook mean to all of us!!!!!!
Thanks!!!
Lisa
3/5/05- I
apologize to all of you who have been checking for the
MRI update since Wednesday hoping to hear something.
I needed time to figure out the right words for this
one. First, let me say the doctor's words were, "I
am afraid the news is not good, the tumor has gotten
larger and it has spread some to the back of the brain".
Okay, now let
me say please DO NOT begin to feel sadness. My
faith is even stronger now!!! We ask that you
continue to pray for Richard's complete healing and know
that he is going to be healed. It doesn't matter
what the MRI shows, nothing is impossible for God!!!!
Also, just to
let you know how Richard is doing, he is doing great!!
He went to school on Friday for one class. Then,
after lunch we took Flash up to our new Petsmart that
just opened. Richard bought Charles (his hamster)
a new toy for his cage. Later his friend Donald
came over for a sleep over and they played video games
and watched a wrestling video. Richard was up
until almost 11:00pm. Today the plan is for us to
go to a movie with Moosie, Mady and Matthew.
Richard does not like to stay still for very long.
Having the wheelchair has been great.
* There will be
an article about Richard in the Richmond Times Dispatch
(Flair section) tomorrow ~ 3/6/05.
2/23/05 ~
We received word
today that Richard's blood counts are up some but still
not enough to receive his chemo tomorrow. The
doctor wants us to come on Monday (2/28/05) to get his
chemo.
On Wednesday (3/2/05) he will have an MRI to check the
status of the tumor. We ask that you pray for
awesome results on the scan.
2/21/05 ~ Richard
went to the circus today with his
cousins, Maddy and Mathew.
2/20/05 ~ Richard
visited with his Grandparents
then went to a birthday party for the sister of his good
friend, Brenden, who turned 2 on Sunday.
2/16/05
Sunday 2/13 ~ Richard went to church with his Mom.
Monday 2/14 ~ Richard and his mother, Lisa, got a call
today from Dodie Osteen from Houston, Texas who offered
her prayers for Richard's recovery.
In 1981, Dodie was diagnosed with terminal cancer but
was miraculously healed. She is the wife of the
founder of the largest church in America and mother of
the current pastor of the church ~ Lakewood Church
located in Houston, Texas.
Tuesday 2/15 ~ Richard went to school for a brief period
today. He had his blood count taken later in the day.
Wednesday 2/16 ~ Richard's blood count was determined to
be too low for him to have his chemo treatment tomorrow
at Duke.
Please pray that his blood count will improve so that his
chemo treatments can continue next week.
*The local
Mechanicsville newspaper interviewed Richard today for a
story to appear in their paper.
* The Lee Davis H.S. hockey team will make Richard an
honorary member of their team and present him with one
of their jerseys.
2/10/05 - Today's visit at Duke went great!!!! His
port-a-cath worked perfect. As soon as the nurse
accessed it we saw the "beautiful" blood flow. I'm sure
it is hard for you to imagine how much the sight of
blood is cause for celebration!!! They were able to
give the chemo right away and then we were out of
there!!!!! On the way home Richard was in rare form.
He made us laugh with his "old" sense of humor that we
have really been missing. It told us that the prayers
are working!!!!!
2/3/05 – We left earlier than usual to head down to
Duke, as they were calling for bad weather. The
trip down was fine though. I couldn’t believe it
when his port-a-cath didn’t draw blood again this
time!!! (They have to do that to make sure
everything is flowing okay before giving the chemo)
Instead of sending him to X-ray this time they just went
ahead and gave him TPA because they assumed it just had
a small clot and that would take care of it. An
hour later there was perfect blood return……….yeah, he
could get his chemo. On the way back it was
snowing but we just took it slow and made it home
safely.
1/27/05 – We were told to be at the hospital at 9:00am
for his surgery. They did not get started until
1:15pm. Obviously they were running behind
schedule!! The surgery only took about 45 minutes.
It took him about an hour to recover from the surgery
then we wheeled him upstairs to the oncology floor to
receive his chemo.
1/21/05- I received the answer that Richard should have
the surgery. I discussed my concerns about the
surgery with the doctor and he was very positive about
Richard and how well he is doing and said it would not
be good to stop treatment at this time. So I knew
we had to do it. Also, Richard is now completely
off the steroids.
1/19/05 – A prayer service was held at our house.
Led by Pastor David Crisp. I needed to be
absolutely sure that we should subject Richard to a 6th
surgery since July.
1/14/05 – I can’t believe he has to have another
surgery. When the doctor came out from OR he
informed us that not only did the port have a whole in
it but there was also an infection at the site.
The new port could not be placed due to the infection.
Oh my gosh, how is this possible??? Richard spent
the weekend in the hospital. He had no fever or
anything to suggest an infection.
1/13/05- We headed down for his 3rd treatment of
Vinblastine. We felt positive everything would
work fine with the port-a-cath this time. We could
not believe it when it would not work again.
Richard became very upset at the thought of another
X-ray. But it had to be done. I couldn’t
believe it when I saw the whole in the line during the
X-ray. This means the port has to come out and
another one put in. How could this happen after
only 3 weeks???? Luckily they were able to
schedule him for the next day to have the new port
placed.
1/6/05 – We traveled down to Duke just for the day for
his weekly Vinblastine. They had trouble
accessing his port-a-cath. He had to go downstairs
for an X-ray to make sure everything is working okay
with the port-a-cath. The results looked fine.
They put some medicine called TPA into the port then we
had to wait an hour so we went to lunch. The TPA
seemed to do the trick. He was then able to
receive his chemo. The doctor wants us to reduce
his dose of steroids weekly. The plan is to get
him totally off of them.
12/29/04 – Richard is having another surgery to have the
port-a-cath put it. This surgery doesn’t take too
long. After he recovered we went back to the hotel
until the next day and he received his first dose
of Vinblastine.
12/16/04 – The MRI revealed that the Temozolomide is not
working to control the tumor. It has gotten
larger. After Christmas he will have a port-a-cath
surgically placed and he will start a chemo called
Vinblastine.
10/21/04 – Richard begins taking oral chemo called
Temozolomide. He will be on it for 8 weeks before
he gets another MRI.
10/14/04 – The results of the pathology from the open
biopsy determined that this tumor is called a Pilocytic
Astrocytoma. It is not the same tumor as he had
before. The doctor advised us that this is a rare
tumor to get after having a medulloblastoma.
Sometimes these tumors are actually caused by radiation.
10/4/04 – The open biopsy was performed. Richard
spent a week in the hospital. Once again, being
the trooper that he is he did very well.
9/27/04 – We were told that unfortunately the results
from the needle biopsy were inconclusive. The
doctor recommended that this time we try an open biopsy.
As much as we did not want to have to subject him to
another surgery we decided he should have it.
9/20/04 – The needle biopsy was performed. It took
longer than expected due to a “technical” malfunction
with a head frame that is used to guide the surgeon to
the exact tumor location. We were all very
relieved when it was over since it had taken so long.
Richard spent one night in PICU. The nurses were
in shock when I brought Richard a cheeseburger and fries
to eat for dinner. They were so afraid he would
not be able to handle it after surgery but I assured
them he would. Those steroids make him soooooo
hungry.
9/14/04 Our initial visit to Duke – We were immediately
impressed with the facility and the doctor. He
wanted Richard to have a stereotactic biopsy (needle
biopsy) to determine exactly what kind of tumor he has.
It is the least invasive procedure and we hoped it would
be enough to provide us with the information we needed.
The neurosurgeon explained to us that sometimes not
enough tissue can be extracted to give a clear
diagnosis. |
