relay for life

the little survivor......

uncle tom and brooklyn

watching the balloons fly away

one of the many bags for her and many others....

emma and brooklyn

routine checkup....

took emma to her doctors appt today.... healthy! healthy! healthy!

and YEAH the girl finally made it past 30lbs!

she is 32lbs and 3' 3"

omaha henry doorly zoo

saturday was a day at the zoo.....

sports plex

ted & joan came for the 4th weekend. when emma talks about her grandparents, she has started asking which ones we're talking about by the dogs they own.... "wamma and wampa wis max or toada?" (max (olson's) is correct "toeduh" would be dakota (johnston's)) =) the first night they were here we went to the softball game and then to sports plex.... (jakers went with us)

keep her & the family in your prayers....please

Prayer service planned on July 8 for Brooklyn Olson

"Whatever it takes," are the lengths two young Shenandoah parents, Chris and Holly Olson, are willing to endure to help their daughter, Brooklyn, who was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in March 2007.

But it's not just Brooklyn's family pulling for her recovery; the entire community has jumped on board to help since her diagnosis.

"She's become the little pet in the whole community," said Brooklyn's grandmother, Bev McKinney. "That's (cancer) not a good thing to be famous for but..."
The First Christian Church in Shenandoah is hosting a prayer service for Brooklyn, as well as others in the community in need of healing, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8.

"We are inviting the whole community," said Pastor Karen Bash. "Anyone in the community that needs prayer or healing is welcome to participate and we invite everyone in the community to attend."

Brooklyn has been undergoing cancer treatments since she was seven-months-old. The latest procedure will take the family to the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis in mid-July, where Brooklyn will have a double cord blood transplant.

"She is not in remission but she can still have this procedure, it's not as successful, but it can be done." McKinney said there was nothing more doctors could do for her at Children's Hospital in Omaha, but the University specializes in this next step to save her life. "They've done 350 of these procedures I believe," said McKinney. "It's nothing new to them and they have results that it works."

Chris, Holly and Brooklyn were in Minneapolis last week for testing and to meet with doctors. After completing two more weeks of chemo and radiation in Omaha, to get her prepared for the transplant, they will go to Minnesota for the procedure.

"Once in Minnesota, Brooklyn will have to stay for 100 days. After 30 days, if she's doing okay, they'll dismiss her but she won't be able to come home." Chris will go back and forth between Minneapolis and his job in Omaha whenever he can. Holly will remain with Brooklyn. "They'll do whatever it takes," said McKinney. "It'll certainly be rough on everyone. So far, they are all hanging in there."