Thank You Letter To Editor, October 2003    

Dear Editor,

I feel so fortunate to live in a community filled with such compassionate and thoughtful people! The past month since my daughter, Alecia was suddenly hospitalized and eventually diagnosed with cancer has been extremely painful, but thanks to the many considerate people in my life we have been able to get through the toughest of times and as we head back for our second chemotherapy treatment, we have such hope for a bright future.

I want to publicly thank everyone who has helped us along the way. So, thank you everyone!

Thanks to the nurses and other staff members at Evanston Regional Hospital who cared for Alecia on her first night of hospitalization and helped to keep us calm as we were rushed to Primary Children’s in Salt Lake. Thank you Dr. Bliss (and staff) for your thorough examination and getting us headed in the right direction. Dr. Hansen, thank you for your kind and compassionate care. Thank you also to the ER doctors and nurses for helping us when we returned occasionally. Thanks Mary Jo and Kim from Uinta Home Health-- you have been so sweet and attentive.

Warm and heartfelt thanks to the amazing staff and students at Evanston Middle School. Jan and Eileen, you are the most caring and generous people I know, I will never be able to repay you for all you have done to help me through this. Thank you Gail, Cynthia, Jean, Edie, and Dawn. Thank you to the 6 th grade team and the rest of this most amazing staff, all who have helped in some form or another.

A huge thanks to Cathy Davison and the Student Council, as well as all the students who attended the lock-in dance held a few weeks ago. The money raised from this dance has been a huge help.

Thanks Jackie, Kay, Dawn, and everyone in the District Office for their care and support, and for always being there when I need yaw! Thanks also to my co-workers in the technology department for helping to cover my building while I was gone.

Thank you Mrs. Piper and Miss Kristi, for always being so kind and caring, but especially during the past few weeks to my son while he continued to attend Kindergarten and daycare.

My family has been great and I owe them all so much. I would like to say a special thanks to my mom and my sister Julie who have helped to keep the home fires burning while Alecia and I have been away. Thanks to my dad and my siblings for all their love and support and for helping to get Alecia’s new room ready for her when she arrived home from the hospital. Thank you McKyla and Sierra and all the rest of Alecia’s cousins especially for those super healing hugs!! Thanks to Dave and Brad for being such awesome dads and helping make things easier for Alecia and Jace.

Thank you also to my close friends for cheering me on and keeping me sane through your phone calls and emails.

Alecia’s has such wonderful friends with such amazing parents. Thank you so much Alex and Jessica, Brianna too! You brightened her day each time you came to visit at the hospital. Corey and Melissa, thanks for taking the time to drive them to Salt Lake.

My thank yous would be incomplete if I did not include my 2 beautiful children Jace and Alecia. Thank you Jace for being such a strong soldier boy while mom and sis were away in the hospital so long. I am proud of you for keeping up at school and for being so strong. You are awesome!

Thank you Alecia for inspiring me each and every day with your strength and determination to get better. Your attitude has been and continues to be- amazing. Your loving, caring way, your gentle heart, your beautiful smile, and your ability to laugh in the face of adversity all amaze me. I am lucky to be the mom of such an incredibly awesome kid!!

Thanks also to all the neighbors, community and church members who have done so much, from visiting us in the hospital to helping here in town, to just passing a warm thought or prayer our way. I am thankful to live in this town and work for a school district filled with so many kind, caring, compassionate, thoughtful, giving, kind-hearted, generous people. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

Jan Louder

Evanston, Wyoming