Grace was very excited to give Lisa a box full of cards and goodies that she made to show Lisa how much she appreciated her and Connor's Heroes. Grace was diagnosed with PreB Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in 2013. We were honored to have her as our hero at the 2014 Heroes Art Ball. Below, Chrissy, Grace's mom, tells you about this special moment for Grace (and Lisa).

     This picture is worth a thousand words to me. When I look at it, memories and experiences of the past three years of Grace's cancer journey come to mind.  Many of them have something to do with this lady right here and Connor's Heroes. 
     Anyone who knows me or my family knows our love and appreciation for our Connor's Heroes cancer family and how they have supported us in so many ways.  I could never begin to cover all the ways in a single post. Between the gift cards, amazing events, monthly art sessions, ballet lessons for Grace, Diggityfest, The Art Ball, the personal love and care, the list could go on and on. They have been by our side since the very beginning and have never left. 
     The night this picture was taken, knowing we'd had a hard few weeks and that my kids adore hers, Lisa said she and her kids were going to babysit for us so Matt and I could have a date night.  Her love and dedication are 24/7, 365 days a year.  Later that same week I would sit with her in a funeral home as she supported a grieving family and heard her softly say to the funeral director that Connor's Heroes will help pay for the funeral.  
     This year this amazing organization accomplished a major milestone – years ago they started an endowment for pediatric cancer research.  And after years of hard work, fundraising, meetings at MCV, and more passion and love than I could ever describe, Connor's Heroes helped fund a pediatric cancer researcher at MCV! Dr. Seth Corey started last fall and I cannot tell you how incredibly excited and hopeful we are that his research will find cures and that our children will benefit from these efforts!  Connor's Heroes pours many of the funds they raise into pediatric cancer research. A large portion of the sales from my company, That's Sew Cutesy, go directly to this fund.
     Sometimes the Lord brings times of reflection in our lives. This has been one of those seasons for me. I want to thank you with all my heart to Lisa and everyone at Connor's Heroes for everything you have done for my family and countless others!  Thank you for pouring your heart into everything you do on behalf of our kids and THANK YOU for making pediatric cancer research possible here at MCV.  Thank you for making this your life's work, to be an advocate for our children and families.  We love you so very much and I praise God for my Connor's Heroes family as I cannot imagine this journey without them!