Mason's Monster Golf Tournament Is Here

Mason's fundraiser tournament is just a week and a half away!! Here is the e-mail that was sent out by the founder of our annual event:


"Friends and Family,

I am putting on my Annual Charity Golf Tournament for my business partner's 3 year old boy Mason Strickland. Mason's story can be found at www.miraclemason.blogspot.com
Please join me and 144 other golfers to tackle one of the hardest golf courses you have ever played. This is for a great cause and those who have played in our event the last two years say it is by far the best tournament of the year. If you can not come but would like to donate prizes, gift baskets or anything else please contact me at cecildread@hotmail.com

Great gifts, great prizes and even a Greater Cause!!

   -Silent Auction
   -Gift Bags
   -Prizes
   -Contests

It sells out every year so please sign up right away, Don't Miss Out!! 

Please bring a 4 person team on October 8th to the Fox Hollow Golf Course in American Fork, UT. 

Please forward this message to any golfers that you may think would like this challenge. 


Thank you,
Cecil Read"




If you can join in on the fun, please do!!! If you can't, then donate something to the raffle and auction!!! Your support is greatly appreciated it. Mason's bills continue to be overwhelming (ie: Just yesterday I opened a bill that is from Stanford for Mason's 1 year post transplant biopsy he had in March, that our insurance is trying to refuse responsibility of, and it is only a whopping $63,480!! yikes!!) but someday we hope we can donate the earnings from Mason's annual golf tournament to IHH (Intermountain Healing Hearts) our local congenital heart disease foundation. Because, Mason's bills WILL be more manageable someday!!


Thank you to Cecil and all those who make this a great and memorable event!!!




TOMORROW..........
is a big day for Mason. He will be having a heart cath/ biopsy at Primary Children's to check for rejection. It will be almost 18 months post transplant and his 13th biopsy. Of course we are praying very strongly for a big beautiful bold ZERO so that Mason can make his final taper off of steroids. Poor little guy has been on steroids for 18 months! That's not the usual protocol for transplant patients. Most are off the yucky steroids within 6-10 months post transplant, but of course Mason chose a more difficult path! 


Mason will also be having a cardiac stress MRI to look at his coronary arteries. Normally coronary arteries can be looked at and assessed during a heart cath, but in March down at Stanford the cath dr discovered that both of Mason's femoral arteries are completely closed off. Thus it is impossible to look at his coronary arteries that way anymore! Accelerated coronary artery disease is frequently seen in transplant patients so that's why it is very important to follow Mason's coronary artery function. It has been at least 15 months since Mason's CA's were assessed so I am nervous. 


I am probably more nervous than I would have been, but just two days ago our sweet little heart buddy Kaidence was diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease! Kaidence has been our heart transplant hero and example since Mason was a newborn. She received her heart 2 days before Christmas in 2007 a couple weeks after Mason had his first open heart surgery. Her mom and I became good friends as we spent our days together in the hospital for 7 weeks. Kaidence was the first heart transplant patient I followed and I witnessed the miracles of new life that it brought to her. Kaidence and her mom Shauntelle were also at Primary's 2 years ago the day I was told Mason would not be able to get a heart transplant (little did the dr's know that Mason was not giving up!!!) and his months left to live were numbered. Oh how I was grateful to have her shoulder to cry on!!! Now today I cry in sadness for the news of sweet Kaidence. Please remember her in your prayers as well. (To read more about our dear friends visit: 4myKaidence.blogspot.com)


Thank you to all of you who continue to support and pray for our Miracle Mason. I will post with results on Mason's biopsy and MRI as soon as I have them.




“Promise me you’ll always remember that you’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”  ~Christopher Robin