Mighty-Max: How Can I Help?

July 2003

Pampered Chef #1

Thank you to Mike’s sister Dana who hosted a Pampered Chef party (the first of 2!). As part of the party, 15% of the show’s sales went to the Ronald McDonald House to help offset the Mike and Margaret’s “rent”. The show was a huge success with over 25 people from all across the country placing orders for the cause. Special thanks to Pampered Chef consultant Karen Hagen for her efforts and participation!

August 2003

Little Company of Mary Collection

Many thanks to the staff at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Chicago who collected donations for Max and our family. The donators are co-workers of Max’s Grannie Sweeney (Margaret’s Mom) who have not only reached into their pocketbooks for financial support but also have helped by working extra time so that Grannie could go to Minnesota to help out. Thank you!

September 2003

Creative Memories Fundraiser

A big “Creative” thanks to our very talented and generous neighbor Jodi Heiss who donated her entire profits (30%) from a Creative Memories scrapbooking show. Margaret’s sister Beth hosted the show which was attended by friends and family. In addition, Jodi rallied the troops and was able to get many other people to participate who have never even met Max! At the show, the participants were able to help continue working on Max’s memory book which was started before we left for Minnesota. Thank you Jodi for your super generosity and support!

Some participants working on Max's Album

Gorham New Hampshire School District Faculty and Staff Collection

Many, many thanks to the wonderful faculty and staff at Gorham High School, the Edward Fenn Elementary School, and the Gorham Superintendent's office who presented Mike’s Mom and Dad (Max’s Grandma and Grandpa Ciacciarelli) with a generous donation. Many of the participants know Mike from his “early” days (at least they seem to remember the good stuff) and all send their best hopes for Max. Thank you and remember to be nice to your teachers and school staff!!

Pampered Chef #2

Margaret’s sister Beth hosted another Pampered Chef party. As with the earlier party, 15% of the sales were donated for Max. The turnout was great and all who attended were so supportive of Max. Thank you to all who attended, and thanks to Bethie for being such a good sister and a wonderful hostess!

Gorham High School Ice Cream Party Fundraiser

Thank you to the staff at the GHS (Gorham High School, Mike’s alma mater) school cafeteria for the Ice Cream Party Fundraiser. Students participated by donating $1 per sundae for Max. The event was a huge success! Thank you so much to everyone who worked on this for us. It means so much to know that Max has so many supporters around the country in his time of need.

Yummy treats at the GHS Ice Cream Social

November 2003

Curves Fundraiser, Elmwood Park, IL

Family and friends at the fundraiser.

What an amazing, inspiring day! While we were 400 miles away from Mike, Margaret, Grace, and Max, we felt so close to them as we collected our hopes and prayers for Max at his Fundraiser Raffle. Some special thank yous:

While Jodi is still counting the donations, at this time we know that over 220 different people bought tickets or made donations from 19 different states (and 3 different countries!) amounting to a total of over $8000! We are all BLOWN AWAY by the kindness and generosity of family, friends, friends of friends, and co-workers of friends. Thank you so very much to all who participated!

By far, the highlight of the afternoon was meeting Miss Molly B (www.missmollyb.com), her brother TJ, and mom Jenny. As most loyal Max fans and friends of other Hurler kids know, Molly was also born with Hurlers and had a bone marrow transplant at Duke. Today she is a beautiful 3 year-old with a smile that melted our hearts. I think I speak for all that were there that we couldn’t help but look at Molly and TJ and hope and pray that we see Max and Grace the same way in a couple of years. Thank you Jenny for coming to support Max and for sharing Molly and TJ with us this afternoon!

Listed below are the winners of the different raffle prizes. Most of the prizes were picked by Lindsay, Jodi’s 3 year-old daughter and Grace’s good friend. While we were happy for each of the different winners as they will get wonderful prizes, we were especially thrilled when Lindsay picked Jenny Birmingham as the winner of the trip to Hawaii! We all just gasped as we knew that no one deserves a relaxing Hawaiian vacation more than the Birminghams! Congratulations to all of the winners!

PRIZE #1: Quilt and Shams..................................................... Molly Boehner – Bethel Park, PA

PRIZE #2: 1 Week Stay at Hawaii Condo.................................. Jenny Birmingham – Arlington Heights, IL

PRIZE #3: Watercolor Painting of Home.................................... Pam Heiss – Arlington Heights, IL

PRIZE #4: Baby Quilt.............................................................. Sharon and Bill Chamberlain – Lincolnshire, IL

PRIZE #5: Floral Arrangement ................................................. Meg Kinsella – Spring Valley, IL

PRIZE #6: Creative Memories Starter Kit................................... Kristen Garrity – Batavia, IL

PRIZE #7: Peppino’s $25 Gift Certificate................................... Mickey Sodergen – Chicago, IL

PRIZE #8: Peppino’s $25 Gift Certificate................................... Yolanda Blake – Chicago, IL

PRIZE #9: Peppino’s $25 Gift Certificate................................... Carol Gartland – Seattle, WA

PRIZE #10: Peppino’s $25 Gift Certificate................................... Gene Schiltz – Des Plaines, IL

PRIZE #11: Corey Patterson Baseball........................................ Kirk Hoffman – Phoenix, AZ

PRIZE #12: Alex Rodriguez Baseball.......................................... Jay Smith – Palatine, IL

PRIZE #13: Williams-Sonoma Cooking Class.............................. Keith Soloman – Winnetka, IL

PRIZE #14: Oil Change and Car Inspection................................. Gene Schiltz – Des Plaines, IL

PRIZE #15: Draperyland Gift Certificate...................................... Colin McHugh – Chicago, IL

PRIZE #16: California Wine and Pasta Basket............................ David & Susan Johnson – St. Charles, IL

PRIZE #17: Italian Wine and Pasta Basket................................. Billy Boehner – Bethel Park, PA

PRIZE #18: Nut & Candy Basket............................................... Mary Ann Lanzieri – Auburn, ME

PRIZE #19: Lancome Beauty Basket......................................... Randy Palmer – Chicago, IL

PRIZE #20: L’Oreal Beauty Basket............................................ Joan Micka – Countryside, IL

PRIZE #21: 2 Month Curves Membership.................................... Rick Garchie – Schaumburg, IL

PRIZE #22: Hotel in Oakbrook Terrace....................................... Melanie Maravich – Oak Park, IL

The only thing that would have made the day any better would have been to have Mike, Margaret, Grace, and Max with us! We all miss them so much and can’t believe that they’ve been gone for so long. We are however, so very proud of each and every one of them and look forward to welcoming them home when Max is all better. Until then, we will continue to send our prayers and hope that Max will continue to progress in the right direction.

We always hear about faith, hope, and love and tonight I pray for:

Faith – that God will continue to guide the doctors, nurses, and Mike and Margaret as they make decisions on how to best care for Max!

Hope – that Max will overcome all of the odds stacked against him and continue show us how MIGHTY he is!

Love – that Mike, Margaret, Grace, and Max know how LOVED they truly are … we are so OVERWHELMED by the support from the raffle and lifted up by the kindness of all who participated, many of whom have never met Max or his family.

Ongoing thanks …..

To the people who light candles at church and pray for Max and our family regularly – thank you for your spiritual guidance and grace.

To the loyal guestbook signers and e-mailers – thank you for your kind and inspirational words that lift us up daily!

To the people who have sent cards and care packages – thank you for filling our mailbox (and our hearts!) with thoughts of home, yummy treats, and gifts for Grace and Max!

To the nurses, doctors, and staff at Fairview Hospital – thank you for caring for our son during this time of challenge and hope.

To Marcia and Pete (our Care Partners) – thank you for all that you have done to make our lives a little easier (grocery shopping, babysitting, airport pick ups!)

To Opt1mus – thank you for your understanding and generosity to allow Mike to be with his family during this difficult time.

To the staff and residents at the Ronald McDonald House – thank you for making our “home away from home” so warm, comfortable, and supportive.

Chris (webmistress) – thank you for making and managing this web site so our family and friends can follow Max’s progress.

Other Hurler families – thank you for your support, understanding and advice.

Grandma Chick and Grannie Judie – thank you for coming to MN for extended periods of time to care for us and Grace so we may better care for Max.




			The support for Max and our family has been in one simple word, OVERWHELMING! So many people have participated in helping us out during our greatest time of need. While we are truly touched by the acts of kindness from our wonderful friends and family, we are blown away by generosity shown by so many strangers. It is absolutely amazing how many people have been brought to us through Max! This page is devoted to describing and acknowledging these generous gifts.


			July 2003 Pampered Chef #1 Thank you to Mike’s sister Dana who hosted a Pampered Chef party (the first of 2!). As part of the party, 15% of the show’s sales went to the Ronald McDonald House to help offset the Mike and Margaret’s “rent”. The show was a huge success with over 25 people from all across the country placing orders for the cause. Special thanks to Pampered Chef consultant Karen Hagen for her efforts and participation! August 2003 Little Company of Mary Collection Many thanks to the staff at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Chicago who collected donations for Max and our family. The donators are co-workers of Max’s Grannie Sweeney (Margaret’s Mom) who have not only reached into their pocketbooks for financial support but also have helped by working extra time so that Grannie could go to Minnesota to help out. Thank you! September 2003 Creative Memories Fundraiser A big “Creative” thanks to our very talented and generous neighbor Jodi Heiss who donated her entire profits (30%) from a Creative Memories scrapbooking show. Margaret’s sister Beth hosted the show which was attended by friends and family. In addition, Jodi rallied the troops and was able to get many other people to participate who have never even met Max! At the show, the participants were able to help continue working on Max’s memory book which was started before we left for Minnesota. Thank you Jodi for your super generosity and support! Some participants working on Max's Album Gorham New Hampshire School District Faculty and Staff Collection Many, many thanks to the wonderful faculty and staff at Gorham High School, the Edward Fenn Elementary School, and the Gorham Superintendent's office who presented Mike’s Mom and Dad (Max’s Grandma and Grandpa Ciacciarelli) with a generous donation. Many of the participants know Mike from his “early” days (at least they seem to remember the good stuff) and all send their best hopes for Max. Thank you and remember to be nice to your teachers and school staff!! Pampered Chef #2 Margaret’s sister Beth hosted another Pampered Chef party. As with the earlier party, 15% of the sales were donated for Max. The turnout was great and all who attended were so supportive of Max. Thank you to all who attended, and thanks to Bethie for being such a good sister and a wonderful hostess! Gorham High School Ice Cream Party Fundraiser Thank you to the staff at the GHS (Gorham High School, Mike’s alma mater) school cafeteria for the Ice Cream Party Fundraiser. Students participated by donating $1 per sundae for Max. The event was a huge success! Thank you so much to everyone who worked on this for us. It means so much to know that Max has so many supporters around the country in his time of need. Yummy treats at the GHS Ice Cream Social November 2003 Curves Fundraiser, Elmwood Park, IL Family and friends at the fundraiser. What an amazing, inspiring day! While we were 400 miles away from Mike, Margaret, Grace, and Max, we felt so close to them as we collected our hopes and prayers for Max at his Fundraiser Raffle. Some special thank yous: to Mike and Margaret’s neighbor Jodi who organized the event to the numerous donors who provided the prizes for the event, to Dawn at Curves in Elmwood Park for hosting the event, and to all of the people who bought raffle tickets to benefit Max and his family. While Jodi is still counting the donations, at this time we know that over 220 different people bought tickets or made donations from 19 different states (and 3 different countries!) amounting to a total of over $8000! We are all BLOWN AWAY by the kindness and generosity of family, friends, friends of friends, and co-workers of friends. Thank you so very much to all who participated! By far, the highlight of the afternoon was meeting Miss Molly B (www.missmollyb.com), her brother TJ, and mom Jenny. As most loyal Max fans and friends of other Hurler kids know, Molly was also born with Hurlers and had a bone marrow transplant at Duke. Today she is a beautiful 3 year-old with a smile that melted our hearts. I think I speak for all that were there that we couldn’t help but look at Molly and TJ and hope and pray that we see Max and Grace the same way in a couple of years. Thank you Jenny for coming to support Max and for sharing Molly and TJ with us this afternoon! Listed below are the winners of the different raffle prizes. Most of the prizes were picked by Lindsay, Jodi’s 3 year-old daughter and Grace’s good friend. While we were happy for each of the different winners as they will get wonderful prizes, we were especially thrilled when Lindsay picked Jenny Birmingham as the winner of the trip to Hawaii! We all just gasped as we knew that no one deserves a relaxing Hawaiian vacation more than the Birminghams! Congratulations to all of the winners! PRIZE #1: Quilt and Shams..................................................... Molly Boehner – Bethel Park, PA PRIZE #2: 1 Week Stay at Hawaii Condo.................................. Jenny Birmingham – Arlington Heights, IL PRIZE #3: Watercolor Painting of Home.................................... Pam Heiss – Arlington Heights, IL PRIZE #4: Baby Quilt.............................................................. Sharon and Bill Chamberlain – Lincolnshire, IL PRIZE #5: Floral Arrangement ................................................. Meg Kinsella – Spring Valley, IL PRIZE #6: Creative Memories Starter Kit................................... Kristen Garrity – Batavia, IL PRIZE #7: Peppino’s $25 Gift Certificate................................... Mickey Sodergen – Chicago, IL PRIZE #8: Peppino’s $25 Gift Certificate................................... Yolanda Blake – Chicago, IL PRIZE #9: Peppino’s $25 Gift Certificate................................... Carol Gartland – Seattle, WA PRIZE #10: Peppino’s $25 Gift Certificate................................... Gene Schiltz – Des Plaines, IL PRIZE #11: Corey Patterson Baseball........................................ Kirk Hoffman – Phoenix, AZ PRIZE #12: Alex Rodriguez Baseball.......................................... Jay Smith – Palatine, IL PRIZE #13: Williams-Sonoma Cooking Class.............................. Keith Soloman – Winnetka, IL PRIZE #14: Oil Change and Car Inspection................................. Gene Schiltz – Des Plaines, IL PRIZE #15: Draperyland Gift Certificate...................................... Colin McHugh – Chicago, IL PRIZE #16: California Wine and Pasta Basket............................ David & Susan Johnson – St. Charles, IL PRIZE #17: Italian Wine and Pasta Basket................................. Billy Boehner – Bethel Park, PA PRIZE #18: Nut & Candy Basket............................................... Mary Ann Lanzieri – Auburn, ME PRIZE #19: Lancome Beauty Basket......................................... Randy Palmer – Chicago, IL PRIZE #20: L’Oreal Beauty Basket............................................ Joan Micka – Countryside, IL PRIZE #21: 2 Month Curves Membership.................................... Rick Garchie – Schaumburg, IL PRIZE #22: Hotel in Oakbrook Terrace....................................... Melanie Maravich – Oak Park, IL The only thing that would have made the day any better would have been to have Mike, Margaret, Grace, and Max with us! We all miss them so much and can’t believe that they’ve been gone for so long. We are however, so very proud of each and every one of them and look forward to welcoming them home when Max is all better. Until then, we will continue to send our prayers and hope that Max will continue to progress in the right direction. We always hear about faith, hope, and love and tonight I pray for: Faith – that God will continue to guide the doctors, nurses, and Mike and Margaret as they make decisions on how to best care for Max! Hope – that Max will overcome all of the odds stacked against him and continue show us how MIGHTY he is! Love – that Mike, Margaret, Grace, and Max know how LOVED they truly are … we are so OVERWHELMED by the support from the raffle and lifted up by the kindness of all who participated, many of whom have never met Max or his family. Ongoing thanks ….. To the people who light candles at church and pray for Max and our family regularly – thank you for your spiritual guidance and grace. To the loyal guestbook signers and e-mailers – thank you for your kind and inspirational words that lift us up daily! To the people who have sent cards and care packages – thank you for filling our mailbox (and our hearts!) with thoughts of home, yummy treats, and gifts for Grace and Max! To the nurses, doctors, and staff at Fairview Hospital – thank you for caring for our son during this time of challenge and hope. To Marcia and Pete (our Care Partners) – thank you for all that you have done to make our lives a little easier (grocery shopping, babysitting, airport pick ups!) To Opt1mus – thank you for your understanding and generosity to allow Mike to be with his family during this difficult time. To the staff and residents at the Ronald McDonald House – thank you for making our “home away from home” so warm, comfortable, and supportive. Chris (webmistress) – thank you for making and managing this web site so our family and friends can follow Max’s progress. Other Hurler families – thank you for your support, understanding and advice. Grandma Chick and Grannie Judie – thank you for coming to MN for extended periods of time to care for us and Grace so we may better care for Max.



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			modified November 10, 2003 12:29 PM