Benefit scheduled for Anslee June 23

May 16th, 2012

Good Afternoon, As all of you are aware, Mary Leblanc’s daughter Anslee Leblanc, 2, was diagnosed with ALL back in October 2011, when she was only 21 months old. She will be undergoing chemotherapy at least until February 2014. As you can all imagine, Mary and her family are having challenging times and yet somehow, Mary is here everyday and always has a smile on her face. Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 23rd, from 12:30-4:30 and be at the Archdale YMCA (Grubb Family YMCA) off of 62. We will be holding a Fundraising Event to Benefit Anslee Nita Leblanc and supporting our very own Mary Leblanc. The address for the Grubb Family YMCA is 609 Trindale Rd (62), Trinity, NC 27263. If you have any questions, or would like to participate in gathering donations for silent auction and/or door prizes, please contact DeAnna Church at ext:1371 or on her cell phone at 336-289-3335. All proceeds will be given to the Leblanc family. Online donations can be made to www.giveforward.com/ansleesangels . After you have all viewed the attached flyer, please print and forward to as many people as you know! This benefit is for a great cause, so come on out and help support one of our very own in her daughter’s journey. Thank you, DeAnna Church

it's been awhile.....

May 14th, 2012

4/25/12 Hello all- It's been a while since I've sent an update. so here we go- We have started out next course of chemo on 4/13. This round will be pretty intense compared to the last round Anslee went through. We will go once a week for 2 months. She will get 2 types of chemo each time we go. She also will have steroids for a weeks time a few different times during this round. We did one week last week and it was interesting to say the least. Just imagine a 2 yr old- who's entering the "terrible 2 phase", grouchy bc of chemo, and having steroid rage! I was sick last week requiring IV fluids, IV antibiotics, and IV steroids (which luckily was able to be done in my office in our infusion center), so we are wore out. Thanks to my mom, Sara, and Amy for resuing me on Friday night/ Saturday day and keeping Anslee so I could get some rest! She had a spinal tap with chemo on 4/13- which still shows no cancer in her spinal fluid (they check her spinal fluid for cancer cells every time she has a spinal tap). So far she has been tolerating everything pretty well. Her weight is stable and she's even getting some hair back- it's blonde too. But this may fall again during the round. We are also having another benefit June 23. It's a Sat. The location is TBA. So if you're available, please come! We will have a silent auction, door prizes, raffles, bake sale and music. We are trying to get hot dogs/ burgers, chips, sodas donated or cheap so we can sell lunch as well. We are also trying to have some games for kid's so everyone will be happy! We may be doing a bike ride prior to the event as well- everything is still very much in the works! If anyone would like to donate anything for the auction or food, or whatever please let me know!!! It would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!! Our next treatment will be this Friday so I wil update ya'll as soon as I can. Please say an extra prayer for one of Anlsee's "friends"- Xavier- who lost his battle on Tuesday 4/17. He had AML (acute myeloid leukemia) and he was 2 yrs old. He had been back at Brenner's since Jan (staying on the floor) b/c he relapsed shortly after Christmas. He was a little cutie pie and his parents are wonderful! Please hug your babies and loved ones tight, b/c they can be gone in a second. This loss hit close to home for us- I work with Xavier's mom's Godmother so I had a connection with her. It's heartbreaking. love you all Mary

Treatment on hold for a week

March 17th, 2012

3/17/12 We went to Brenner's yesterday for her last high dose methotrexate treatment, but it got put on hold until next week because her ANC count was too low. Anslee did get to enjoy a St Patrick's day party at the hospital. She made a some crafts, ate green cupcakes, played with the kids and had a good time. So she will get her counts checked Wed and if they are good, we will do our last methotrexate on Thursday. We will have a week off and then we will start back at the beginning. It will be five months altogether, then if all goes well we will be on maintenance. It's the longest and final round, approximately a year and 1/2. Luckily, most of maintenance can be done at home. Thanks for your support and prayers. Guy, Mary and Anslee

Update on treatment

March 17th, 2012

3/5/12 Hello all- It's been a while since I've given any updates- I have been super busy and exhausted since returning to work. So sorry. We are currently in the hospital getting our 3rd high dose methotrexate treatment. Anslee had a spinal tap on Friday and they started her 24hr treatment of methotrexate- she is doing well so far. She is in a great mood and eating like a champ! She has gained all her weight back- so she's at her starting weigh of treatment- a whopping 23 lbs! Woohoo! We did get our road map for the rest of treatment- we will be repeating the first 3 rounds of chemo once this course is finished. We have 1 more methotrexate treatment left in 2 wks, then back to the hard stuff again (boo!) We have an end of treatment date- 2/3/14. As long as she doesn't relapse, that will be our final day of treatment (give or take a few days). If I am repeating any of this, forgive me- I can't remember what I've told ya'll. The bracelets have been selling pretty well! If any of you want to buy one- please let me know ASAP b/c they are going fast. I will put aside bracelets for those of you that want one. Just email me with how many you want! We did talk to the oncologist about the methotrexate shortage and for now they said that it is not going to affect any of the patients. The pharmacy had a stock pile, and now manufacturer's are starting to produce more. This doesn't mean it won't be an issue down the road. They also have other chemo drugs, some Anslee will use in the next 2 rounds of treatment, that are still on the shortage supply list. But the Dr. said he feels this will be taken care of by the time she gets to these treatments. That's all for now. I hope everyone is doing well. We love you all!

Shortage of treatment drug could impact Anslee

February 17th, 2012

She's HOME!! - Prayer for Anslee to get home!

January 25th, 2012

THANK YOU - Anslee is home and happy in her shades and pink convertible!

Tomorrow, Jan. 26, 2012 - please take a few minutes to share her story with others.  Ask everyone to make a donation or post a Hug and birthday wishes to Anslee.

Let's do everything we can to celebrate with Anslee, even if we can't be there in person we can be there in support and encouragement!

Anslee in the Hospital

January 23rd, 2012

Anslee has been in the hospital since last Thursday with a high fever.  She had some pretzels today and fighting to keep her spirits up.  Please keep her and the family in your thoughts and prayers.

She will celebrate her 2nd birthday on Jan. 26 - let's do what we can to ensure she has a happy birthday, especially if she's in the hospital!

Ask 26 friends each day leading up to her birthday to donate $20.12 in honor of her second birthday.

Thank you for  your continued love and support,  it is truly a blessing to have so many folks praying and supporting our little Anslee and her family.

Love and blessing to you all!

In honor of Anslee's Birthday...

January 20th, 2012

January 26, 2012, little Anslee will turn 2 years old.

She's facing more at her age than some of us do in a lifetime! 

Let's give Anslee the greatest gift we can...support for her fight. 

For the next 7 days, we're asking every 1 (January) to ask 26 people to donate $20.12.
Take 5 minutes for the next 7 days to send an email and ask for each person to donate $20.12.
And, think of all the people who will be blessed to hear of Anslee's courageous story.

Thanks so much for your continued support.

Beads of Courage

January 20th, 2012

Anslee is such an amazing girl and it shows in her very own "Beads of Courage" necklace.

The Beads of Courage is given to every child facing such an enormous fight.  They receive different color/ designed beads for each "milestone" or "experience" they accomplish or go through.  They receive a bead for each time they face these events.  For example, they get a red bead for each blood/platelet transfusion they get (so Anslee has 5 so far), or they get a white bead for each time they get chemo (Anslee has a bunch).  They also can get "beads of courage" from nurses, doctors, or anyone else who thinks they deserve a special bead for something they did or went through. 

The chemo nurse gave Anslee a special "bead of courage" because she said that Anslee is "always so brave" when she has her port-a-cath accessed in the clinic. We also have a bead from Lina (the therapy dog), and a bead from the music man. The beads are donated/ made from volunteers and given to hospitals for children with life-threatening illness's. 

More information can be found on their website,  beadsofcourage.org.   The hope is that the kids will make these necklaces and carry it with them.  If they are faced with a challenge- they can look at their necklace and find the bead that represents the certain issue they are facing, and know that they have been through this before and survived or been ok and that they can do it again.  It's pretty cool! 

Anslee has an inspiring necklace and she is a VERY courageous little girl.  Thank you for your continued support and sharing her story with others.

Thanks to R&P Grill!

January 5th, 2012

Christmas was a great time to give the gift of hope and help raise money for Anslee's Angels!

Special thanks to R&P Grill for holding a Christmas Party fundraiser with a 50/50 drawing, raffles and pictures with Santa & the Mrs.  All money raised was donated to Anslee's Angels!

$640

To date, with all the online donations and the fundraising happening we have raised about $15,000!! 

Great job everyone and HUGE thank you for your support both in contributions and sharing Anslee's story.

God bless you all!

Update 12/29 - Happy New Year!

January 5th, 2012

We hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!  Here's a wonderful update from Mom Mary on Anslee's progress and her joyous Christmas.

Please continue to share Anslee's story - she'll be celebrating her 2nd Birthday very soon....let's see if we can make it a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY with lots of support.

well we've had a great Christmas and enjoyed seeing everyone- although some visits were too short!  We are excited to see the rest of the family in a few weeks! 
Anslee had her overnight stay on thurs with her chemo administration.  she did great, her counts are doing well.  we expect that to change since she is starting back on so many medications again.  we have started the repeat of the last 4 weeks we just did- so this means the shots at home, chemo pill at home, and still doing weekly clinic visits.  the relief, if you want to call it that, is that we are done with spinal taps for about 4 weeks.  Anslee's weight is holding steady this past week which gave me some relief as well.  she actually ate really well these past 2-3 days!  she is still doing really well as far as her energy level goes. she got to play with her cousin Caitlyn while in VA and she LOVED that!!  they are buddies!  i think it really made her day to play with another kid instead of being cooped up with mom and dad all day!!  she was very sad to have to tell her bye. 
we hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and looking forward to the new year!
As always, thank you all for everything you've done, doing, etc!  We love you all so much!
Love
MC

Update 12/22 - Merry Christmas from our Angel!

December 23rd, 2011

Merry Christmas!  Remember the reason for the season and spread the joy and hope to everyone.   Keep Anslee and her family in your thoughts and prayers as we celebrate Christmas together, virtually.

Update from Mom Mary:
We finished the 4th week of our 8 week session.  We had chemo and spinal tap with chemo today.  Anslee did well as usual.  Her counts have actually gone up since they were just checked on Monday- which surprised us as well as the doctors.  She has lost 2 lbs- which I thought she would have since she has had no appetite this past week.  The doctors did not want to start an appetite stimulant yet because-  1) she has not lost 20% of her body weight/ BMI, 2) she still has a good amount of energy, 3) they don't want to add another medicine unless they have to.  They just told us to feed her whatever she wants to eat- don't worry about healthy diet right now.  (Her food of choice has been french fries, ramen noodles, and tater tots!) 
We thought we were getting a "week off" in the middle of this 8 weeks, but we start with the repeat of this first 4 weeks next Thursday with the overnight stay for observation during the administration of the medication that can cause bleeding in the bladder, then the shots at home, etc.  The good news is we are done with the spinal taps with chemo for a few weeks.  Merry Christmas to you all!"

Update 12/15 - Special visitors week

December 16th, 2011

Anslee had some wonderful visitors this week and she continues to inspire us with her smiles and strength through her battle.

During the season of giving, please share this wonderful Christmas inspiration with others and ask for support for our little Anslee and her family.

Blessing to you and families!

Anslee had her 3rd treatment for this 2nd round yesterday and it was a looooong day.  She had another spinal tap with chemo, had her regular chemo through her port, had 2 injections in her legs and also had to receive another blood transfusion.  The good thing is they were able to give her the injections while she was asleep for her spinal tap- last time she was awake and they were painful.  As part of protocol for the injections, we had to be in observation for 2 hrs afterwards to see if she had a reaction.  Then she received her transfusion. All her counts are going back down as expected, but they should build slightly back up the week we have off.  She did good yesterday as far as not getting sick- she was very tired though.
We did have 2 big surprises while we were in the hospital yesterday.  1- Anslee got to meet the man himself, Santa!!  This was her first time seeing him, and it went pretty well.  She was apprehensive at first, but warmed up a little.  She didn't want him to hold her, but she did call him "Ho-Ho" and blow him a kiss.  He gave her a baby doll and that made her day!
The other surprise was that we finally got to meet Lina!  Lina is the therapy dog that visits the floor 1-2 times a month.  We missed her by a few minutes last time we were there.  Anslee was very excited to see a dog in the hospital.  She looked at Lina and said "dog, bed" and patted her bed.  So, Lina crawled into Anslee's hospital bed, laid down and snuggled with Anslee for a bit. (she is a 6 year old Golden Retriever)  Anslee was in heaven!
Her appetite continues to be down, but she has not lost any weight yet- it's holding steady.  Her energy level has stayed up and she is still in good spirits!
We love all of you and thank you as always for everything!
Love
MC, Guy, and Anlsee

Angel Update 12/8 - amazing Anslee!

December 8th, 2011

Wow - we have had some exciting stuff happening online with donations and Anslee can feel the support! Check out the latest update from Mom Mary - Anslee is doing wonderful!

"We had chemo this am with another spinal tap (# 3 of 5 in a row).  Anslee did just fine.  She is running around the house this afternoon like nothing happened- she's AMAZING!  She is in good spirits as well.  Her appetite has continued to decrease a little, but she still seems to have a good amount of energy.  Her counts today were low, but not low enough to need a transfusion.  We will go to her regular doctor's office on Mon for her weekly count check-  the oncology clinic said Anslee would probably need a transfusion in the next week or so- which is expected.  I will have to give her shots again this weekend- Friday, Sat., and Sun.  She handled these wayyyyyy better than I did!!  I told mom that after I gave her the 2 shots last week, she stood up, looked at me and said "Thank you mamma"- talk about making me cry!  She is a little fighter and amazes us daily! 
We love all of you and thank you for everything !!"

Your support for Anslee and her family is so important.  Please continue to share Anslee's Angels with everyone you know. 

During the Christmas season, Angels are a vital part of the story. YOU are a vital part of Anslee's story and we thank you!

Update 12/1 - More treatments but still laughing

December 1st, 2011

Anslee is doing well.  She is heavy in treatment but her personality and spirit continue to shine!  Mom Mary's recent update is encouraging and demonstrates the long road we are traveling to help Anslee.

Please continue to share Anslee's story and ask for support.  With the Last  Call event (raised over $7500) we are over the $10,000 mark in fundraising.  Please reach out through facebook and email friends and family to spread the message of Anslee's Angels.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers for this precious angel.

Treatment update:
We came home from the hospital today after our overnight stay for observation.  Anslee started her 2nd round of chemo. yesterday.  The doctors said that this round will be the hardest on her and "bottom out her counts" and we will have to be VERY careful with her "exposure".  (so if anyone is sick/ runny nose/ feels slightly bad- sorry we love you, but come back when you're better!)  They told us again that they would not be surprised if she got a fever and had to be admitted during this course-  this is pretty normal so we are expecting this to happen.  Anslee will have 4 wks of chemo- once a week, then she will have 1 week off to let her counts climb back up a little.  Then she will repeat the same treatment again for 4 weeks.  She has been started on an oral chemo medication which we give her at home for 2 wks (she will repeat this again later.) she also will get the "chemo shots" from me tomorrow and Sat. and then next Fri, Sat., and Sun.  (these will also be repeated again later). 
She is still in good spirits.  She has been playing and laughing.  She was dancing around the halls of the oncology unit and playing the drums with the "music man" and had literally ALL the nurses and staff watching and laughing with her-  IT WAS GREAT TO SEE HER THIS HAPPY!
We are trying to keep thinking positive and still taking it one day at a time- that's all we can do.

Update 11/22 - Good progress!

November 23rd, 2011

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we want to thank all of you for your support!  Anslee is doing well, please see the update from Mom Mary...

"we got the results back from her bone marrow biopsy and Dr. Buckley said that she was in remission.  This means that there were no leukemia cells seen in her bone marrow- and he said this was not good, but great!
On the other hand, she is still considered "high risk" because her white count was over 50,000 at her initial diagnosis.  But the doctor said she is doing great.  We did NOT start her 2nd round of chemo today b/c her counts were too low.  So on Monday we will go to her pediatrician's office for a recheck of her counts and if they are high enough then we will proceed with the start of the 2nd round of chemo.  We will do exactly as we were to do today- overnight stay in the hospital to give medicine and flush her bladder, spinal tap with chemo, and the shots.  This 2nd round will last 8wks- 4 wks first, then 1 wk off, then 4 weeks.  This 2nd round is the most intense on her body due to the medications given and the amount."

Precious Anslee will have a difficult holiday season so please keep her and the family in your prayers.

Please consider sharing Anslee's story with others and ask them to join you by making a gift of support.

Happy Thanksgiving and Blessing to you and your family!

Girls Night In with BFF!

November 22nd, 2011

An exciting weekend for Anslee - it's great to see our precious angel smiling!

Anslee and Abbey had a "girls night in" last Friday.  They ate take-out from Ruby Tuesday (mac n chesse, fries, and tea).  They hung out in their PJ's and watched Nick Jr., played with Dora and baby dolls.  They are BFF's!!

I hope each of you find strength and inspiration in this little girl.  Her smile lights up a room and touches the hearts of many!  Please take a few minutes today to share Anslee's story and ask for support.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving, please take a moment to express thanks to those around you and give thanks to all the Angels watching over Anslee and her family.

From all of us, we are thankful for your love, support and prayers.  God bless you and yours.

11/15 Update - Keep those prayers coming!

November 16th, 2011

THANK YOU to everyone that attended the Last Call Sports Bar and Grill fundraiser Nov. 12 - early results:  over $7200 was raised!!  Special thanks to owners Telisa and LC Beck and all those who donated auction items!  The total on this website doesn't reflect the offline donations and fundraising - I'm happy to report our total is over $10,000 in just a few weeks!!

Mary, Anslee's mother, provided a promising report this week on Anslee's progress - keep those prayers and donations coming as we have a long journey!

"Anslee had a bone marrow biopsy today and spinal tap with chemo entered into her spinal fluid.  Her blood count (hemoglobin)is still low but has gone up a little and her platelets are still good.  The results from today's bone marrow biopsy will determine her treatment "road map" for the next 2 1/2 years.  The doctor said he is looking to see if her leukemia "is in remission." This means the presence of her cancer has lessened or disappeared. If this is the case she will go through each step of treatment only once- if she is not in remission, she will repeat certain stages twice. 

The next round of chemo will last 8 wks-  she will go to the oncology clinic once a week and I will actually have to give her injections of chemo in her thighs a few times during this course.  She will have 4 more spinal taps in a row.  We start this next round of chemo next week with an overnight hospital stay.  This is to monitor her after the administration of a chemo medication that can cause bleeding in the bladder, so Anslee will have to be monitored for 24 hrs.  We will start the injections in her thighs next week as well- she will receive an injection on Tues, Wed, and then I will give it to her on Thurs and Fri.  I guess it helps that I give injections at work- but this will not be easy doing it on my own child.

As a side affect from the chemo, all her hair has fallen out and her appetite has decreased significantly, but on the good side she has been in the best mood she has been in since her diagnosis and has started to play a lot more."

Please forward this update and link (www.giveforward.com/ansleesangels) to ask for support for our little angel Anslee!

NASCAR Driver Brian Vickers and Anslee's Angels

November 9th, 2011

Big thanks to NASCAR driver Brian Vickers for his donation to help Anslee's Angels.

Join us on November 12, 1 pm - 7 pm at Last Call Sports Bar and Grill in Thomasville NC to bid on this exclusive item and help Anslee!

AUTOGRAPHED by Brian Vickers

#83 Red Bull 1:24 scale Platinum Series NASCAR diecast collectible cars by Lionel NASCAR Collectables feature over 100 total parts:

• All diecast body and chassis
• Opening hood, roof flaps and deck lid
• Front splitter; rear wing or spoiler
• Working steering, detailed interior and fuel compartment
• Manufacturer-specific engine detail with valve covers
• Die-cast tie rod assembly
• Independent coil spring front suspension with sway bar
• Detailed disc brake assembly
• Accurate header contour and simulated exhaust openings
• Aero design wheels
• Rear window funnel access
• Tampo-printed graphics and high quality paint
• Actual size measures approximately 8" in length and is handsomely packaged in its own custom printed skybox
• Each 1:24-scale diecast will also contain a Diecast Identification Number (DIN), visible through the back window, for registration.

Smilin' Anslee! Update from 11/8 Chemo treatment

November 9th, 2011

Thank you everyone for your love and support! I have the latest update from Mary, Anslee's mother, and Anslee is doing well.

 "Anslee had chemo today. Her platelet counts have gone up to a little over 200,000! (this is in the normal range for the average person- which is Amazing!!) Her hemoglobin is still pretty low at 8.8 and her white blood cell count is still low at 1.5- but these have stayed stable since the last visit. (this is good) She is still at risk for infections because her ANC (which helps her body fight off infections) is still very low at 300. But this is normal for a chemo patient. She will go back next Tuesday for another bone marrow biopsy and spinal tap- they will give her chemo into her spinal fluid during the spinal tap. She has been in a really good mood the past 3 days. She has actually started to play with some of her toys and has been smiling some- which she hasn't done since being diagnosed."

Please keep spreading the word about Anslee's Angels, we need all the prayers and support we can get.  Plus, this is an AMAZING little girl, she can inspire others!

Hope to see you at the fundraiser - Nov. 12 - Last Call Sports Bar and Grill, Thomasville NC

Feisty Anslee, update for Nov. 1 Chemo treatment

November 1st, 2011

Update from Mimi:

"Chemo went well today and the porta cath worked very well. Her blood counts are low but not low enough to give a transfusion and platelets today. She will go Thursday to her Pediatrician and have blood work done to check counts. If they are low then they will give her one next week. Doctor told MC (Mother) it was possible that she might run a temp from these low counts and if she does she will have to be admitted to the hospital as a precaution. We can pray that is not the case.

Anslee was feisty behind the scenes while on the phone, she has learned to be very forceful with the NO!!!! words."

Go ahead Anslee, be feisty.  You are a strong little girl and we keep you in our prayers everyday! 

Anslee and Rogue reunited!

October 29th, 2011

Anslee is doing fine, just a bit irritable from the Prednizone, which keeps her up several times at night. She will go to her regular doctor this week to get her blood count checked, and then back to Brenners for outpatient chemo next Tuesday. She needed a transfusion of platelets on Tuesday, which is becoming not unusual as a result of the chemo.

Life is a little bit back to normal for the family. Anslee’s 4 legged sister Rouge is home, and I’m sure that brings some joy to everyone. Rouge can sense that something is wrong with Anslee…

Your prayers, love and support are greatly appreciated!