Four Years

We feel the loss like a flood that moves in on September 21st. We remember the pain, the struggle, the fight. We mourn what could have been. Hans you were one beloved little boy and you are so missed. if only... Until we see you again.

Until then we are going to give this life everything we've got and honor you and fight for kids in your situation in every way that we can.  I'm so proud of your sister and your dad and all our family and friends in the way they've supported us and all of our ideas from bake sales to runs, walks, triathlons, pajama drives and whatever else comes our way.

This past weekend Team Hans completed the Nautica Malibu Triathlon as a 20 person Team, part of a larger group of 9 families affected by pediatric cancers, Sophia's Buddies.  This fundraising event raised1.3 million for Pediatric Cancer Research at CHLA, and our Sophia's Buddies raised 96,000 of those funds.  I'm so proud of Team Hans for bringing in a total of $22,681.  It costs $25,000 to put one child through one clinical trial.  We've just about got one kiddo covered with our Team Hans Tri. So proud.

Team Hans Nautica Malibu Tri 2016, less Mark, Mike, Don, Tracy and Jenny (It is a challenge to get everyone in one spot at one time on race day, there are at least 3000 people on the beach and everyone's event starts at different times...)  Thank you Team Hans!

Hans' Birthday

Our beautiful boy would be a teenager.  Hans would have been 13 years old today.  I wonder what kind of a kid would he have grown into.  Would he have been a gamer? a surfer a skater? a soccer or a guitar player?  Would he have done his school work?  I know he would have been sooo smart, I know he would have been sooooo into whatever he was into!   How tall would he be?  Would his hair have gotten much darker?  Would he wear it long or keep it short?

We all wish like crazy that we could keep him with us.  I can't even imagine what his friends would be like now, or all the silly inside jokes he and Elle would have about us!  Of course he left a wide wake.

However, we will always carry him with us, and bring him along wherever we go and no matter what we do.  We'll love and cherish him all the rest of our lives.  And we know that each day that passes brings us closer to him.

We are celebrating all that was so special about you today, Hans.

Fundraising Event for the Year

Dear Friends and Family, 

Each year Kevin, Ellie and I choose an event to support to raise money for pediatric cancer research in honor and memory of our one and only beloved boy, Hans. Hans battled the pediatric cancer Neuroblastoma from the ages of 3 to 9 and ultimately succumbed to the disease in 2012. He was a champion and a love, he was funny and demanding, he was crazy smart with a photographic memory, intense focus and incredible attention span. There is no telling what he could have contributed in this world… We miss him every moment, and his fight and his light guide us toward joy and meaning, every day. 

This year, like last year, we are asking for your support in our Sophia's Buddies Team Hans Nautica Malibu Triathlon, in partnership with the Cancer Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Hans was treated at CHLA, and we maintain a relationship with the Neuroblastoma team there. We work together to bring families together for community, support, education and action. We are proud to help contribute to the groundbreaking research efforts that are coming out of CHLA.

This year, Team Hans has grown, and there will be a total of 22 athletes competing with us in Malibu this Fall. It’s great to feel this support, and I’m thankful for each of the athletes that has signed up along with us! To me, there is a child-like joy in training for a triathlon. Running, riding your bike, and swimming take you back to the carefree days of childhood when you just wanted to run around and play outside. It’s meaningful when you are running around in memory and honor of the children who are no longer here to do so. 

Thanks for your tax-deductible contribution in any amount. We are grateful for your support.

With Love, 

Lara, Kevin and Elle

Click here to support Lara's Page
And click here to support Kevin's Page

9th annual Houston Valentines Day Bake Sale!

I want to share the date of our next TCH Bake Sale!  Save the date and bake, work or shop the bake sale on Friday 2/12 at TCH.

This is exciting to me, as it marks the 9th consecutive year of the Bake Sale!  It all started on Valentines Day of 2008.  It's come a long way - it's been tricky to track exact figures, with three different "presidents" of the Bake Sale over the years, but I'm sure we've exceeded $50,000!  

Thank you to Charon, Blair, Kim and Julie for organizing the Bake Sale and keeping it going after I had to pass the baton when we moved to California.

 Thanks to everyone who has baked, worked and shopped over all these years at more than 20 Bake Sales -  a legacy of love and commitment!