This little hero, five-year-old Maddie James, who earlier this year was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Doctors have given her but six months to live.
Maddie loves everything related to the sea – a passion that led her to attend Sea Camp last summer at The Ocean Institute in California. According to her website, “she would get a name tag every morning at check-in, and to this day, every single name tag she received is stuck to her bedroom wall.”
In honor of their daughter, Maddie’s parents are rallying to raise $1 million to benefit The Ocean Institute and help create the “The Maddie James Seaside Learning Center”.
“We realize this is a huge number and have no idea if we can get anywhere near it,” they write. “There are other naming opportunities in a lower donation range, but we have decided to reach for the stars (or maybe sea stars in this case) and try and raise as much money as possible.”
The Maddie James Foundation is also working hard to attract the attention of Ellen DeGeneres with the hopes that Maddie might make an appearance. In addition to any donations, we would love to ask for your support in helping them achieve this goal.
How? It’s easy. Just follow these steps as posted by Mary Anne Wendt:
1. Visit Ellen’s page: “Submit to The Ellen Show” (On NBC4) here: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=433
2. Fill out the form and copy and paste the letter below:
Dear Ellen, I’m writing to you as a friend of the Maddie James Foundation. Maddie James is a five year-old girl in Orange County, CA. Maddie was diagnosed in January with an inoperable, terminal brain tumor (DIPG). This dreaded type of cancer progresses rapidly. Her doctors have given her six months to live. There is no cure – the survival rate is less than one year. She likely won’t make it to see her 6th birthday in June. This heartbreak and tragedy resonates with people everywhere as they can imagine “what if it were my own child, niece, or granddaughter.”
Well, there is something that people can do. Maddie passionately loves all things related to the sea and when the time comes, her ashes will be spread at sea. The Ocean Institute is in the final stages of fundraising for its planned Seaside Learning Center. With one million dollars in funds, the Ocean Institute will be able to begin construction this summer and these new facilities will become The Maddie James Seaside Learning Center. People from all over So California are rallying for Maddie. You can read about her in the OC Register, http://bit.ly/fwIIUv. And, watch a news clip from KCAL9 in LA. http://bit.ly/fdRcXA Please feature this family on the show and help us fulfill their dream to memorialize the spirit of an extraordinary little girl, Maddie James. Thank you for your consideration.
3. You will need to submit Maddie’s photo. You can submit this photo of Maddie (below):
4. Save the photo to your desktop & upload. Here’s the photo URL: http://www.ecorazzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Maddie-James.jpg
5. Submit your request! Thank you!!
Please join us in helping Maddie and her parents achieve their goal – and create a legacy that will carry her love for the oceans to future generations of children.
This only takes a minute of your time, so join in! You can visit their website here...
http://maddiejamesfoundation.org/
Find them on face book here...
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Maddie-James-Foundation/149143421811505
And twitter here...
http://twitter.com/#!/maddiejamesfdtn
Another amazing blog post writing by a friend of the family is here...
http://www.impulsivejoy.com/2011/03/an-ocean-of-love-maddies-legacy/
Please take a moment of your time to spread the word about this BEAUTIFUL little girl. And BE THANKFUL for what you have.
~Amanda
