Roundup For A Cure
Pat Vaughn, Teammate

Hundreds of Relay for Life supporters came to the Floyd County High School on Friday, July 20th for Floyd County's annual event.  With special guest speakers and performers, the night was jam packed and full of laughter and tears.  Desirae Harman, Chance's mom, spoke of the significance of little red wagon and stressed the importance of funds for research.  While at Duke University Hospital, families are provided with little red wagons in order to transport the children from room to room.  Both Chance and Joshua had wagons and their younger siblings were pulled around the track in their big brothers wagons.  Desirae said, "It's important to continue to raise money for research.  The protocol Chance underwent was experimental at one time.  Had it not been for research to create the protocol, we would not have been given 7 more months with Chance."  Laura Cantrell also spoke of Joshua's fight and how the cause had affected their lives as well as the Foster's. 

Topeco Church of the Brethren's team was named the Topeco Travelers.  Their team supported the Relay for Life and also collected money for Chance's Angel Fund.  This fund was established after Chance's healing and will provide support to other families traveling similar journeys.  Around 9:30pm, the Topeco Travelers were honored with the lighting of the Hope Luminary ceremony.  The Harman family lit the candles that spelled out H-O-P-E. 

Other fun activites included the 'Womanless Beauty Contest" and the "Crazy Hat Contest."  Click here to view photo's of the event.

Kassidy Jordan Foster, 12, of Check went to be with her Lord and Savior on July 16, 2007 at Roanoke Community Hospital.

Kassidy was a level 7 Gymnast at Virginia Techniques in Christiansburg and she attended Faith Fellowship Church in Wirtz, VA. She was preceded in death by her grandmother, Ruby Lee Foster and great grandparents, Wiley and Wertie Marks.

She is survived by her parents, Danny and Tammy Austin Foster; sister, Courtney Layne Foster; grandparents, Harold and Kitty Austin, of Check, Benjamin Foster of Rocky Mount; aunts and uncles, Dorn and Betty Marks; Cathy and Paul Howell, Kathy and Randy Young, Gary and Norma Foster, Debbie and Jeffrey Taylor, Mike and Kim Foster, Wanda Foster; cousins, Chad Marks, Sarah and Nichole Howell, Tonya, Keith, Kaden and Lacey Grantham, Ronald Foster, Morris Foster, Alisha and Lyndsey Foster, Stephanie, Shane, and Nate Bailey, Charles Foster, LeeAnn Foster, Felicia, Kameron, Manyah and Isaiah Foster, Warren and Gabriel Taylor; many nieces, nephews, other relatives in many states and special friends at Virginia Techniques Gymnastics.

The family would like to meet as many people as they can at the services to thank everyone for their support.

The family will receive friends from 5 until 7 p.m. on Thursday at Faith Fellowship Church, Wirtz with a memorial service starting at 7 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, 2007 at Gardner Funeral Home, Floyd with the Revs. Gary Hoffman, Gary Martin and Jackie Spence officiating. Interment will follow at Wilson Cemetery, Check.

The family will also receive friends from 5 until 8 p.m. on Friday at Gardner Funeral Home, Floyd.

Arrangements are being handled by Gardner Funeral Home, Floyd.

Survivors

Parents
Brian & Desirae Harman

"Sissy"
Destiny Harman

Grandparents
(PopPa & Ganny) Ray & Becky Goff
(Papa & Nana) Allen & Anne Harman

Great-Grandmothers
(Grandma Sally) Sally Goff
(Granny) Margaret Harman

Aunts & Uncles
Blair & Pansy Edwards
Tina & Donald Quesenberry
Sherrie Conner
T.R. & Kelly Goff

Numerous Cousins and Close Friends

Brian, Desirae, Destiny, and the rest of their immediate family, would very much like to meet those who have traveled this journey with them.  If you are reading this, then that includes you.   This celebration of Chance's life has become very personal to many of you and Brian and Desirae want to make sure each and every one has an opportunity to meet them, hug them and talk with them about how Chance has affected their lives.   They are so very proud to have been Chance's parents and to have traveled this road for Christ. 

Funeral Services will be spread out over three days to allow for as many visitors as possible.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to SameFight.org.  A special fund has been established in memory of Chance.  The fund has been named "Angel Fund" and the family will use your donations to help others who travel a similar journey.  Please note "Angel Fund" on your donation or include it in the notes of Click and Pledge.

Balloons will float to heaven for Chance. 
Angel Wish cards will be available at all services.  If you would like to send Chance an Angel wish, simply write him a special message and we will attach it to a balloon for release.  If you are unable to attend, please email us your wish to info@samefight.org.

PRAISE GOD! CHANCE HAS BEEN HEALED

Over the past six months we have all been touched by God through a special little boy named Chance Wesley Harman. He was first diagnosed with AT/RT brain tumors in December. Since then, his fight has inspired his family, friends, strangers and hundreds of thousands of visitors to SameFight.org. He taught us so much about life; simple lessons like how to enjoy each precious moment we have with our friends and family and how important it is to say your prayers. He has shown us that Jesus loves us and wants to take care of us through all of the good and bad times. How precious this little soul was to inspire our community, our county and our website family. We may ask ourselves, “why a child?” Think of it this way, God knew that it would take a child to open our eyes. He knew it would take a child to make such an impact on our spiritual lives.

Brian Harman wrote; “Chance has told us for months on months that God is healing him and recently he kept telling us that God had healed him. Well, today God has completely healed Chance; he went on to be with the Lord today at 12:00. Prayers have been answered, Chance is not suffering anymore. He fought to the very last minute; I am just so thankful that he was our son. Chance has won; he is a winner, now we all have to praise God, live life right to see Chance again one day. Please keep all of our family in your prayers over the next period of time. There are still a lot of kids out here that are fighting for their life, remember them. Don’t forget, Chance is healed, he is shooting ball, playing golf, or fishing right now. Can’t wait to get there.”

What a Day That Will Be
What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

For Chance that glorious day was today. Friday, July 6, 2007 around 12:00pm the Lord called Chance home to be with Him in heaven, a place of no sickness, no pain, and especially no more cancer. I’m sure as many of you read Brian’s update this morning you prayed as he requested for peace and comfort. Though Brian, Desirae, Destiny and the rest of the family still need your prayers of peace and comfort Chance no longer does. We can only imagine Chance’s reaction as he reached his wonderful destination.  Surely he was thrilled as Grandpa Harman, Grandpa Pete and Joshua were there to meet him, but most of all we can only envy his excitement as he met our precious Lord, Jesus Christ. In this time of sorrow we rejoice in the fact that because of the saving grace of Jesus Christ we will see Chance again one day...What a Day That Will Be.

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Press Release

from the Harman Family

Friday, July 06, 2007

The family wants only to Praise God for Chance’s life.  I spoke with Brian around 0330pm this afternoon and he wanted to make sure every one understands that this is a time of celebration.  Their precious son is with Jesus in heaven and he is once again feeling like the Chance they remember, not the Chance they have seen for the last year.  He told me that God’s timing was perfect.  Earlier this week they had prayed for God to take Chance so that he wouldn’t suffer.  For reasons that they wouldn’t understand until later, Chance held on.  Then, Frankie, a young man at Duke University that assists with transports, finally got to meet Chance.  He had been waiting a very long time to meet him and told Brian he would never be affected by anyone’s life the way he was by Chance.  Praise GOD!

On July 4^th, Brian and Desirae took Chance downstairs and outside to see the fireworks.  There were many cancer survivors there and Brian said that he asked Chance if he wanted to be a cancer survivor or did he want to go to heaven?  Chance looked up at his dad and said, “I’m tired, I want to go to heaven.”   How can we not rejoice when Chance is where he wanted to be?  Desirae had talked with Chance on Thursday before the MRI.  She told him that if he saw Jesus’ light, he should walk to it.  Chance replied with a wonderful childlike response by saying, “I ain’t got no shoes on.”  She then told him he didn’t need shoes in heaven.  He said his prayers last night, as did the family.  God answered their prayers this morning.  They believe God will show them signs that Chance is with us still.

The family plans to visit with friends and family for two nights and they want to meet those that have walked this journey with them.  Most of all they want people to see Chance.  Maberry Funeral Home will be handling the arrangements.  Final funeral arrangements are still to be determined, but we expect the funeral to be held at their church, the Topeco Church of the Brethren in Willis, Virginia.

By Pat Vaughn, friend of the family and teammate of SameFight.org

info@samefight.org

540.230.3679 cell

Right On Time
Pat Vaughn, Teammate

For those of you who haven't signed up for our newsletter, you are really missing alot of good information.  This quarters edition was released on Monday afternoon.  Included were stories from both Desirae and Laura.  Both wrote stories from their perspectives.  Several other items were also included.  You don't want to miss out on next quarters, to be released in October.  Sign up today.

To view this quarters newsletter, click here.