September 25, 2009 was a life changing day for our family.  Our sweet, spunky, full of life 9 year old daughter, Lauren, was diagnosed with "some type of leukemia."  We were devastated to say the least.  Life as we knew it changed in the blink of an eye.  We were immediately sent to the children's hospital in Columbia where a few days later, it was determined that Lauren had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).  
     The first week of Lauren's whirlwind journey with AML, a surgical cart filled with an array of toys, games, stuffed animals, and more arrived at her door.  Pushing that cart of joy was Tracey Rankin, founder of the Happy Wheels program in Columbia.  With a smile on her face and a heart full of love for children, especially those hurting or facing some type of  medical "battle," Tracey met our family and won our hearts.  It was the beginning of Happy Wheels in Columbia, and Lauren was one of their very first recipients.  It brought so much joy to Lauren's face to see Tracey and get to choose a toy or book each week!  Happy Wheels' visits brightened many bleak days spent "stuck" inside the hospital for her.  

     Lauren passed away 10 months after her diagnosis on July 16, 2010.   There were many sad moments during her battle with AML.  However, many of the happy ones included Happy Wheels.  Lauren loved Happy Wheels and Tracey.   This organization will always hold a special place in our hearts.  Please consider donating to Happy Wheels.  You never know if or when your perfectly "healthy" child might be the one getting to choose something from the Happy Wheels cart.