#PrepWithPurpose - Prayers for Revel

For backstory on what #PrepWithPurpose is all about please read the blog entry and/or Instagram Post.

Hello Friends,

Less than one month until stage time. First show is St. Louis Pro on 3/30-3/31 and then the very next weekend Salt Lake City Pro. Coach is happy. Me .. not so much .. lol. That is the story of my "prep life" most of the time.

So much of prepping for that stage is mental and (for me) on days when I feel like I'm not on track to be stage ready .. I can get very UNMOTIVATED.  I kinda get that "what is the point" attitude that I SHOULD NOT have. Many people are motivated by set backs .... but for me it's the little daily "wins" that give me fire and if I don't feel like I'm having daily "wins" ... sometimes I am less motivated to PUSH myself. Insert PREP WITH PURPOSE!

This little prayer chain gives me life some days. When I want to give up, when I don't feel like it, when I want to complain .. all I have to do is shift my focus to the person I'm lifting up and for at the moment. If they can be battling whatever it is they are battling then I can certainly stop complaining and get my cardio or workout done. I am BLESSED to have the ABILITY to do this. I refuse to take that for granted.

This week another child with cancer is our focus. We will be dedicating our physical abilities to this little soldier who is fighting to simply ... LIVE.

Here is Revel's back story.

PREP WITH PURPOSE: REVEL
(Revel's story from the families Fundraiser Page)

Meet Revel, he was diagnosed in January 2017 with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma. Revel has been through 7 rounds of chemo, multiple surgeries, two bone marrow transplants,12 rounds of radiation, and then we moved on to maintenance Immunotherapy. Revel was NED (no evidence of disease) September 2017. We we're so relieved, all we had to do was finish up 17wks of immunotherapy and we're we're DONE. FINISHED.

We got half way thru immunotherapy before we found another mass. It appeared out of nowhere, Revel had clear scans in November. His new scans showed a 7X7cm tumor in his abdomen and a 2X2cm in his chest. But they were growing fast. Too fast. The decision was made to biopsy the masses and intubate Revel. The masses continued to grow, almost doubled in size. The one in his chest compromised his airway and threatened his aorta. So as of now he is in the PICU, sedated and intubated. Relapsed NB has no cure. It's all trial and error. Right now we are simply going from one facility to the next - looking for a cure. Looking to give our sweet baby a chance at life.


UPDATE as of 3/5/18 (his moms post on facebook)
Revel has had constant super high fevers for the last 48hrs. The doctors were certain it was due to his non existent white blood cell count, but today JR and I had enough. We requested that Revs be put back on the higher dose antibiotics that he was on prior to these fevers starting and that they do further testing just to make sure it wasn't something more concerning. The Dr gave me a whole condescending speech about if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's probably not a goose. To which I replied, let's go on a fudging goose chase then! Anywho; after a day of labs, scans, and swabs; they confirmed that it's a goose... A goose named pneumonia. Those of y'all that know me know that I can be a little hot tempered, so you'll be proud to hear that I kept my cool and let JR handle it. But for goodness sake y'all, we know our kid. We know when he is not ok. Why can't we get them to listen? I will always advocate for my baby, if Drs don't like that, tough. So, now we're on the right meds and still waiting for counts. When counts are zero an illness like pneumonia can be deadly to cancer babies. Please keep praying and keep loving Revel, he is holding strong because of you!

His moms words in her Facebook posts are very hard to read. Here is the link to his page if you want to read them all, keep up with any updates and read more about him.

But here are some paragraphs from some of her posts that probably got me the most .... 

We're running out of time. Revel is fighting as hard as he can and y'all are praying with all your might, but how do we stop time?

Before Revel's cancer I never thought about time. I never thought that I would be begging for more time with my son, I took time for granted. I was always rushing around, pushing things off until I had time. I wish I could go back and pause. I wish I could slow down and enjoy every single second. I'm trying to remember all the giggles, all the hugs, all the kisses, all the cuddles. We all need to slow down and squeeze them a little tighter, hold their hand just because, tell them you love them a million and one times, kiss every boo boo, wipe every tear, let them climb into your bed, don't rush them out the door in the morning because you're running late, always make sure they know how special they are.

I have spent the majority of the last 72hrs staring at my sweet boy. Trying to memorize every feature of his sweet face. I watch his chest rise and fall with every breath. I keep my hand on his belly, I don't know if I'm trying to will this tumor away or just hold his boo boo for comfort, maybe both. .....
Why can't I save him? I am helpless, I can't do anything. Revel's tumor is too big, it's pushing too far up, his lungs are starting to need help. ........This is so unfair. I hate Neuroblastoma. I hate Cancer. God, please save baby.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow. Just wow. We are not guaranteed time my friends. Spend yours wisely and at some point in the 24 hours you are blessed with today .. please join me in lifting up and for this little boy and his family. #RevStrong

With every rep and every step I will be saying Revel's name and asking God for a miracle.

XoXo,

Stacy

** Also, as always, I can not vouch for this families financial needs as I do not know them. But if you want to donate there are a couple of fundraising pages set up to help this single income family during this horrible time. Here is the Go Fund Me Page.  Also a group called the Quit Bitching Coalition is raising money. I don't know anything about this coalition but I'm going to look into them. I'm pretty obsessed with their name and what it seems they are doing!! You an Pay Pal them at INFO@QUITBITCHINGCOALITION.com, If you choose to go this route of donating ... MAKE SURE WHEN YOU DONATE YOU MENTION “Revel”. **

** Another update for those that are joining me regularly for PRP. The little girl Sydney that we lifted up and for a couple of weeks ago ... passed away. Please keep her family in your prayers.

#PrepWithPurpose - My Sweet Lisa

Hey Friends,

You are reading this.
Which means you have eyes that allow you to see.

This will be what I'm most grateful for the next few days and what I ask you to focus on as well as we LIFT UP AND FOR someone that is undergoing an eye surgery this week.

I know that it's easy to find motivation and empathy when a story tugs at your heartstrings the way that las weeks person does (if you missed it you can read it HERE.)

But not every person featured in my little project will be a child, or a child with cancer, or someone experiencing disease, or some extreme trauma. That doesn't mean they don't need prayer and what they are going through shouldn't provide us with motivation and a reminder to be GRATEFUL for our ability to do what they can't.

I rarely know the person that I feature in
PREP WITH PURPOSE.

But this week I not only know the person ... she is one of the most important people in this world to me. She is one of my best friends

In fact, she is one of the ONLY friends I have that checks in on me, calls me, texts me, stays in contact with me. She was my only friend/family to come to Vegas to watch me compete in Olympia!

She is hands down one of the (if not the) most selfless people that I have ever known.




Her name is Lisa. She is a fellow competitor, an amazing mom and just recently left her stable job to follow her PASSION of helping others become THEIR physical best.

On Monday she goes in for what may sound like a simple procedure on her eye, but it has risks and it's a big deal to her. She has some extreme anxiety about the procedure, the risks, the possibility of pain and of course the days/weeks that will follow where she will be restricted from working and training (she has a show to start prep for and as mentioned her job is training others.)

So please join me this week in LIFTING UP AND FOR my sweet Lisa. Especially Monday morning (2/26) which is when the actual procedure takes place.


PREP WITH PURPOSE - LISA WEATHERS

Lisa has a spot on her eye called Pterygium. From what I gather this is (in short) abnormal tissue.
She is having Pterygium removal surgery to hopefully remove it.

While it is a minimally invasive procedure .. there is the possibility that the spot will stay red forever and of course any of the "extremes" they must warn about (blindness, etc.)

We will be praying that her anxiety is lifted (she has to be awake and they have to clamp her eye open) and that not only is her recovery fast .. but that the Pterygium does NOT return after this procedure!




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I open my eyes each day I will be thankful that I can see the beauty that surrounds me.
I will not take my vision for granted.
I will take a little bit longer to focus on God's canvas -- the colors, shapes, textures, etc.

With every rep and every step I will be lifting up and for my sweet Lisa.
I can see. I can move. I am ALIVE and WELL.

Lisa is being forced to take it easy... yet I KNOW she would give anything to be up and active!

I hope you join me I lifting up this sweet girl. She is a rare one. She would do anything for anyone .. let's do something for her!

As always, if you have anyone that you think would be a great fit for PREP WITH PURPOSE .. email me!

Xo
Stacy

#PrepWithPurpose: Sydney's Final Days

For backstory on what #PrepWithPurpose is all about please read the blog entry and/or Instagram Post.

Hey Friends,

I did do a PREP WITH PURPOSE last week ... I just forgot to make it LIVE!

No point in me making it LIVE now. But it was for everyone dealing with the most recent mass shooting in Florida. All of the victims, the families, the school and the entire community. They still need lots of prayers so lets not stop! Being in a town that had a mass shooting .. I saw first hand how people POUR out all the love for the days and weeks following .. but then it soon becomes a distant memory unless you were directly involved (I live here and am JUST as guilty of this.) 

Moving on to THIS weeks PREP WITH PURPOSE. We will be lifting up and for a young girl that has been fighting cancer for three years and is now in what appears to be her final days.
Her name is SYDNEY.

Monday morning I got a FB alert from a page I follow (another little girl that had cancer that was featured in the past) and knew instantly this little girl needs to be who we are lifting up and for this week. Not to mention, my first show of 2018 will be the St. Louis Pro and St. Louis is where this little girl and her family live.

In situations where I do not know the person we are lifting up and for (usually the case) ... it's best for me to just "copy and paste" their story from one of their social or donation pages so I don't miss any details. 

Here is SYDNEY'S backstory and where she is today ..... 

Sydney was diagnosed with a Stage 4 Favorable Wilms' tumor on March 1, 2015 at Mercy Hospital, St. Louis. The next day, she was taken to surgery to have her right kidney, adrenal gland and lymph nodes removed. On March 5th, she was transferred to Cardinal Glennon because her other kidney had failed and the doctors believed that she needed to start dialysis. 

Once at Cardinal Glennon, the doctors gave her kidneys a few days to start responding on their own again, which they did, and so we didn't have to start dialysis. She was transferred back to Mercy for a few days, and then released.

Sydney started chemo and radiation, and was doing very well with her treatments, but had a severe allergic reaction to one of the drugs given to help protect her organs from the radiation and she went into anaphalyctic shock and was put in PICU, and was intubated at Mercy, where we were told to prepare for the worst.

She was in the PICU for 8 days before they realized that she was also septic because of an infection in her port. Her port was removed and Sydney immediately started recovering. We were told during the first week of June, after scans that there was NED, but that we would complete the treatments that were already planned.

At the end of June, Sydney was readmitted to Mercy with abdominal pain and scans revealed that a new tumor had grown on her bladder and bowels. The new tumor was removed, and a new treatment plan was set. Sydney would have to have at least 5 rounds of a new chemo, and then she would be admitted for stem cell transplant at Children's hospital.

October 19th,  Sydney had her stem cell transplant, with few complications, and was released from the hospital on November 13, 2015. Following the stem cell transplant she was only hospitalized for pneumonia. 

Fast foward to 7/14/2017 - They found out that Sydney has a new tumor on her liver. Surgery to remove it and place a new port was scheduled for  7/17/1.

From then until February 14, 2018. I'm not sure what happened. There were not any updates that I see. But on 2/14/2018 ... it appears she went back into the hospital ... and from what I'm gathering she will not be coming "home". 

UPDATE 2/14/2018
Sydney’s pain is now a 10. She asked me to call Dr. Rob because she just can’t handle the pain anymore. She never wants me to call Dr. Rob because she doesn’t want to have to go to the hospital. He has explained that when her body needs the pain meds, that it’s very unlikely that she’s going to all of a sudden not need it and start having respiratory distress, and as much as I trust that man, this scares me to death. We are upping her morphine to 60mg three times a day, and her oxy to 3 an hour as needed. If we are still chasing the pain tomorrow, we will take her in and she will be accessed and placed on a PCA pump, that we are able to come home with. He fears that the tumor has progressed dramatically and that this is just the beginning. We knew this time was going to come. It doesn’t make it any easier. Please pray! Pray for Sydney’s pain to be relieved and for her to be at peace with this. Pray for our other kids who have to watch this happen. Pray for Matt and I because our hearts are being shattered right before our eyes. Thank you in advance for any donations, prayers and good vibes. 

UPDATE 2/16/2018
As hard as this is to write, I’ve always updated this page with Sydney’s health. Sydney started getting dizzy and having shortness of breath last night before the nurse got there with the pain pump. Nurse Shelley assessed  her and her O2 stats were low. She called Dr. Rob who said that he believed her O2 stats were most likely low because it hurt her to breathe and so she wasn’t taking deep breaths. Shelly got her pain controlled, but later I noticed her O2 stats and when I talked to Dr. Rob he had me bring her in to ER. On the way, Sydney became unresponsive. She wouldn’t not wake up and her pulse was faint. When we got to the ER, we were met at the door  by Mat and Lillie who grabbed her
and ran her into the hospital. She was given narcan and she came back to. A chest X-ray was done, which showed that her right lung is full of fluid caused by tumors. We have a couple options. None are easy decisions to make, and neither give us much time left with Sydney, a difference of a few days to possibly a couple weeks. Sydney is now in the PICU and is resting. I can’t say comfortably, but she’s resting. Please understand that we have a lot of very hard decisions to make, and we are goin to need time to process all of this and won’t be answering every call, text or FB message. We love you all but our focus HAS to be on Sydney and what is best for her. We will be accepting a few visitors, depending on how she is feeling, if you ask and we don’t respond, please know that we are trying to give FAMILY the first chances to see her. Please pray fod Sydney. Pray for comfort, and pray for her heart. Pray for my other kids as they come to the realization that their sister is never coming home. And pray for Matt and I because we are about to make the hardest decisions in our lives. 

UPDATE 2/18/2018
I’m sure you have all seen the photos of Sydney today, of her smiling and laughing, and being a kid...and you are just as confused as we were. Sydney has had a pretty darn amazing day, and we are thankful for that!! We posted yesterday that Sydney’s time is near, and that hasn’t changed.
Cancer is confusing. As much as I want to say it has, the harsh reality is that Sydney will be with Jesus much too soon. When we woke up this morning, she was bright eyed and ready to start her day! Yesterday she couldn’t get enough oxygen and was on 15 liters of force air, and today she has not required the added oxygen! We took the nasal cannula off about 10 am just to see what would happen, and her stats stayed great! Who would have thought? For almost 4 months, Sydney has required high doses of pain medication just to get through her normal activities every day, as of right now, she hasn’t had ANY pain meds since 4 am Friday morning! Who would have thought? We sure didn’t, but Dr. Rob did.  What he believes has happened to increase her O2 stats is that her right lung finally filled up with fluid and has collapsed. This would make it to where her little lungs weren’t working so hard to try to get thru all that fluid, because  your body is a miraculous thing. When one lung quit, the other one took over and she could breathe again. So that explains the oxygen part, but what about the pain? Dr Rob thinks that maybe her tumor, that was so large and pushing against her organs, causing pain...has ruptured. He said that would cause the pain to be gone because there is no more pressure pushing her organs causing pain. Hence not needing any pain meds. 
We wish that that we could say that she received her miracle, but I’m afraid that just isn’t the case. Sydney’s lung cannot Support her for a long period of time. It’s working too hard and it will give out. We don’t know when, but we know it is going to happen. Until then, we hope to have more “good days!” It is really hard watching her look so healthy, when you know what is coming, but we will take it! We will cherish what time we have left, and we will take every second left to let our baby girl know how much we love her! Tonight she is resting comfortably and  Again, I’m VERY thankful for that. Please continue to pray for Sydney. Pray that she stays pain free and that when her time is here, that she can leave this world and go home to be with Jesus peacefully. Pray for our other children, that they find some sort of comfort in knowing that she will no longer be in pain and that she will be walking streets of Gold. Pray for Matt, because his heart is shattered and he wants to stay strong for the rest of us. And pray for this mama’s heart. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you read all of that. Especially the last update. Her mothers words are beyond heartbreaking.
I can't wrap my head around the feeling of knowing your baby is dying. She is only 8 years old?! NOT FAIR is an understatement. She should be full of energy and LIFE.

I have energy. I have LIFE. I will not take that for granted. 

I am just under 6 weeks out from my first competition. Things are about to be in HIGH gear and I'm sure at times it will get "uncomfortable". But with every rep and every stride I take this week I will be thanking God for working limbs and the oxygen that fills my lungs. I will not complain about having to get in my HIIT or being too exhausted to hit the gym to train at night.

I will be grateful that I AM ABLE and all the while (and most important) I will be sending up BIG PRAYERS for this ANGEL fighting this horrible DEMON named cancer....as well as her heartbroken friends and family.

I hope you join me in lifting up and for sweet Sydney! If you decide to post something on socials, feel free to share this blog link and please use the hashtag #SydneysSoldiers. That is the hashtag I am seeing them use. 

Also, as always, I can not vouch for this families financial needs as I do not know them. But if you want to donate they do have a GO FUND ME type page. That is also where most of her updates are being posted ... as well as her moms FACEBOOK PAGE.

XoXo
Stacy

#PrepWithPurpose - Little Zoey

For backstory on what #PrepWithPurpose is all about please read the blog entry and/or Instagram Post.

Hey Friends,

The very first #PrepWithPurpose of 2018 is here and it is a very special one.

Most of the time I have never met the person that we are lifting up and for but I have the honor of knowing the little girl featured this week.

Back in December, I started searching for a family to help during the holiday for my extension of Prep With Purpose ..  a project called Swole Santa.

Swole Santa is something I did in 2016 and wanted to do in 2017. I wanted to find the perfect family this past Christmas but by the time several agencies got back to me with family options it would have been too late to organize everything properly since Swole Santa was created to be a community effort.

Well, everything happens for a reason! One of the organizations I had connected with (Candle Lighters Las Vegas) had a family that would have been a perfect fit for Swole Santa. But again, I didn't have enough time to do it properly. My husband's company was doing their own project for the holiday and his "team" he was assigned to find someone that needed financial help over the holidays. I passed on the family that I had discovered (a little girl with cancer, her sister and her mom who is single and doing it all on her own) and AP LIVE (my hubs company) was able to provide the most special Christmas for them .. much more than my little Swole Santa project could ever have been able to do!

The little girl with cancer that they were able to provide for is Zoey and this week she is our PREP WITH PURPOSE.

Zoey's Story

Zoey is a vibrant and very funny 5 year old little girl. But she has been through so much. At only 3 years old, she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (known as ALL.)

She needed treatment only available at certain hospitals. Vegas was their best option but the cost to transport her back-and-forth to Vegas (plus the cost of air lift in many situations) would have been astronomical.

Her mother made the tough decision to leave her life and secure job and move from Arizona to Vegas.

She had to start over in a new city. That is scary in and of itself. Then insert the fact that you have a small child with cancer and a teenage daughter that also has to adjust to a move/new city.


In addition to having cancer - Zoey also experienced another trauma. She was bitten by the family dog (on her face) and was very lucky things were not worse!

Things have not been easy for this family... especially little Zoey. The good news is that Zoey has received the treatment she needs and is on the road to recovery. 

So with her doing "better" - - why is Zoey our Prep With Purpose?

Considering her cancer fight she would have fit the criteria anyway, but Zoey has encountered a new bump in the road to recovery. She was supposed to have a CHEMO PARTY this past Saturday to celebrate her chemo being COMPLETE, but instead, she ended up in the hospital due to complications from the flu.

So please join me this week as we LIFT UP AND FOR sweet little Zoey and her family.

We are experiencing 70+ degree temps here in Vegas this week and I bet Zoey would LOVE to be outside riding that bike we were so honored to gift her for Christmas .. but she can't.

So with every stride and every move rep this week I will thank God for my ability to do so and lift up sweet Zoey! When I feel unmotivated I will remember Zoey. She would give ANYTHING to be healthy enough to be active!

I am even going to add in a CYCLE class at THE RIDE Vegas this week in her honor. I will picture her sweet reaction when she got her bike from us during my entire ride and send prayers up that she will be back riding her bike soon!

So, Zoey, this week is for you sweet girl! Get better soon so we can come watch you ride that bike and help you celebrate being CHEMO FREE!

XoXo,
Stacy

I hope you are joining me on this PREP WITH PURPOSE journey! If you are ... please post/share and use the hashtag #PrepWithPurpose! Let's get a huge prayer chain going and in the process maybe make the sport of bodybuilding less about "me, me, me" and a little more about helping others! Our motivation doesn't have to come from ONLY ourselves!

If you know anyone that needs urgent or ongoing prayer for any physical reason please email me all the information and a picture (or a few) to simplystacyfitness@yahoo.com.

The Return of PREP WITH PURPOSE

Hello Beautiful Friends,

If you have been a friend/follower of mine for a while then you probably know about the little project I started almost two years ago called PREP WITH PURPOSE.

If you are unfamiliar ... check out the original blog I did in 2016.  It explains in detail why I wanted to do this and what it is all about.

In short, I simply wanted to make competing about MORE than MYSELF. This sport can get VERY self-centered if you aren't careful and this was a way for me to put my journey and life into perspective and hopefully encourage others to do the same!

It was 100% the biggest shift for me in my mindset during my "Road To Pro" status. In fact, if it weren't for this project, I'm not even sure I would have earned Pro Status in July 2016. My heart and mind were in a really good spot and that made a WORLD of difference in terms of the work I needed to do to bring my best ... inside and out.

While I slacked at times (partially because no one was sending me prayer requests that fit the criteria) I kept this project going for every prep I've done since then and plan to kick it back in full gear starting this next week ... because CONTEST SEASON IS HERE.

I've not necessarily "started prep" in terms of my macros being dropped (see my post on Instagram from Friday where I talk about PREP being 365 and not an off season and prep season) ... but I have picked a show and it's only about 9 weeks away. So technically speaking ... prep has begun!

I never intended on stopping Prep With Purpose in my off seasons .. it just has sort of happened each year. That doesn't mean that I haven't been lifting up people that need it. It just means that I haven't been utilizing this project in the way I designed it, which is praying (or if you don't pray sending good vibes out) for someone that is NOT able to do what WE ARE ABLE TO DO! Literally .. lifting up and for someone else and using them and their story as MOTIVATION to DO THE WORK!

You don't have to be a competitor to participate in this! While the idea is to pray for someone while you are exercising .. if you aren't exercising .. that doesn't mean you can't participate in your own way! We are all "prepping" for SOMETHING. Be it work, getting the kids out the door to school and being a productive mom/spouse, etc. The idea here is .. we are ABLE to do these things while SOMEONE out there IS NOT!

Please go back and read the original blog so you understand what we are doing.
I really hope you join me this year!

Here is where some people get confused. YOU DO NOT PICK YOUR OWN PERSON if you are participating in this! The idea of this project is that we are ALL lifting up the SAME PERSON at the SAME TIME! Kind of like a little prayer chain! If you want to ADD someone to your prayer list .. feel free. But the idea is for us all to be lifting up this one person during a set time.

That said, if you have someone that needs lifting up and for, please EMAIL ME! That is the ONLY way I can do this project .. WITH YOUR HELP! I need PEOPLE that NEED LIFTING UP in order to do this!

Again, read the blog (or check out OLD prep with purpose entries) .. so you understand the KIND of requests I'm looking for.

When you send me someone ... I will need to know as many details as possible about their situation/diagnosis, pictures if they are okay with it, etc. That is simply so that I can write a complete blog entry!

I know you all have to know SOMEONE that fits this mold! So send em to me and let's get to work spiritually and physically!

I hope to have the FIRST person of the season up by Sunday evening. Make sure you go to the HOME PAGE of the blog and sign up to receive email notifications of new blogs that way you always know when someone new is posted!

XoXo
Stacy

#PrepWithPurpose: Prayers For Las Vegas

Mass Shooting On The Strip in Las Vegas

A gunman identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock from Mesquite, Nevada opened fire on a crowd at a country-music concert on October, 1st 2017.

** IF LOOKING FOR RESOURCES OR LINKS TO DONATE. 

THEY ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG **

** I am teaming up with several of my favorite companies and sponsors to do a series of GIVEAWAYS on my Instagram called #GiveBackGiveaway.
CHECK MY INSTA PAGE DAILY to participate!! **

October 1, 2017:  Darkness and pure evil strikes Las Vegas. A day that will now be forever engraved in our memories as the worst massacre in modern day U.S. History.

October 2, 2017: The sun rises over the strip to reality, sadness and heartbreak. The sites of terror, blood and bodies and the sounds of rapid gunfire and screams are being played over and over on the news. But there is hope and promise. God showing his face in such a time of pain. Not only a community coming together…but people from all over the world offering support to the city of Las Vegas.

My husband and I have only been Las Vegas residents for 17 months but this city quickly captured our hearts and we are PROUD to call Vegas HOME. Because of the scope of our city, every single time there has been a mass shooting, terrorist attack, or act of evil … we have discussed how we were “surprised” that something “like that” has never happened in Vegas. That fear turned to reality yesterday.

Everyone will have a “What I was doing when the Las Vegas Massacre happened” story.
As for me and my husband...we are safe.

We are never in the Las Vegas Strip area but we were last night about an hour before the mass shooting took place. I was traveling back home from Chicago and my flight arrived around 8pm. We left the area about an hour later … just moments before the massacre took place, interstates were shut down and flights both in and out of Las Vegas were grounded.

My husband (who is in LED Video Production) ironically had a “bid” out on doing the LED Video for the Route 91 Festival. Had his company been granted the bid .. he and his crew (and likely myself) would have been there. Thankfully that was not the case and we are so very grateful .. but are so very heartbroken for the 22,000 people that were there. The dozens killed and hundreds injured.

I had just sat down to eat and the TV was on MUTE. I glanced up and saw the headline - Breaking News: Active Mass Shooting On Las Vegas Strip. I un-muted the TV and yelled upstairs to my husband who was laying in bed. I couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth…. Doug, there has been a mass shooting on the strip … at a festival .. and the shooter is STILL ACTIVE.

I thought I read it wrong. I turned on the volume and pressed rewind (the coverage had been going on for about 10min when I saw it) and quickly realized it was worse than my mind could even comprehend. Was it a terrorist attack? What in the world was happening?

As we all now know … it was not a terrorist attack … instead a lone Vegas local. A man with no criminal background. Someone that could have been checking out next to me at a grocery store, sitting next to me at a red light, dining at a table next to us at a local restaurant. A guy who lived a typical life .. no known motive (yet) … a WOLF dressed in SHEEP clothing.

24 hours later ... despite being glued to the TV ... the reality that this is REAL and in my backyard .. the city that I now live in and have fallen in love with ... has not sunk in.

I have no idea how I can help. Right now it seems that the outpouring of love is so strong that there isn’t much of a NEED for any type of support/assistance (however please see several links below of ways you can help and also if YOU need assistance finding a loved one, etc.)

I’m going to continue doing the only thing I know to do … and that is PRAY. So it goes without saying that #PrepWithiPurpose will be all things surrounding this horrible tragedy.

I will wake up each day grateful for LIFE. Grateful for my ABILTY to work and train and hug and kiss my husband and fur family. I will pray for the victims families, those injured, witnesses and everyone in our city that is mourning in any way. With every rep and step .. I will be sending up prayers and thanking God for LIFE during this very long healing process.

I ask you to please join me for this #PrepWithPurpose. May God do something amazing from this tragedy … we know HE has a plan for this city and every life impacted.


XoXo
Stacy

LINKS FOR SUPPORT/HELP/ASSISTANCE
www.lvmpd.com will be updating webpage with ALL this info and more.

**If you are a victim or have criminal info (and have not done so yet) ... please call 311 if you are in Nevada. If you are out of state call (702)-828-3211

** If looking for a family member - The OLD hotline number is working again - that number is 1-866-535-5654 (the temporary number was 1-800-536-9488) but the old number is the one you need to use! If you are in Las Vegas you can go to the family resource center in person at
3150 PARADISE RD
*At 10/3/17 media briefing police say all but 3 victims have been identified*

DONATIONS
At of the 1:30pm media briefing on 10/3/17 ... The Red Cross is FULL and unable to manage any other donations. Also all sub-stations can not manage any more donations. They do not want you to bring ANY donations to these places, to hospitals, police stations, etc.

They said there are TWO locations accepting sealed/non-perishable food items, water, etc. Those two locations are ...

1 - Catholic Charities - 1501 Las Vegas Blvd North

2 -  Three Square - 4190 N. Pecos Road

Local News is also reporting The Salvation Army NEEDS DONATIONS .. they are specifically asking people to bring ICE to the blood donation centers in the early AM or late PM (see below)

MONETARY DONATIONS
Our city officials have created a Go Fund Me Page.  THIS IS THE BEST PLACE TO DONATE.
As we all know, scam artists an evil people like to use tragedy such as this one to take advantage of people.

If you don't want to do donate via GO FUND ME you can write a check and make it out to - Las Vegas Victims Fund and mail it to the county office, mayors office or sheriffs office. Donations to this fund will help victims and their families with a WIDE range of major expenses such as medical, travel, funeral, etc. They will be providing information about distribution SOON!

There are a few other REPUTABLE sources for giving monetary donations, but again, the official LV Victims Fund is suggested so that is the only one I am linking.
 
DONATE BLOOD
(Right now appointments are booked out for DAYS. They said the need will remain for MONTHS so consider waiting to donate at a later time.)

Here's a list of places you can go to donate:

• Carson City
  • United Blood Services
  • 256 E. Winnie Lane
  • Carson City, NV 89706
  • 775 - 887 - 9111
• Las Vegas
  • United Blood Services
  • 6930 W. Charleston Blvd.
  • Las Vegas, NV 89117
  • 702 - 228 - 4483
• Las Vegas
  • United Blood Services
  • 4950 W. Craig Rd.
  • Las Vegas, NV 89310
  • 702 - 645 - 3600
• Reno
  • United Blood Services
  • 1125 Terminal Way
  • Reno, NV 89502
  • 775 - 645 - 3600
• Henderson
  • United Blood Services
  • 601 Whitney Ranch Dr. Bldg. D, Ste 20
  • Henderson, NV 89014
  • 702 - 434 - 1838
• Sparks
  • United Blood Services
  • 4670 Sparks Blvd, Suite 100
  • Sparks, NV 89436
  • 775 - 354 - 2929

WERE YOU A WITNESS, VICTIM, FAMILY MEMBER AND NEED COUNSELING?
Mandalay Bay has crisis counselors available. You can call 702-836-6655 or 877-967-7711


ARE YOU A MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER??
Mandalay Bay needs you! They are  providing crisis counselors for any guest or hotel employee affected by Sunday night's massacre. Go to Circus Circus Ballroom D and ask for Tommy Gorbal.


OTHER RESOURCES
 ** Several hotels are offering free lodging to shooting victims/families. See THIS LINK for a list of participating hotels.

** COX is providing FREE access to internet HOTSPOTS

** FREE Uber and Taxi rides for those impacted

Trauma counselors

The Mandalay Bay Resort is seeking certified trauma counselors in the Las Vegas area to assist in the aftermath of the shooting.

Trauma counselors

The Mandalay Bay Resort is seeking certified trauma counselors in the Las Vegas area to assist in the aftermath of the shooting.

ARE YOU NEW TO #PrepWithPurpose?! For backstory on what this is all about please read the original blog entry and/or Instagram Post.

#PrepWithPurpose - In The Path Of The Storm

ARE YOU NEW TO #PrepWithPurpose?! 
For backstory on what this is all about please read the original blog entry and/or Instagram Post. 

Hey Fit Fam

It goes without saying that my thoughts and prayers have been with TEXAS since Hurricane Harvey devastated the Lone Start state.

Photo By: Scott Olson/Getty Images

I remember seeing the devastation first hand when Nashville flooded and this is so much worse. Heartbreaking to say the least. My constant prayers go out to those communities and the many people that lost loved ones and are having to re-build their lives.

Photo By: AP/LM Otero

Now we have Hurricane Irma  .. which has already caused total and deadly devastation and is barreling straight toward Florida.

I know this is not the "typical" PREP WITH PURPOSE .. but I feel like it's important to really put my prayer focus this week on all these folks ...for lots of reasons.

I am making the rest of this weeks PREP WITH PURPOSE not only TEXAS but everyone in the path of Hurricane Irma ....with special "lifting up and for" all of my Fit Fam that is in Florida and now has this added stress to their peak week for Mr Olympia!

The stress of competing in general, the stress of competing on THE biggest stage in bodybuilding, the stress of traveling .. and now the stress of having to leave their homes, families, animals, etc., with a MAJOR hurricane coming their way?! I can NOT imagine!! Not to mention that is all IF they can LEAVE. I know many people are trying to leave early .. but most flights are grounded. If the wait it out .. the may not be able to travel on their scheduled travel day pending the storms path, etc. So many unknowns and so many stressors.

Every time I start to stress about all that needs to be done in the next few days leading up to Mr. Olympia .. I will STOP and be grateful that I do not have the type of added stress so many of my fellow competitors have right now. I will pray for anyone that has already been a victim of these storms, anyone in Irma's path and for all my friends that are having to add this to their already very full plate.

I tend to stress out .. really easy.. and this really puts the "don't sweat the small stuff" thing into perspective.  I am able. I have a home. I live here in Vegas and do not have the travel stress. I am able. I have MINIMAL stress/worry in comparison to what other are having to deal with right now. With every rep/step I will lift up and for those experiencing loss and added stress.

Side note .. if any of my Fit Fam that are competing are reading this .. please do not hesitate to reach out and let me know if there is anything I can do since I live in Vegas!

And speaking of Hurricane Harvey .. I know there are SO MANY ways you can give .. but if you are an animal love like me and also happen to love Macro Friendly recipes .. a fellow Bikini Pro friend of mine is donating 100% of proceeds from her E-Cookbook to an animal charity in Texas! Here is the link to her Instagram Post if you want to order! I don't need any recipes .. but this was my way of giving what I can right now! The rest will be what we can ALL DO .. FOR FREE .. which is LIFT UP AND FOR all of these people during this difficult time!

XoXo,
Stacy

#PrepWithPurpose - Little Ayden

ARE YOU NEW TO #PrepWithPurpose?! For backstory on what this is all about please read the original blog entry and/or Instagram Post. 
 
Hey Fit Fam,

(less than) THREE WEEKS until Bikini Olympia! I can not believe it is almost here! I am embracing each day, following coaches orders and giving it my all. That is all I can do .. right?!

Each day I am motivated by someone else. I push through any excuses by lifting up and for someone that CAN NOT do what God has giving me the ability TO DO! That is what PREP WITH PURPOSE is all about! I hope you are joining me!

The past THREE people we have lifted up and for have been in our #FitFam community. I hope you continue to keep their families in your thoughts and prayers.

This week .. we have a tiny little boy .. fighting for his life .. that we will LIFT UP AND FOR!

After decades of working in news it is rare that I watch a news story that brings tears to my eyes.
Don't get me wrong ... things I see disturb me every single day. But being in the TV industry numbs you to a certain degree. It's been a while since I've been behind a news desk .. so I have noticed things are starting to "get to me" more and more with time. But it doesn't matter if I was sitting at home or behind the camera .. if this story about a 3 year old fighting for life doesn't tug at your heart and bring tears to your eyes .. well I don't know what will.

3 year old Ayden lives here in Vegas. He was diagnosed at 13 months after doctors discovered a massive tumor in the plural lining of his lung. He has gone through three different rounds of aggressive chemotherapy. After a LONG 2 year fight he has been put in hospice. But his mother refuses to give up on him.

The news story on Fox Vegas will tell little Ayden's story better than any blog I could write ever could.
So CLICK HERE to watch it .. then come back to finish reading.

This weeks PREP WITH PURPOSE will be for little Ayden. As he fights for his life ... with every rep and every stride I take .. I will be lifting him up and asking God for a miracle.

Little Ayden can't walk and cries every nigh due to the extreme pain he is in. I AM HEALTHY AND ABLE! I will NOT make excuses or take my ABILITY for granted! I will use little Ayden as my motivation and not only LIFT HIM UP but pray for his family that refuses to give up on him.

Hopefully you watched the story. If so, you saw that the ONLY hope doctors are giving Ayden at survival is a special treatment performed by doctors in either Germany, Boston or Texas. His single mom has to care for him 24/7 and is trying to raise money to get Ayden this treatment (and of course pay for already mounting medical bills.)

A BBQ fundraiser for Ayden is being this Saturday (Sept. 2nd) at 12 p.m. at Sunset Park in Las Vegas. A balloon release ceremony will be held at 9 a.m.

After the original FOX story aired .. FOX did an UPDATED story today (watch it HERE) as donations have been pouring in! As of Friday evening donations to help Ayden get treatment have exceeded well over 100 THOUSAND DOLLARS!!

You can read more about little Ayden on several other webpages:

http://www.aydensarmyofangels.org
www.facebook.com/aydensarmyofangels
www.facebook.com/teamaydenunite2fight

Anyone can help Ayden with donations on his GoFundMe account or directly to a PayPal account set up (Go Fund Me takes a portion of donations.) His GO FUND ME page also has more on little Ayden's fight and updates on his condition.







Remember .. if you can't .. or do not feel led to give financially .. prayers are FREE!
So I hope you join me as we PREP WITH PURPOSE for little Ayden!

XoXo,
Stacy

#PrepWithPurpose - RIP Dallas McCarver

ARE YOU NEW TO #PrepWithPurpose?! For backstory on what this is all about please read the original blog entry and/or Instagram Post.
 
Hey Fit Fam,

I woke up to three words on Tuesday.

Dallas. Is. Dead.

I sat up quickly and repeated what my husband had just said. It HAD to be a dream.
You see ... just a few short hours before ... I was scrolling Instagram in an attempt to fall asleep and Dallas McCarvers InstaStory was the last one I saw before I dozed off. He was cutting up. He was very alive and well. I had to be dreaming. But I wasn't. I grabbed my phone, logged into Instagram and there it was. Post after post after post ... a beloved member of our #FitFam .. dead at 26 years young.

I wouldn't call Dallas a friend. Some of HIS best friends are some of our best friends, so I certainly knew Dallas. I had many short and friendly conversations with him and interviewed him at Mr Olympia 2016. I also watched his socials often. He had a way of making you feel like you REALLY KNEW him ... even if you didn't. He was just as people are describing him .. a gentle giant.

So many tributes fill social media. Here are just a few from the people that knew him best.
Each is hyper linked so you can go to their pages and see the pictures and videos associated.

FLEX LEWIS --  

I write this with tears running down my face in disbelief your gone. I'm expecting you to txt me asking "what time we training champ?". I don't wanna leave that reality your not coming back, to walk into the gym again, and call my name... My little brother, one the strongest men I know yet a giant teddy bear interior, my daughters biggest uncle, my training partner, a confidante, a loyal friend, my family. We spend hours talking about life, setting goals, going for dreams not looking back and always focused forward. We always be laughing and joking, always have story's to exchange.You would always thank me for the smallest things, to training at the gym daily 2yrs later. The politest and hardest working guy in the room, although you say I motivated you, you motivated me! I'm sitting at the gym and can hear you voice "let's go champ" I have no motivation to train, I miss you, I can't believe I'm saying that, but I keep hearing your voice.
My little "big" bro I wish I could see you one more time. I love you i can't believe your gone.


Guy Cisternino - 
Dallas, I met you first at your first Arnold with BSN. We sat next to each other shooting the shit. I was busting your balls on how big you were and you were saying how crazy my legs were. I remember sitting there talking to you like a big brother, about the do's and don'ts of this industry. How to keep a clean slate, stay away from the BS. I even remember telling you your coach at the time who I knew was garbage and I remember that day he walked over to you and you dropped him like 3rd period math class. We always laughed, joked, had a good time together. As much as you said I motivated you, it was you that motivated me. You are a warrior! When we were in Australia and you almost collapsed on stage, when we went back stage and laid you down, you held my hand but didn't say anything. I remember telling you "I got you buddy, I ain't going any where." You opened your eyes looked at me and I saw the sense of relief seeing me there. From that day on because of what you said after you came too, I had a new found respect for you. You said to me "Am I allowed to still go back out and compete." And me of course I said no fucking way bro, you have noting left to prove, your a dam warrior! You were an amazing bodybuilder, but more of an amazing friend, son, and so much more. Bodybuilding was a small speck of the true kind hearted person you were. You will always have a place in my heart big bro. I was there to catch you once, and I would have given my life to be there to catch you this time. I can't believe the Lord took you from this world, but I know he know has his strongest angel above looking down on us all. I love you Big Country! You were taken too soon. We will all miss you every single day, and I promise you, you will never, ever be forgotten.

Eric Hart -  

I am making this post with a very very very heavy and broken heart, our good friend and little brother @dallasmccarver has passed away today at 1:03am. To Jackson and Adiena he was Uncle Dallas and that's the way I will always remember him, tea parties and lots of laughs. I still can't wrap my head around the police officer telling me he was no longer with us. It seems to be that the world is hung up on how he died, this is fucking ridiculous. No matter how he passed it was way too soon and one of the good ones that makes the world a better place is gone. The internet is full of rumors, speculations and a bunch of Fucking mental midgets waiting to crucify him for whatever to make their miserable lives seem better. Before the Internet warriors decide to come out and play, remember, Dallas was someone's son, someone's brother, someone's friend. Put all the bullshit aside for once and remember Dallas for the fun loving, big hearted, kind and gentle giant that he was. R.I.P. brother, we can't see you again soon enough.



Matt Jansen -  

One of my favorite shots of us just doing what we loved! I lost my best friend this morning who also just happened to be one of the best in the world at his job. He was so much more than just a bodybuilder and that's what I'm most sad about is that more people never got to see that side of him or gave him the time to truly notice. He came to life when kids were around, when he was taking about his dreams beyond the stage and he was the best couch football analyst you've ever heard! I love you buddy - thanks for believing in me and giving me my shot I'll never forgot all of our fun times and the impact you had on my life. I know you were younger than me but I always looked up to you and now I know you're looking down on me.







It goes without saying that this weeks Prep With Purpose will be in HONOR of Dallas.
I will lift UP his friends and family and FOR his memory.
I sure hope you join me.

So many people are hurting. My heart aches for all of them. Of course I will be praying for his family and fiance.... but also specifically for Pro bodybuilder Josh Lenartowicz (who is the one that found Dallas unresponsive and is prepping for Mr Olympia) and his very close friend and training partner Flex Lewis. Flex is a personal friend of ours and he is also obviously preparing for The O.

I can not imagine how this effects their prep both physically and mentally. I pray that they find the strength to PREP WITH PURPOSE. That PURPOSE being .. DO IT FOR DALLAS!! He lived and breathed this sport. Many said he was hands down a future Mr Olympia himself. Dallas would want them to keep going. I pray they dig deep and do just that.

In honor of Dallas .. The Dallas McCarver Foundation has been set up. 

The Dallas McCarver Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises money for underprivileged children. The Dallas McCarver Foundation’s ethos is “No Child Should Go Without!” - We are coming together to provide food, clothing, toiletries, books, and school supplies to those children who otherwise would go without. There are families struggling simply to make ends meet all over this country, and it’s our goal in Dallas’ honor to make sure that those children and families receive the support they desperately need! Dallas had a passion for giving back and he loved children, so with The Dallas McCarver Foundation we will fulfill his desire to give back and to those little ones he loved so much! Help us change children’s lives all over the country and maybe even one day… The World! We Love You Dallas! 

Here is the link to give what you can.

Even though his career was just starting....Dallas died a TRUE bodybuilding legend.
As we know legends never really die.
Lets all (as the FIT FAM) do what we can to help his legacy live on.

RIP Big Country .....
Stacy











I

#PrepWithPurpose - Taidus

ARE YOU NEW TO #PrepWithPurpose?! For backstory on what this is all about please read the original blog entry and/or Instagram Post. 
 
Hey Fit Fam,

31 days .. THIRTY ONE FREAKING DAYS .... until I step on stage for prejudging at Mr Olympia! Just typing that gives me all the "feels" .. however it still doesn't feel REAL! Someone that has walked through that glorious red O .. tell me .. when does it feel real? Does it EVER feel real?
Most days I don't even realize that I FINALLY earned Pro Status, lol!

I'm so grateful for the ability to do everything I need to do in order to step on that stage. While I wish NO ONE was hurting .. I wish NO ONE had pain .. I wish NO ONE even needed to be "lifted up and for" .. I'm grateful that I have people that I can dedicate my lifts to during prep for the biggest competition of my life.

As I've said before .. it just takes prepping/training to another level and makes me feel as if I am doing this for more than just "me, me, me".  If you are new to PREP WITH PURPOSE and have no clue what it is all about... HERE is the blog I wrote about this little prayer chain type project when I first came up with it in Spring 2016 ... as I prepped for Team Universe. I hope you are joining me. Trust me .. it will change your mindset in ways that only gratitude and prayer can!

So here we are ... a new #PrepWithPurpose that once again is someone within our "fit fam".
Two weeks ago we were lifting in HONOR of Sean Harris .. an IFBB Pro bodybuilder who died in a car accident just days before competing in Tampa Pro. Last week we were lifting up and for Rich Piana after he collapsed in his home and was placed in a medically induced coma.

This week ... its the sweet little baby of one of the make up artists that so many of us use to get glammed up for stage.

A cute picture posted by "V The Make Up Artist" of her and her little boy popped up on my feed over the weekend. As I went to give it a double tap .. simply thinking "OMG her little baby is so cute" ..  I saw the caption. I'm glad I actually READ it ... instead of quickly scrolling as many of us do. No need for me to write a blog myself .. her words say it all.

PREP WITH PURPOSE: Little Taidus

"There have been very few times in my life that have crushed me down to my soul. But none more heart piercing then the time a Dr told us that our 15 month old son was diagnosed with AML leukemia. Your perception of reality comes crushing down on you like a ton of bricks, it's a heavy feeling that is indescribable. You don't want to fall asleep because reality hits you again when you wake up in the hospital with nurses coming in and out and your baby hooked up to a machine. Watching your baby go through numerous blood drawings and the pain associated with all the numerous surgical procedures is a helplessness no parent should ever have to endure. To have to tell your other boys their baby brother and parents aren't going to be coming home for awhile is only another battle we also have to face. The guilt, the hurt, the frustration, the sadness, the fear it's all so real and hard to cope with at times. It was so difficult and still is telling people. For one it's a reminder of the disease your child has, and on the other hand you start to realize only anyone can really say is "I'm sorry and if there is anything you need let me know". And it's the truth people are sorry Taidus and our family is going through this but it also hurts knowing there's nothing anyone can really do about my babies cancer going away. I just want him home (I've thought about our hospital escape a few times lol) and healthy and I want my crazy family back and running errands and having him make a mess all over our house. It's those little things you begin to miss and cherish. You know those things you complain about being parents of three crazy boys -those are all the things we want back. Although we are 2 months in and he is responding well to the treatment, there is still so much unknown about what his future holds and it's f*cking hard. We are estimated to be in the hospital for 6-8 months, and a parent needs to be with him to care for him 24/7 in the hospital. I have reduced my work a lot and dad has taken medical leave, we are accepting donations via his gofundme due to medical expenses and a reduction in work. If you would also like to support please share."

You can find more updates on their GO FUND ME PAGE..... and this is V's most recent Instagram post  as of 8/15/17.

"It's 2am and I haven't been able to sleep. I can't stop fucking crying- I'm a mess.. staring at my boys sleeping next to us all crammed in our bed. I don't want my family pulled apart again, I don't want to take Taidus back to the hospital for another round of chemo. As much as I loved coming home it fucking sucks, It was like a small tease of what our life used to be like. Back to the hospital we go for another month. Just Taidus and I. Not my boys, not my husband. Just Taidus and I and the four walls of the dreaded hospital room. Knowing what lies ahead I don't want to close my eyes because I don't want to miss another minute of us being together in our home. It reminds me of when we were first admitted. I hated falling asleep and waking up to see my baby still hooked up to machines, still in the hospital with him, realizing that it wasn't just a really bad nightmare. Waking up and reality hitting you each time as if you were being stabbed. Stabbed with the reality my baby has fucking Cancer....cancer. How how how the fuck does my 15 month get cancer. Not just any cancer but that 1% in chance type of cancer. How?! What did I do wrong?! I thought I had learned so much more by baby #3 on how to care for him. He was at home with me, the first child of ours that I was able to stay home full time and care for. The one I breastfeed the longest knowing the benefits. He wasn't even sick with a cold the first year of his life. We gave him almond milk instead of cows milk, we educated ourselves more about health and nutrition. So where did I go wrong? It's the hardest fucking thing to deal with the guilt of feeling helpless, the unanswered questions, no one knowing what causes it and know one knowing what the future holds. Having to ask others to care for your other boys and not being able to tuck them in at night or wake up to them. Not being able to have taken them to all the summer activities you had planned. No longer being able to take them to and from school. From one day to another just like that they no longer get to see their brother or parents very much. Its not fair to them or to Taidus. As parents Nick and I  just wish we could somehow fix this or put all of this onto us somehow and not our babies. It's taken awhile to accept and To be honest I still don't think we can and we still are hesitant to utter the words but we are #cancerparents now fighting for @taibaby_strong to come out on top and be back permanently at HOME where we all belong."


V has started using the hashtag #diariesofacancermom.
For whatever reason ... that really "got me".

I'm only a "fur mom" so I don't know what it's like to have a child. I simply cannot imagine what she is going through.

I ask that you please join me in lifting up and for little Taidus and his family that is hurting along with him.

With every stride, with every rep, before every lift, during every lift, when I wake up and before I go to bed ... I will be saying a prayer for them this week (and of course even after a new prep with purpose person is posted.)

If you don't believe in prayer .. you can still participate in this project. Simply send out some good vibes into the universe, go post an uplifting comment on her page, etc. Then as you get up and use your ABLE BODY to train (or whatever it is you do each day) ... use this little boy and his family as a reminder of your ABILITY .. a reminder at how fragile life is .. a reminder it can all change in one second. Don't complain ... be grateful.

If you are able .. HERE is the Go Fund Me link to help them during this horrible time.

XoXo
Stacy