Kirk and Barbara Johnson were never ones to take friends for granted, so they weren’t surprised when friends rallied round following Kirk’s diagnosis of colon cancer. Kirk was just 41 years old in 2006. He had a successful remodeling business, and he and Barbara were active in the lives of their four children and other […]
A country boy living in the city needs the right kind of wheels Why are there Elves at Christmas? “Because the whole world is broken when someone close to you has cancer,” said Kim, a former recipient-turned member of the anonymous organization known as The Elves of Christmas Present. “It really makes you understand that
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A little boy gets a “train set” for Christmas and gets to relive his favorite movie For several days, the cold had put a choke hold on the train’s pipes. No bathrooms, no showers, no laundry. And this train couldn’t stop for repairs. The 19 volunteers aboard were quickly changing from cheery elves to stinky
A young history buff finds she’s front-page news in the 22nd century Midmorning Christmas Eve, two pointy-hatted visitors crunched up the snow-covered driveway of 15-year-old Rachel Hoffmanʼs Olathe home. They thumped on the door. “Are you Rachel?” the bigger one asked. Rachel nodded. “Merry Christmas.” The pair pressed a letter into her hands, turned back
A proud man and his family get a Christmas to remember The second thing Charlie Brison thought about, when his doctors diagnosed his lung cancer, was the list of repairs he needed to do for his family, before… The ultimate “honey-do” list, by a dad with a deadline. For Kalli, his 17-year-old daughter, he needed
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She sobbed at night, too angry to pray. But a gift from strangers gave her a new outlook. She was so mad at God, Datha Jackson had stopped praying to him. In July, her 15-year-old daughter, Heather Tice, was in a car crash and was rushed to St. Lukeʼs Hospital. Heather was a passenger in
After thinking that all of her memories were lost, Elizabeth gets a surprising Christmas gift. Elizabeth Schmincke has no Christmas tree. Not one light or decoration. No presents. Not even a lousy candy cane. “We’re not going to have Christmas,” she said Friday in her Fishtown apartment. “I’m just not in the mood.” Schmincke, 39,
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Stricken by cancer, dancer sees dream come to life Ally Woodbury knew something was up Saturday when her mother took her shopping for a ball gown. A gown to make Ally feel “like a princess,” her mom said. After asking “Why?” a dozen times, Ally just accepted it. Struggling with cancer, she has learned to
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A boy suffering from cancer wants to complete what he began before…. Leslee Slinger knew this Christmas Eve would be the best ever: Her big brother was home. This would be the first holiday that Derek Slinger, 18, would not spend in a hospital since he was diagnosed with cancer almost a year and a
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A 9-year-old gets a second chance for a wish to come true Emily Hansen of Osawatomie enjoyed a Christmas of a lifetime thanks to the combined magic of a Florida theme park and a group of Kansas elves. The proof of the magic is still a week away. Shortly after the dawn of the New
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