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Update & Current Needs

Posted by the Allens in Fundraising Efforts | General News | Urgent Needs - (1 Comments)

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a long time since I’ve made an update on behalf of the Schaub Family, but I’m hoping to get everyone up to speed on what is going on right now, what their current needs are, and hopefully we as a community can come around them once again to help them in some very practical ways.

Most of you know that Jacob has been in treatment throughout this past year, with a few ups and downs, but mostly successes in his fight against cancer. So many people have offered encouragement and support to the entire Schaub family, and I know it is their hearts to express gratitude to every one of you who have helped in small and large ways. They are still moving forward because of the selfless people around them doing what they can to ease the burden and strengthen them through this truly difficult experience.

David and Sofia are remarkable parents, and most of the time no one can see the magnitude of their struggle to manage logistics, emotions, needs, and finances in the midst of all that is going on with all of the boys, with Jacob, work, and home. With the turn of 2012, they both hoped they’d see an end to this past challenging year, and see Jacob off into a new season of continued recovery from this journey. We all believe this is still coming, but these past few weeks and months have been extra-challenging in ways no one could have foreseen, which is why I’m writing this update to all of you now.

If I can speak as a friend, I think the situation is so multi-dimensional, and so unexpected, neither David nor Sofia have known how to ask for the kind of help they need right now, which is why I’ve been on a mission to take stock of everything with a clear mind and put all their needs out there so those who feel led to help can do so. Regardless of the brave faces they put on, the Schaubs really need us to gather around them and help hold them together through these coming weeks. Please consider the list below and see if there is a way you can help:

- Jacob is currently admitted to the hospital for an infection in his lungs and his immune system is more compromised than ever. Before he returns home, we need to arrange for their home to be cleaned (carpets and surfaces throughout) much like it was when he was first diagnosed. We’re arranging for a professional carpet cleaning company to do the floors, and will also need a work-party of volunteers who can help move furniture for the cleaners, as well as people who can thoroughly clean surfaces throughout their house. No date has been set for this yet, and there isn’t yet a team leader for this specific cleaning, so if you think you can help in this way, please let us know. Contributions toward the cost of the carpet cleaning, and cleaning supplies can be made through Band of Brothers NW on the right side of this website. ***If you happen to know of an environmentally-friendly carpet cleaner who might take on this task for cost, please send us leads!

-David has been home from work for the past month for personal reasons and to help with this turn of events regarding Jacob’s health, and they have a number of outstanding bills due this month that they don’t have immediate funds for because of some of the unexpected things that have happened. If you feel led to contribute in any way to these needs, you can do so by donating to them through Band of Brothers NW on the right side of this page, and please remember that many companies (like Microsoft) will match charitable donations if you register your donations through them. If you’re not sure, ask your employer if they have a match program. Every little bit helps.

- David is actively looking to sell their boat, and may need some help doing so. If anyone has a connection to someone who can help determine the boat’s current value and/or has connections to help him sell it, any leads would be much appreciated.

- Lastly, David & Sofia would probably never say so, but I think they’re both in need of serious encouragement. If you’re a close friend, please reach out to them! They’re in a ‘tunnel’ of sorts, just trying to do their best to hold everything together, but both of them could use lots of hugs, laughs, small gestures & notes…A small amount of encouragement goes a long way, and of course, your prayers are always appreciated.

I think that’s all for now. Thanks for reading this long post, and thanks also for being part of bringing this family through the toughest time of their lives. You cannot know how important your role is to them!

With love,

Emily (family friend)

 

 

Help! Jacob spiked a fever again and I need a babysitter!! (Again).. /David (425)516-8780

Posted by david in From David & Sofia | Urgent Needs - (0 Comments)

Help! Jacob spiked a fever again and I need a babysitter, ideally super early tomorow morning as I would like to make it to the hospital for the morning round. Anyone that can come to my house early in the morning and take care of Lucas please text me on 45 516 8780 or respond to this.. Its also okay to take Lucas to your own home as long as its fairly child proof (He can rach counter tops and drawers with sharp knifes, etc). Apriciate all the help we can get in this difficult time where our family is split and Jacob being so very sick..  /David (425)516-8780

Help!

Posted by david in From David & Sofia | Urgent Needs - (1 Comments)

Help! Jacob had a vomiting attack (first time Jacob vomits without a reason). We are not sure why this is happening now but I am worried and would like to check on him and also support Sofia and cheer Jacob up. If anyone can come to our house tomorrow morning (Or anytime) and either stay with Lucas and Simon here at our home (for simplicity) or take them out or anywhere while I go to the hospital that would be highly appreciated. Lucas can’t be at the hospital because of a quarantine policy currently in affect. /David (425 516 8780)

Meals for the Schaub family

Posted by the Allens in Urgent Needs - (1 Comments)

Hi all! Wanted to drop in a quick note on behalf of the Schaubs to request that nearby friends consider bringing meals to them over the coming weeks and months. During the summer they had visitors and family in and out of their home, which was a big help with all the daily tasks, but now they will have a few months without extra hands. That’s where we come in! Please visit the meal website to sign up for a date to bring them a meal, or visit the help page for other ways to assist them. Thanks! Your support and encouragement means so much to them!  ~ Emily

Volunteer Meeting Recap

Posted by the Allens in General News | Urgent Needs - (0 Comments)
Thanks everyone who attended the meeting we had yesterday for Sofia & family and also to all those who couldn’t make it but still want to help. I personally appreciate all the community support and desire to help the Schaub family get through this trying ordeal. It helps them so much, and eases my mind to know they have so many committed and wonderful friends!
At the meeting, we talked through the current and upcoming needs they have, and have identified team leaders for each area to ensure they have enough help at every turn. If you are interested in helping in one or more areas, head over to the Opportunities to Help page and contact the team leader of the area(s) you would like to help with. May and June will be especially critical with respect to having additional help, as they will not have any friends or family visiting from Europe during those months and Jacob has some milestones ahead in his treatment that may require overnight hospital stay.
Thanks in advance for your love and support. Sofia has told me several times that words just don’t do justice to how she feels about everything that has been done for them. At the meeting, we also decided that we’ll have another meeting in a few months to see how things are going with the teams and see if any adjustments need to be made, so when that comes around I’ll post it up.

Take care!  ~ Emily

Volunteer Meeting, We Need YOU!

Posted by the Allens in General News | Urgent Needs - (2 Comments)

Thanks for following along with Jacob’s journey! So many people have offered their support and help, and we want you to know, the Schaubs are SO grateful for your concern, words of encouragement, meals, financial help, etc. Having a supportive community truly helps them get through the tough days.

Now that Jacob’s treatment is in full-swing and the Schaubs have a pretty clear idea of what their needs are in the coming months, we are hosting a meeting for those of you who want to step in and be part of their ongoing support team. If you have a heart to be available for them in very practical ways, please try to make it to this meeting! We will be going over what their needs are and will be forming a few teams to help in those specific areas, so the burden is shared among many (and subsequently, not too taxing on any one person or family). During that time, we’ll be asking who might like to head up efforts in certain areas, so if you’d like to lead in some way, we need you to be there! If you’re not able to make it to the meeting, stay tuned on this website for how to get involved in supporting David & Sofia through the coming months.

  • The Volunteer Meeting will be at Molly’s home on Sunday, April 3rd at 3pm.
  • Molly’s address is: 8021 NE 122nd Pl., Kirkland, 98034
If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Molly – email her at brecknmol@comcast.net
If you have any questions about this meeting please contact Emily Allen: (206) 414-9628. Hope to see you there!

A note & Daily Update 2/25/11

Posted by the Allens in Daily Update | General News | Urgent Needs - (0 Comments)

It’s growing harder and harder for me to write very straightforward updates about Jacob’s status and what is going on…not because I don’t want to do it, but because I feel like Sofia and the whole Schaub family are becoming such a part of my heart, and simply writing the facts and events leaves me feeling like I’m writing only half the story. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love much and feel deeply, so I hope you’ll forgive me for taking a little detour to pour a little more into this update than usual.

Who knew that entering a new year would mean seeing life differently from this point forward? Of course we all now know that Jacob is very sick. The surprise is over, and reality is here. This is going to be a long journey, and it is going to take the efforts of many diligent doctors, the prayers of many faithful intercessors, the help of many selfless friends, and the favor of God to rid Jacob’s body of leukemia and help the Schaubs get through this challenging time. When horrific news hits, it’s easy to be caught up in the wave of compassion that pours out in the first weeks, but as time passes, those of us who aren’t face-to-face with this condition might forget how challenging this journey will be for them. Some days will be good. Most days will be very hard. And while they do all they can to restore Jacob’s health, they’ll be sorting through emotions of grief, loss, heartache, longing, powerlessness, exhaustion, discouragement, frustration, and more.

I know David and Sofia (and Jacob and Simon and Lucas) are loved by many, and I want to humbly ask you to continue loving in all the ways you can…with encouraging words, with practical help, with generous donations to help with costs, and with prayer. For the local friends who want to help in the most practical ways, we are going to be setting up sustainable systems/teams for specific areas they may need help in during the months to come. If you would like to be part of the crew that helps them on an ongoing basis throughout this year, please be sure to fill out the Help Signup form that is on the “Opportunities to Help” page, and we will keep you informed about the teams that are being organized on their behalf. If you’ve already filled it out, we have all your info, so you don’t need to re-submit. A date has not yet been set, but I do hope to have a “Helper’s Meeting” to gather as many people together who want to be part of these efforts to communicate in person what their ongoing needs are, and how we can provide consistent support over a long period of time without any individuals feeling too great a burden on themselves. More on that soon. Thanks for reading…. – Emily

And now for the update:

Jacob’s Status:
Today has been a really tough day. Jacob had an early appointment at the clinic for blood work, and time in the clinic is often exhausting and drawn-out. This morning Jacob felt really angry and did not want to go to the doctor. That is hard for Sofia, because she understands, but they still had to go. Sofia said they didn’t actually do the spinal procedure (that will be next Friday), but there was a super long wait to get results from the blood work. She said when they got home, she, Jacob, and Lucas all fell asleep for several hours, cuddled close together.

Treatment Plan & What to Expect:
Today the doctors gave them a detailed treatment plan for Jacob as well as information about what to expect. What I have to share right now is very generalized information, but we’ll soon have more specifics to share. Doctors said to prepare for nine difficult months ahead that will include really aggressive treatments. Jacob has been in the first phase of treatment thus far, and after next week, he will be in a recovery phase for a few weeks so that he can stabilize and hopefully his white blood cells will increase. These weeks should be reasonably good/normal for him because he will not be subject to the hard chemo. After that, he will begin the second phase, which will be very tough, and he may have to be hospitalized for the first few days when they start him on a new/different type of chemo. She said that sometime in the second phase he will have radiation treatments in addition to the chemo he receives.

Please Pray:

  • For Jacob to have more really good days. Sofia says yesterday it was nice to see him feel good, and she wants more of those days for him, especially if things are going to get much tougher.
  • For Jacob to not be in pain all the time. Sofia hopes to see him smile more and be able to do some normal things
  • For all of them to be able to work through their emotions in a healthy way as this journey continues

Some Present/Urgent Needs

Posted by the Allens in Urgent Needs - (0 Comments)

Glad to hear Jacob is coming home today! There are a few things that David & Sofia said they need, if anyone is able to help them out this week.

1) More large containers of Purell/Hand Sanitizer – perhaps from Costco. David wants to be sure they have an abundant supply as they expect to be going through it readily. — covered!

2) Costco-sized containers of Clorox Disinfectant wipes. We were unsure this last weekend if these were fine to use in the house, but I’ve now been told they are fine for surfaces.

3) A light weight cordless vacum cleaner for day to day floor cleaning…They’re especially having trouble keeping dirt out of the entry.

4) Would someone be up for resolving the entry way problem by thinking through a better system for guests as they enter? Maybe a better mat for on the patio so people can minimize the dirt on their shoes, and/or a small bench or chair that isn’t too in the way so guests can sit to remove their shoes outside, or maybe the disposable hospital booties you can put over your shoes?

If you can help with one of these tasks, please fill out the main contact form or help sign-up form so David can contact you.

Local Help Needed on Sunday 2/13, morning

Posted by the Allens in General News | Urgent Needs - (0 Comments)

Hi all,

We’ve been in hyperdrive trying to get the house prepared for Jacob’s return home from the hospital. A lot of great things have been done. This morning the carpets throughout the whole house were steam cleaned (the carpets will be drying overnight), and we got the air purifier situation handled. Two more things are happening tomorrow and we need able and willing helpers to join in.

1) Strong Men Needed: Tomorrow (2/13/11) at 9am, we need a group of men to gather at the Schaub’s home to help move furniture to their appropriate places. As of now, everything is stuffed in the areas with hardwood floors or in the garage, so it’s pretty much a ‘move in’ kind of job. We would prefer to have 6-8 strong guys help with this. If you are available and plan to be there, please call me (Emily) to let me know you’ll be there. You can reach me at (206) 414-9628, and at that time, I can give you their home address if you don’t already know where they live. If you have a buddy you know who would like to help, we welcome more helpers. We want to be sure to have enough help that no one is stressed and the job can be finished in an hour or so. Today’s efforts were really efficient, so we expect this to be a very reachable goal.

2) Cleaning Team Needed: Tomorrow (2/13/11) at 10:30am, after all the furniture is moved back into place, we need people to help come deep clean every surface/area in the house. We’ve reached out to some of the people who filled out the Help Signup form through the website, but its going to be a big job, and more hands are always appreciated. Cleaning supplies will be provided, as well as detailed instructions for each room, but if you want any special cleaning gloves or supplies, please bring them. Chemical cleaners are not good for Jacob, so please make sure any additional cleaners you might want to bring are eco-friendly/natural types and check in with Kelen, the Cleaning Team Leader before using anything other than what is provided. If you plan to be there to help with cleaning, please give Kelen a call (or send her an email) to let her know. We’d love to have your help with this. Kelen can be reached at kelen03@gmail.com,  or by phone (425-821-4131).

Thanks everyone! We couldn’t do this without help of everyone who’s been involved. Let’s go Team!