We're leaving in the morning!!!

I can't believe this day is finally here. We will be on our way to China tomorrow. I will update my china blog as soon as I get a chance when we get to the hospital. Please keep Kacie in your prayers.
Love,
Rinda

Kacie's China Blog

Kacie has a Blog on www.stemcellschina.com . If you look over on the right side of the screen under patient blogs, you will find kacie's septo-optic displasia blog. If you want to keep up with her progress or leave her a message, while we are in China. Or here is the direct link to her blog... www.stemcellschina.com/blog/kacie .

Well next time I post we will be in China.
Rinda

6 days til we leave for China

Got all my paper work put in the mail yesterday. So we are good to go. Now we are starting to trow things in our bags. I just know I'm gonna forget something, oh well.

Thank You to everyone who cares so much about Kacie and keeps up with her and her progress. Your thoughts and prayers means so much to us.

Thanks,
Rinda

More Paper Work

So here we are with a little over a week before we leave and I just learned we need a little more paper work & labs. So that's what we've been doing this week. We had to have more blood work and that's suppose to be back by Monday. I'm hoping to get everything mailed then. Its all worth it though, because Kirshner said she has recently discovered that if she did just a little more by way of tests and documentation we can possibly use these cases for the basis of a phase one FDA approved trail here in the states.

Only 9 days before we leave!!!

Count down to China!!!!!

2 Weeks from today we will

be heading to China!!!

Benefit Results!!!

I just wanted to let everyone know how well the Benefit Dinner went. There were so many people and the band Crossfire was great. It was a lot of fun.We raised $16,245.00, that's counting the gun and quilt chances, dinner donations, pie auction, and jar donations that were just sitting around. Thank you to everyone who came out. I hope you enjoyed the ribs and music as much as I did. Thank you to Tim & Kathy Adams, Coonie Campbell, Uncle Scotty & Theresa Walker, Aunt Sandy Hodges, Angie Cadenbach, Uncle Ronnie Walker, Uncle Jay Walker, Corean Shrable, Granny Walker, and the MANY MANY others who worked so hard to put this on for Kacie. Thank You to Harps of Mtn. Home for all your donations and Wal-Mart for your donations.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!!!

The winner of the Gun was Clint Sanders

The winner of the Quilt was Marks Pharmacy in Melbourne,AR.

Thanks again,
Rinda

WE'RE LEAVING 3 WEEKS FROM TODAY!!!!!

Benefit for Kacie Sallee

April 19th

4:00 P.M.

Gepp Fire Dept.

Coonie's Famous Ribs & Fixins

Along with

Live Music by

CROSSFIRE Band

Pie Auction Will Follow

(all pies will be appreciated)

We will also be giving away the gun and quilt we have been selling chances for.

Yard Sale, What a Turn Out

Wow, what a yard sale. We worried all week that we didn't have much stuff, but when we started unloading that trailer, it was packed. We had so much stuff. Thank you to all who donated items. We really appreciated it. I would also like to say Thank You to all who bought items. Thank you to NAEC for letting us use their parking lot. And last but not least I would like to say thank you to all those who helped: Brandy, Judy, Diane, Angie, Mikey, & Ronnie without ya'll this could not have took place. Your help meant so much to me and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

Oh yeah, we raised $1,900.00!!!

Thanks Everybody,
Rinda

Yard Sale Location Change

We had to change our location of the Yard Sale. It is now going to be at North Arkansas Electric's parking lot. It is across from Car Care and Burger King and next to Fireside Grill in Mountain Home. Due to location change we probably won't get to due hot dogs for donations. We will still be starting at 8:00 A.M. Hope to see you there.
Marinda

BENEFIT YARD SALE Saturday April, 5th

I just wanted to let everyone know we will be having a Yard Sale on Saturday at 8:00 a.m.(weather permiting) It will be in the parking lot of Wide Open Motorsports 60 Industrial Plaza, Mountain Home, AR. If you are coming from Mountain Home go towards Gassville on Hwy 62 West. Just past the last stop light (at the bypass) it is the first street on the right. If you get to the Ford dealership on the left you have gone to far. We will have signs and should be able to see the sale from hwy 62. We have items donated from many different families. My brother-in-law will also be cooking hot dogs for donations.

We will have a quilt and a gun that we are selling chances for there. The drawing for those will be on April 19th, at a benefit diner(more on that later). You do not need to be present to win as long as we have your phone # on the tickets.

Hope to see ya'll there

Thanks Again
Marinda

Visa, Tickets, and Yard Sale

We are currently trying to get our visas and airplane tickets. I can't believe we will be going on May 14th. I never thought we would be going so soon. It seems like we've got so much to do. Of course when you've never traveled like this before it takes longer to figure everything out.

We are planning a Yard Sale Benefit. If everything works out, it will be at Wide Open Motorsports in the parking lot on Saturday, April 5th. If we have to change something I will update everyone. If everything stays the same I will give better directions on the loction.

Thanks again,
Marinda

We have an appointment!!!

I talked to Kirshner today. We have made our appointment. It is in May. We thought we would be going to HangZhou, but instead we are going to Qingdao Hospital. We are so excited!! And now we have so much to get done.
I just want to say THANK YOU to EVERYONE who is helping us give this chance to Kacie. Without your help this would not be happening.
THANK YOU TO ALL!!!!!

Updates on Kacie

I want to say thank you to the Gassville Baptist Church for the Benefit Concert for Kacie. Whiteville Baptist Church for also attending. And also thank you to Jerry Hopper and Ally Hopper for performing at the concert. I really enjoyed listening to 7 year old Ally. You all have helped us so much. Thank You!!

I wanted to update all who keep up with Kacie and what is going on. We have finally recieved all her paper work from the doctors. I PUT IT IN THE MAIL ON FRIDAY, MARCH 7th!! It seemed like it took forever to get everything gathered. And when I thought I had everything I found out I needed something else and some lab work. Now we are just waiting to hear back from them. Hopefully it won't be to long. We are so excited and ready to go.
Thank You Again To All!

Updates on Kacie & Fundraisers

I just wanted to thank everyone who came to the benefit concert for Kacie and Josh at Dunbar Auditorium. And thank you to those who couldn't come and just stopped by and donated. I also wanted to say thank you to the people who played in the concert and wanted to help.

Gassville Baptist Church is also going to have a benefit concert for Kacie. It will be Sunday March 9th at 6:30 P.M. at Gassville Baptist Church. Jerry Hopper and family will be performing.

A benefit for Kacie will be held at the Gepp Fire Dept. on April 19th. There will be a band performing and also a dinner will be served. They will also draw for a gun and a quilt that they are selling chances for. The gun can be seen at T&K convenient store at Gepp, AR you can buy tickets there also. When I learn more on the time I will update it.

We will also be having a benefit yard sale in April I'm not sure on the date yet. It is going to have lots of clothing, house items, a playstation 2, and many other items from several families.

We are currently waiting on Kirshner to return from China and answer some more questions we have about what else we need from her doctors. I thought I had everything ready and then learned we needed some more info. from the Endocrinologist.

I will try to find out more and update everyone, when I find out. Til next time......

Fundraisers for Kacie & Josh

I am finally getting to post some updates on what is going on with Kacie and fundraising. We are currently waiting on Kershner to return from China. She is the one we send our paper work to make our appointment. She is working over there til the end of February. She said to send our paper work in the first of March. We are so anxious to get our appointment. We have everything ready and are just waiting til then. As soon as we get one I will post it so everyone will know.
We also recorded for XL7 (Mountain Home's Television Station) yesterday. I think it will be aired the 16th thru the 22nd. The Lions Club donated $8,000.00 to Kacie & $8,000.00 to Josh. They presented them with a check there. They are also going to sponsor a Benefit Concert for Kacie and Josh. It is going to be at Dunbar Auditorium, Saturday, Februray 23rd at 7:00P.M.. Featuring music by the Mountain Home High School Jazz Band. Tickets are $10.00 and are available at the following locations: Community First National Bank, Mainline Awards, First Security Bank (Wal-Mart Branch), FNBC, Interiors & Fabrications Design Studio & Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are also availabe at the door if seats are available. You can call 1-870-404-7115 for tickets or more information.
I will post any new updates here.

Kacie's hope is vision

Kacie Sallee is an 8 year old girl who lives in Mountain Home, Ar. Kacie was 3months old when we were told she was blind . Kacie has Septo Optic Dysplasia. Septo Optic Dysplasia is a congenital malformation syndrome manifested by hypoplasia (underdevelopment) of the optic nerve, hypopituitarism, and absence of the septum pellucidum (a midline part of the brain). In a severe case, this results in pituitary hormone deficiencies, blindness, and mental retardation.) While Kacie does suffer from pituitary hormone deficiencies and blindness, she does not suffer from mental retardation. She is a very smart little girl. Kacie is so sweet and is always laughing. She always makes us smile.

When she was born 8 years ago they told us there was nothing that could be done for her blindness. No hope of her ever seeing the things we see and take for granted. Now there is hope and it is in China (stemcellschina.com). Please help us give this to Kacie. Kacie's hope is Vision.

"Eyesight" is the ability to see while "Vision" is the ability to understand what you see.

Read more of Kacie's story at kacieshope4vision.com.