Help Sophie and Mark Make a Memory

As many of you probably know, just before Christmas Mark’s 14 year old daughter, Sophie Varney, was diagnosed with a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)—an inoperable brainstem tumor.  She is currently in a research study at the University of Michigan.  While the study drug has provided some hope to others, it is still very early in trials, and this diagnosis historically carries a very grim prognosis.  Sophie will be taking a cruise with her mother and brothers, funded through the Make a Wish Foundation.  Mark will not be involved in that trip.  I would, however, like to help Mark and Sophie make some amazing memories of their own.  They are planning a trip together in early July to go out west to see Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon (and possibly others if anyone has some must-sees to add).  I think this will be an incredible opportunity for the two of them to share and experience the beauty that this world has to offer and bond in a way that this unique situation allows for.  As I write this, the line from a song ‘Some day I hope you get the chance to live like you are dying’ keeps coming to my mind.  While this is never something you want to be faced with, I think that it does change your perspective, and allows you to try to make the most of every day we are given here on earth.

Sophie is nearing the end of her daily radiation treatments at U of M, and she is currently doing well.  She continues to have the double vision that alerted them to the existence of the tumor.  She has shown remarkable resilience in trying to maintain a normal teenage life as much as she can.  She has been attending school every day (when they don't call a snow day), and then going to Ann Arbor in the afternoon for her treatments.  She is being encouraged to make the most of the next 6 months, while she still feels well and the tumor is likely to remain stable.

I’m collecting donations for Mark and Sophie to take this trip, to equal the Make a Wish trip that Sophie will be taking with her mother.
If you’d like to donate, please contribute here.

I think it’s also conceivable that you could donate airline miles, rental car days, etc.--if you would like to donate in this way, please contact me and we can figure out how that might work.

Any additional monies raised will go to a scholarship at WMU that Mark will be creating for a social work student interested in pediatric oncology support.

I appreciate any support you are able to give to help me make this happen for Mark and Sophie.

Sincerely,
Gwen Thompson (Mark's favorite younger sister)