Jannae

When my best friend Carly started working as a nurse at Arnold Palmer Hospital I was so inspired by the way she loved what she did and how the children and families she came to know touched her heart. I often heard about a special baby boy named Camden Kibler. Camden was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) at four months. Carly was touched by how strong this little guy was. She told me often that the nurses nicknamed him "Man Baby" because he was so tough during his treatments that he never cried. She also told me about his sweet parents and how special the whole family was.


The disease was just to aggressive for his little body and on August 8th, 2008 sweet Camden passed away in the arms of his sweet, loving parents. The following February Carly and her Friend Sarah, who also was a nurse close to the Kibler's, Ran the Gasparilla Marathon in honor of Camden.

Not long after the race Sarah referred Camden's Mom in to see me at the salon. The first time I colored Jannae's hair I knew she was special. She is one of those people in life, you just find easy to love. That night we talked about Sarah, Carly and her sweet baby. I told her that I heard of how special he was and how he had such strength. I constantly thought about the Kibler's and would always ask Carly for updates. I was amazed to hear how his little life touched so many people. (Read about Camden's life at http://www.camdensjourney.com/.)

From the very beginning of my relationship with Jannae I knew her goal with her hair was to cut it and donate it to "Wigs for Kids". This past week, I had the honor of coloring and cutting Jannae's hair so she could donate her 15 inches of hair at the St. Baldrick's Event at her Husband's Fire Station. (Check it out here, there is still time to donate money https://www.stbaldricks.org/donate/to/eventid/4898/eventyear/2011)

After the first of the year I started going to Jannae's house to watch The Bachelor :) Since then I've gotten to know more about who she is. She is the warmest person I've ever met. She is giving, and has the greatest heart. She is a beautiful Mother to Kendall her little girl. She is fun and so conscious of the simple things in life. She's truely one of the most beautiful people inside and out that I have ever known. I am inspired by the way Jannae and her husband Stephen devote their lives to raising money for pediatric cancer research.

I feel relationships are what life is all about. I cherish that God has given me Jannae because He knew I would need her. I'm forever thankful for her advice in mothering and how to move through life with the loss of a loved one. I cherish the genuine friend and person she is. I feel like I've known her forever and look forward to many years of friendship ahead!