Go Mitch Go
Mitchell Graham Whitaker
His Life and Legacy
Every child is precious. Every child has potential. And, some very special children impact our lives far beyond their years on this earth. Mitchell Whitaker was that type of child. His life was an inspiration. His legacy continues as a positive influence on all who have heard his story.
Mitchell was active, fun-loving, intelligent, inquisitive, sensitive, and highly competitive. He loved sports, especially baseball, and he played them with both skill and passion. He was an outstanding student at Earl Harris Elementary School in Bethany, OK. He was very popular with his teachers and classmates there, along with all his friends at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene. His entire family adored him. He was an "All American" boy with such a bright future ahead, full of unlimited possibilities.
And, then, at the age of 8, Mitchell was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. After the initial shock, his parents, John and Tracy, explained the situation to Mitchell and his little sister, Meredith. Together, as a family, they resolved to avoid the "pity-party-blame-God-why-us" scenario and chose to fight this disease with God's help and every ounce of their individual and collective being.
During Mitchell's illness, John, Tracy, Mitchell, and Meredith constantly found ways to assist and encourage other patients and their families. They organized fund-raisers, provided supplies, enlisted support, gave encouragement, and participated in many events sponsored by the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the OU Children's Hospital.
Mitchell valiantly battled the leukemia for 25 months. Despite the pain of his treatments, Mitchell never quit. He continued his schooling and led his baseball team to a first place finish in their league. However, the cancer eventually gained the upper hand and Mitchell went to be with Jesus at the age of 10 years and 4 months. His last words were, "Keep Fighting" - the theme that his family had adopted since his initial diagnosis.
In this vein and in Mitchell's memory, John and Tracy have established a family goal to raise one million dollars in their lifetime for blood cancer research. Heartland Roofing is partnering with the Whitakers to help them reach their goal of raising one million dollars for Lymphoma and Leukemia research. During 2009, Heartland Roofing has committed to give a percentage of our gross sales to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Please help us help the Whitakers and thousands of other victims of these deadly diseases to "keep fighting" and to honor Mitchell's legacy and last request.
For more information about Mitchell and his legacy read the Whitaker's blog at:
www.gomitchgo.com
For more information on Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:
http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/hm_lls