The Joe Joe Bear Foundation
Jeanette Maurer was our guest speaker this week. She  told us the story of the Joe Joe Bear Foundation.
The Joe Joe Bear Foundation was created in memory of Joseph David Ordaz who passed away on March 10, 2009 from Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. He was 24. Joe had a bone marrow transplant on July 17, 2008 that the doctors thought would be successful. However, on December, 3, 2008 he found out that the cancer was back.
Joe was undergoing treatment to prepare him for a second transplant when he aked for a teddy bear to hold while he was alone so that he could feel like friends were with him always.
Joe was so full of life and had a smile that would light up a room whenever he walked in. He was always in good spirits and could always make anyone happy. He was a very giving person and will be deeply missed.
With this said, it was decided to start this charity to keep Joe’s memory alive and to help others like Joe. He would say he wished he could help all the sick children somehow. It would hurt him to hear the children crying at night in the hospital when they were alone and scared.
The Joe Joe Bear Foundation gives children with life threatening illnesses teddy bears so they can have something to hold on to when they are scared or alone because their familes can't be around them 24/7.
For more information visit www.joejoebear.org
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