Archive for the ‘News’ Category

The Annual Crawl for Cancer is on October 2, 2010. The Jennifer Ireland Foundation is proud to be a part of this fundraiser and we look forward to see you there. The deadline for entry is September 6, 2010.

Tuesday, May. 25, 2010
Blue Springs Journal
Miranda Wycoff, Journal Staff

On Saturday 120 golfers and more than 30 volunteers gathered at Adams Pointe Golf Club to participate in the fourth annual Jennifer Ireland Foundation Golf Tournament.

The tournament is the biggest fundraiser for the foundation, which aims to provide financial grants to cancer patients and their families.

“We’ve given more than $40,000 worth of grants and helped more than 40 families all over the United States,” said Jan Velander, Jennifer Ireland’s mother.

Ireland, a Blue Springs High School graduate and Blue Springs resident, died from colon cancer in February 2007 at the age of 27.

“We wanted to keep her memory alive,” Velander said. “It’s a great way to continue to remember Jenn. She fought hard and with such dignity. We wanted this to be a tribute to her and to people fighting as hard as she did.”

While Ireland was fighting her battle with cancer, she and her family started a blog detailing the day-to-day trials and tribulations of Ireland’s diagnosis and what it was like for Ireland and her young family. From there it blossomed.

“We were getting 15,000 to 20,000 hits,” Velander said. “That blog is what brought everyone together.”

So when Ireland’s family saw how much her blog meant to others going through a similar situation, they knew they had to keep her memory alive.

“We thought the foundation would be a good way to pay it forward,” Velander said. “All the money we receive goes to the families of cancer patients.”

In addition to providing monetary grants, the foundation also donates gift baskets full of everyday items like tissues, snacks, notepads and water bottles to hospital rooms of cancer patients.

“These are things that when your loved one is lying in a hospital bed, you just don’t want to need,” Velander said. “You want to spend as much time as possible with them.”

For more information on the Jennifer Ireland Foundation, go to www.jenniferirelandfoundation.com

By Toriano L. Porter – toriano.porter@examiner.net
The Examiner
Posted Apr 17, 2010 @ 12:48 AM
Last update Apr 17, 2010 @ 12:58 AM

Blue Springs, MO —

Forgive Blue Springs’ Chelsea Tilbury if she couldn’t quite explain exactly what happened on the last of her three goals against rival Blue Springs South.

With a spanking new gold trophy on the line in the first Cancer Battler Cup to benefit the Jennifer Ireland Foundation, Tilbury somehow managed to fight off a Jaguar defender and goalkeeper Kirstie Warren as they converged on Tilbury and the ball in front of the Jaguars’ goal and scored the game winning goal less than three minutes into overtime.

The goal – it will remain a mystery if it was a kick, a deflection or a header – gave the visiting Wildcats an improbable 3-2 win Friday over crosstown and Suburban Big Seven conference rival Blue Springs South in a soon-to-be annual game dedicated to Jennifer Bles Ireland, a 1997 graduate of Blue Springs who died of cancer.

Article in the North Kansas City Hospital weekly newsletter, Hospital Times, August 28, 2009.

Click Here to view the article online

Jennifer Ireland, 27, a wife and mother of two daughters passed away from a rare form of aggressive colon cancer on Feb. 4, 2007. At 3 am, in a tribute to Jennifer, the 5th floor staff lined the hallway as she was transported from her room. The cancer claimed her body, but her heart, soul and spirit still lives on.

Since April 2007, the Foundation has helped over 20 families with baskets. Monika is a member of the Foundation and helps prepare and deliver baskets. "It is all volunteers," says Monika. "We provide the baskets and supplies at our expense."

Anna and her mother were gratified when they received the basket. "This is absolutely perfect," says Anna. "You really don’t think about the things you want or need." Everything in the basket was something of value to Anna and her mother.

The Jennifer Ireland Foundation continues to support patients and families who are struggling through the difficulty of cancer treatments. "She lived her life as if she didn’t have cancer," says Jan. "There are miracles here on earth, and unless you have your eyes open, you miss them. She will never be forgotten."

The Foundation represents Jennifer’s spirit and loving heart. "Jennifer was a completely selfless person," says Monika. "She was very giving and the type of person who would give the shirt off her back to a person in need." Jennifer’s love and care represents the Foundation’s logo of a heart. "It is a symbol of love and it reminds people to give from their heart just as Jennifer did," says Jan. "She can’t be here to pay it forward and give back, so we do it for her."

To learn about the program, visit www.jenniferirelandfoundation.com to read Jennifer’s story, find information regarding the Foundation’s future events and how to donate or contribute to the baskets. Jan wants the Foundation to be the support for the patients and families just how the staff, family and friends were supportive to her.

Jennifer’s road after diagnosis was tough, but she didn’t let the cancer get in the way of living her life. She went out with her friends and spent a lot of time with her daughters. "She handled it with grace and dignity," says Jan. "She was always so full of hope and laughter.

Monika and the rest of the 5th floor staff helped with the process by giving Jan all the support, care and attention she would need. "I have never experienced such love and care before," says Jan. "The staff is so loving, caring and tender and I would really like to extend a thank you to NKCH, 5th floor staff, the patients on 5 and everyone who sits by their patients and loved ones." "We get very involved with our patients," says Monika. "It’s important to them and their families."

Fast forward to July 16, 2009, Jennifer’s mother, Jan Velander and MonikaTotoraitis, Pharm. D on the 5th floor of the Northland Cancer Center, are delivering a care basket to a patient, Anna Summa, on behalf of the Jennifer Ireland Foundation. Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer at 25 and recently with leukemia at 30.

The Foundation creates care baskets for patients and their families who are undergoing similar procedures as Jennifer’s. "Donations don’t go to cancer research, but instead directly to patients and their families," says Jan. "I am honored to be her mother and keep her memory alive."

A typical basket contains all the essential wants and needs for a family in the hospital. Snack food, notepads, granola bars and bottled water are a few of the popular items. Attached to the basket is a card with Jennifer’s picture and a note from Jan which says, "Please accept this basket from a mother who realizes the need to stay close to your loved ones when they are hospitalized."