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8 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com JULY AUGUST 2015 VIPAWARD Heroes for Children advocates for and provides financial and social assis- tancetofamilieswithchildrenbattlingcancerandisfoundedinmemoryof Taylor Anne Brewton and AllisonAllieLeigh Scott who both passed away from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Taylor passed away at just 4 years old after en- during 11 months of cancer treatment. Taylors family started a non-profit organization called Taylors Angels in her memory to provide financial assistancetootherfamilieswithchildrenbat- tling cancer. Allie passed away from the same disease as Taylor at the tender age of 8 months 27 days after three rounds of chemotherapy 80 blood transfusions and a stem cell transplant. In October 2004 Larissa Linton Taylors mom and Jenny Scott Allies mom met soon after the death of Jennys daughter Allie.The need for Heroes for Children became evident to Co-Founders Larissa and Jenny after they recounted not only the devastating effects of childhood cancer during their daughters treatments but also the blessings they each re- ceived from their community. Unfortunately they each saw many other families struggling without the aid and care of others. Families were losing their homes having their electricity shut off and struggling to make ev- eryday payments.Together they saw a need for a more comprehensive or- ganization and formed Heroes for Children in December 2004. Itwasthedesireofthesetwomomstoserveother families battling childhood cancer.Our vision is that no family with a child battling cancer will fight alone. For information or to donate or volunteer contact HeroesForChildren.org. SPOTLIGHT ON HEROES FOR CHILDREN A Lot to Live For A MOTHER OF TWO SETS OF TWINS LAUREN ZLOTKY COURAGEOUSLY SET HER SIGHTS ON BEATING BREAST CANCERAND UNLOCKED A PASSION FOR HELPING OTHERS BATTLE THE DISEASE IN THE PROCESS. When Lauren Zlotky found out she was pregnant with twins she was surprised and elated. After years of miscarriages and sev- eral failed In Vitro Fertilization attempts she and her husband Jeff were finally going to have a baby make that two babies Two years later she was in for another surprise. After trying so hard for her boys Ryan and Reid she was shocked to find out she was pregnant naturally with another set of twins and this time they were girls. They are truly a miracle she says. We were in shock but we were also very excited and very happy to be able to have more children. Lauren says she was excited about the arriv- al of her girls Kallie and Megan but she was also very concerned about taking care of four young children. An important lesson shes learned from parenting two sets of twins is that she doesnt have to be perfect. I think we get caught up on being the perfect parent and were so hard on ourselves she says. Theyre not going to remember if you took them to every story time. Dont sweat the small stuff. The little things you worry about really dont matter. While her four children were very young Lauren also owned and operated two companies Quest Pro Con- sultants an executive search firm and Q Temps a tem- porary agency both in the insurance industry. After a few years of traveling and dealing with the stress of being a business owner Lauren realized she was jealous of her live-in nanny because the nanny got to spend her days with Laurens children. I knew it wasnt worth it any- more she recalls. I didnt want to miss any more of their childhood. So I sold my businesses. About a year later when the twins were six and three Lau- ren was in for another shock. At the age of 43 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. When she found out she had cancer Lauren re- calls she said to the doctor I dont have time for cancer I have four kids under the age of six You have to get rid of this Although breast cancer ran in her family Lauren was stunned when she received the diagnosis because she had tested negative for the BRCA gene which checks for genetic mutations that cause cancer. Luckily the fast growing cancer was was caught early and over the next year Lauren was able to go through chemotherapy radiation and fi- nally surgery. I had a great network of support she says. My husband his family my parents and my brother were all there for me. She says throughout her treatment her husband Jeff was her rock. He was calm as I was going through it. He was trying to be strong for me. Both of us are positive thinkers so I think that helped. - HeroesForChildren.org. by JulieTaylor Contributor Lauren with Jeff Ryan Allie Megan and Reid celebrating the girlsfirst birthday.