Heart of Gold Award winner in Johnson and Johnson video

Madi has been her usual busy self lately. She will be honored in Washington, D.C. soon as the Delaware Middle School winner of a Prudential Spirit of Community Award.
She has recently earned the title of Nat'l Miss Heart of Gold (see photo :-) and she has just had a video added to a Johnson and Johnson web site. This not only tells about Madi's experience with an insulin delivery system, it also tells about Madi's volunteerism for the American Diabetes Association and mentions her American Girl award. This young lady has accomplished SO MUCH! She is truly amazing! We'll let her mom tell about the video in her own words:

Hi All~
As some of you know, Madi had the great opportunity to work with Johnson & Johnson on a story they were doing for their annual report on the PING insulin delivery system that she uses to help control her diabetes. The interviewer, the photo crew and the film crew came to our house and followed Madi through a day of school and her Broadway Bound classes after school. The finished products are now available on their website if you are interested in seeing them (video). When you go to the link, if you scroll over the small photo of Madi and Blizzard, it will show you a link to read the story from the annual report or watch the video. It was a great experience:) I hope you enjoy~
www.jnj.com/connect/
Wendy

If this link won't load for you, there's another on the sidebar which works.
On my computer I scrolled over a photo of Madi and then I think I had to click on the video, which is called Girl on the Go.
You'll really enjoy watching this!

Cassidy meets the Congressman!

Princess Cassidy, a Heart of Gold Award winner, was given a benefit concert recently, the idea of young Tristan Futrell. Cassidy has done much to raise money for Chiari research and this concert was to help her family with all their medical expenses, as well as with some other hardships the family has faced.
I will let her mom, Stacey, tell the other good news in her own words:
"I received a phone call from our Congressman’s office yesterday and he read Cassidy's article in the paper that they send to Washington so they can keep up with local news. He is flying back from Washington tomorrow to be here for her benefit and he wants to meet Cassidy and get to know more about Chiari Malformation and SM. This is great! We need more people to know more about this in Washington. We need more Federal money for research. They have to find a way to cure this one day. Our children should not have to suffer from this any more. I know there are so many things out there that need more federal government attention and this is just one of them. I pray hard for everyone that has a child that is dealing or has had to earn their wings that we can all get the federal government to step up and say ok, yes, we know and we will help. Here is the link to the article in our paper http://www.tribunecourier.com/stories/news/mar24news3.html It is a great article. Also you can find another http://thelakenews.net/News.php."

Hurray for Princess Cassidy!!!

Heart of Gold Madi, wins a Prudential Award and a title!

We're so happy to announce that Madi Dodge, our newest Heart of Gold Award winner, has been named one of two of Delaware's top two youth volunteers by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The awards program, now in its 14th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
CONGRATULATIONS, MADI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Madi also recently won the title of Teen Miss Delaware Valley! CONGRATS!!!!

Madi wins a Heart of Gold Award

Our latest Heart of Gold Award winner is an amazing 13 year old named Madi. "Madi works tirelessly as an ambassador for the American Diabetes Association, to raise money for a cure. She was diagnosed with type one diabetes when she was 5. Madi has organized and implemented many fundraisers to raise money for her walk team, Madison's Prayer. Madi has been team captain of her team since she was 5. Madi not only holds annual events like her "Skate 4 a CURE" but she also makes and sells individually handcrafted journals that she has named "Journal magic". ALl proceeds from the sale of her journals goes to help support people with diabetes and to help find a cure. Madi works hard in public advocacy for people with diabetes, meeting yearly with her congressmen and representatives to keep them abreast of the needs and complications of living with diabetes. Madi puts together and distributes bags that she delivers to people who are newly diagnosed. She sets up information booths at community events to share information about diabetes and she has spoken at many public events as well. Madi is determined to do all that she can to beat diabetes! Nothing gets in the way of achieving her goals!
However, this fall something nearly did. Madi was diagnosed with a relatively rare disease, Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis and Ulcerative duodenitis. To make a long story short, this disease of the white blood cells, eosinophils, has caused extensive damage to Madi's stomach and has robbed her of her ability to eat foods by mouth. For the last three months Madi has been tube fed an elemental formula to allow her body to heal. She will hopefully begin the long road back to eating soon. At this point she is healing, and we are hopeful that she will return to school soon. She has been on homebound instruction for three months. None of this has broken Madi's incredible spirit, and it has not gotten in the way of her goal to help cure diabetes. Although this "new" disease is not curable, and it is not related to her diabetes in any way, she is determined to fight it as well! Madi is blessed with a joyful. giving, spirit!"

This is one of our newest Princesses. We are waiting for her official Royal Portrait, but this photo from her site is so cute!!

Gabby's Givers Wins Heart of Gold Award

Gabby's Givers Holiday Toy Drive has been awarded a Heart of Gold Award by The Princess Project. This Christmas, over 130 children battling cancer at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia were given presents thanks to Gabriella's organization (with help from Mom, Rachel). Gabby is herself a patient at CHOP.

MJ--A New Heart of Gold Award Winner!!

The Princess Project is so proud to announce a new Heart of Gold Award winner--Margaret Purk!!!!
The Heart of Gold Award is given to those who face a challenge in their own life but rise above that challenge to help others who face similar circumstances.

Margaret "MJ" Purk is considered a Queen by all the children who know and love her.
Here is MJ's story in her own words:
I lost my mother to a car accident when I was 2 1/2 years old and my sister to SMA when I was 3. I first started giving when I was 9 and had spinal fusion and gave a little girl on PICU a beanie baby and just started giving. My first was handing out beanie babies at SMA Conferences and donated books and beanies to the PICU (Newark, NJ). I then started making cards or notes for SMA Kids and kids with Cancer and started sending out 25 a month and before I stopped at age 16, was up to 100 cards a month. Then started B4SMA (www.our-sma-angels.com/b4sma) and also taught myself how to do websites. Now I design and maintain about 70 websites on www.our-sma-angels.com in my free time. I am a junior at Wright State University, majoring in Rehabilitation Services, have a 3.7 gpa, despite missing 90 days of school last year due to a perforated intestine, the flu, and having trach surgery. I think that is me in a nutshell!--MJ Purk.

Please see the bios of all our other Heart of Gold Award winners (pictured in the slide show) on the main site:
www.princessprojects.com