"It's 4 The Kids": How Michelle Kemper Brownlow is Changing Her World
By: Michelle Randall
September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and we wanted to to share a story about one woman who is changing her world. Connected through the world of blogs, two friends share a journey to bring hope for the daily grind to families battling pediatric cancer. Here, we spotlight Michelle’s story.
Ask Michelle Kemper Brownlow how she is changing her world and you can quickly count the ways that she is bringing hope for the daily grind to children all over the country. Founder of It’s 4 The Kids, a non-profit fundraiser for pediatric cancer, Michelle has found a way to raise money for families with children battling cancer as well as bring encouragement into the scary world they are facing.
Michelle started It’s For the Kids in 2007 after being inspired by Julian Avery, whose story we shared in a previous Change Your World post. Julian had a type of cancer called Medulloblastoma and Michelle came to be friends with Julian’s mom, MiMi, throughout his battle. Sensing that there was plenty of research fundraising and not enough ways to show families they were loved and cared for, Michelle set out to use her artwork and talents to start a foundation in Julian’s honor.
“I was looking at it as a friend of a cancer mom and seeing where the holes were. How could I do something or raise awareness so others could do something. I wanted to help these families feel loved and prayed for – not just simply finding a “cure” for their child,” says Michelle.
Michelle’s experience began years before when she had the opportunity to paint murals in various hospitals and churches. “I was always looking for a way to connect my art back to the community,” she says. With her artwork always revolving around kids, and in many instances, kids battling a life-threatening illness, Michelle decided to use her artwork to raise money for pediatric cancer.
Thinking out loud on her personal blog, Michelle received feedback from various artists. Selling her own “Namesakes” art, Michelle began donating half of the proceeds to children with cancer and families struggling to pay their bills.
“Namesakes” started long ago when all my friends started having kids. I was a newly married woman with no kids and I didn’t have a lot of extra money for all these friends having babies,” says Michelle. She would take a baby’s name, the colors chosen by the parent for the room, and create a personalized canvas. Selling them at craft shows, Michelle felt God was preparing her heart and preparing her craft.
Examples of Michelle's "Namesakes":
 
 
“I think so many people see cancer and feel so helpless,” Michelle admits. “A lot of moms don’t want to go there in their minds. My hope for this is that a mom can purchase this for her child and in her heart know that she did something good for a child with cancer.”
Michelle’s friendship with Myriam (“MiMi”) Avery, Julian’s mom, was the catalyst to bringing It’s 4 The Kids to fruition. Like so many, Michelle simply heard about MiMi’s blog on Julian’s “CarePage” and, thanks to modern technology, they became immediate friends over the miles. Just seven months ago, Julian passed away and MiMi and Michelle have put themselves back out in the “cancer world”, being a support system for other families fighting this battle. Even though Michelle has not personally had a child with cancer, MiMi’s friendship touched her so deeply that this project became a way for her to help those immersed in their child’s fight against cancer. MiMi tells Michelle that her “healing is through her helping.” Putting their minds together, these two friends found a way to bring hope for the daily grind amidst heartbreaking loss. MiMi now plays an integral role in It’s 4 The Kids by following CarePages and blogs across the country. “She helps me to know where to give and help. She is always coming up with ideas. Her heart is in it for every cancer family across the world,” says Michelle. To this day, MiMi keeps up Julian’s CarePage and uses it as a place to pray for and encourage other families battling childhood cancer.
Michelle and MiMi are not the only faces behind It’s 4 The Kids. Various artists support the organization with their creative work. From Val the photographer to Marcy’s chemo caps to Nomi’s custom boutique clothing, It’s 4 The Kids is a national effort.
At Fresh Brewed Life®, we are inspired by Michelle’s passion to use her gifts to bring hope to children and families across the country. Michelle’s perspective on changing the world is that “the way God plans your life is like a puzzle,” she says. “I really believe God was preparing me with this idea…. It’s this long, meandering story, this thread, and that’s why I can’t dispute the fact that I’m supposed to be doing something in the cancer world.”
When Michelle isn’t creating “Namesakes” and texting MiMi, she’s busy with her own daily grind. “I have been an at home Mom for 11 years. I have a 9-year-old and a 10-year-old and we just recently adopted a 3-year-old,” says Michelle. “My art has been a blessing from my own daily grind. When naptime comes, it is a place to escape!”
To learn more about It’s 4 The Kids, visit http://its4thekids.blogspot.com/2008/05/about-us.html. To read more about Michelle Kemper Brownlow and her daily grind, you can view Michelle’s personal blog and see examples of some of her “Namesakes” at: http://michellekemperbrownlowwrites4kids.blogspot.com/2008/06/whewdonetake-peek.html.
*If you have a Change Your World story – we’d love to hear about it! Email us here or share your story on our Message Board here! We want to hear about how you and your friends are changing your world*
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