Remembering Princess Millie Flamm

I wholeheartedly believe there are everyday heroes all around us. The mini-sized ones are especially inspiring. One little princess I interviewed last summer made a rippling effect throughout the world.

Back then, six-year-old Millie Flamm was getting ready to start her second round of chemo after a relapse. I wrote an article for KSL about her first Princess Run. When I told her in our brief phone interviewed that she's a brave little girl she didn't miss a beat. 

"I sure am!" she bubbled back.  I couldn't help but include that energetic response in the article.

I've watched the story of Millie Flamm by Facebook throughout the past year. Perhaps you heard the results of thousands of us rallying to have her celebrity crush, Justin Bieber, make a visit to her hospital room when Millie was too sick to go to his concert. Her picture with him was published around the world!

In 2013, Millie was fighting her third round against leukemia. Millie v. Cancer ended 2-1.

A couple weeks ago, the world lost a 7-year-old princess, and the heavens gained an angel. 

If you didn't get to meet Millie, here's a peek at her vivacious spirit, and her loving Flamm family. I look up to them more than I can say.

Yesterday nearly a thousand of us honored Millie's life in the second annual Millie's Princess Run in Sugarhouse Park. It's my favorite 5K of the year. The theme is "Cancer is a Royal Pain" and the Flamm family pass the love forward by donating to other cancer cuties' families. 

It was such a beautiful day for a princess run, and I was thrilled to find and run with my friend Kimberlee. We both cried when we heard Amanda Flamm (Millie's mom) make a speech before the race started. Amanda thanked everyone for loving Millie, and shared how touched she was to see the many lives that her daughter touched. 

Millie, you definitely touched my life. I'll never forget you.

Princess Run for life! Interested in running next year? Check out http://milliesprincessrun.org/ 

Crowns all lined up before the race started.

Tutus, fairy wings, balloons - you name it! It's quite the colorful, happy affair. 

They do a little race for kids, which is fun to watch.

Registrants getting set up for the race. Such a beautiful day.

I love seeing this sign at the end! What an inspiring way to look at life!

The gal in the white t-shirt and sunglasses is Amanda, Millie's mom. She's a TRUE hero!

Such a beautiful day for a Princess Run! We love you, Millie!

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Hair for Her: Before & After Donation

Although my heart pounded nervously on my way to the salon, after writing the "Preparing to Make the Cut" post, there was no turning back.

Friends, I did it! I donated 9.5" of my hair to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program this week. I chose them because their organization makes wigs specifically for women with cancer and I want to honor my incredible Auntie Melanie.

To my surprise, rather than crying I was losing my long locks, I laughed through the process. The beautician was so sweet and gentle with my hair as I told her about Aunt Melanie. I only got close to teary eyed when I thought about how much I miss her.


Be inspired by Melanie's cheerful courage during her fight with cancer. Here's a blog post where she talks about losing her hair.

Love you, Auntie Mel

Preparing to Make the Cut

Forgive my blatant vanity: This post is about hair.

If you've seen me lately, you've noticed my hair is reeeeaaallllllyyy long. I've been talking about donating it for the better part of a year, and held out for a recent photo shoot with my high school friend (and incredibly talented professional photographer) Selena. Click here to see what we were up to. If you clicked, you'll notice my "writer girl" pictures for a soon-to-be-launched writing blog. (Our Beck Trek friends will be first to have a sneak peek...tune in soon!)

I'm so pleased with her pictures - both the creative writer ones and the outdoorsy head shots. If you're looking for a photographer in Arizona or Utah, Selena's a blast to work with. I highly recommend you check out her website. 

Back to hair...my lengthy locks can look like THIS!? After seeing Selena's magic, it almost pains me to make the cut. Almost.

Let's be honest. My hair in these pictures is the result of three hours of concentrated effort and two helpers (thanks, Katy and Jen!) I'm happy to have the movie star potential of my hair recorded, but would rather sleep an extra hour or finish a grad school assignment or actually go running or cuddle up with Ryan for Dr. Quinn than do a hairdo.

Thanks to Dad, I have an enviably thick braid. I'm grateful, don't get me wrong. Hair like this takes a lot of TIME I don't have/want to give.I literally only wash my hair every 5-6 days. (OK, OK...I even get away with a whole week sometimes.) It's so thick it only starts looking greasy on Day 6, and then I just bun-wrap  and nobody can tell. When I do wash it, a painful fight follows: Comb vs. Snarls. I hate it. The snarl fest is my least favorite 15 minutes of the week.

Because I have been given much (hair), I too must give. I have such a soft spot for cancer patients, mostly because I'm still missing my Auntie Melanie.  Yesterday we did the 5K for miss Millie. This is the week I'll be donating 9 inches. That's about two year's growth. And that's time well spent.

5K to benefit girl fighting cancer for a second time

When told in a phone interview she’s a "brave little girl" the day before she re-entered the hospital for radiation, high-dose chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, a Salt Lake 6-year-old responded cheerfully, “I sure am!”

At age 4, Millie Flamm began a fight against leukemia. She and her family endured two years of chemotherapy treatments amidst long-term hospital stays, and she was finally released earlier this year. Family and friends were stunned days later when doctors declared a relapse.

Now friends are hosting a benefit June 30, Millie’s 5K Princess Walk/Run, to support the Flamm family in their second run against leukemia. They issued a press release, saying that “cancer is a royal pain” and one step at a time, the community can help ease the burden.

“We couldn’t have gone through the last two and a half years without the support of so many people. This walk lets us focus on our daughter’s health and gives us a few less things to worry about,” said Millie’s father, Brady Flamm.

Read the rest of my KSL story about Millie by clicking here.

Note from Crystalee: This was a really touching article to write. I'm amazed by the courage, faith and love of the Flamm family. If you're reading this, let's help little miss Millie. Even the smallest donations count! Ryan and I would love to see you at the benefit.

Millie's Princess 5K Run/Walk

Register: milliesprincessrun.org
When: Saturday, June 30, 8 a.m. check-in, with the run/walk beginning at 9 a.m.
Where: Sugarhouse Park
Who: All are welcome
Why: Support 6-year-old Millie Flamm as she faces leukemia a second time

On Her Birthday, Quotes Melanie Loved

I love and miss my Auntie Melanie. She passed away just over two months ago. Wish I could call her on heaven's phone. Do they have free long distance there?

I think of Melanie often, and wish we could go running together. She was always so good at blazing the trail, a super hero with sweet feet. As she did for so many, Melanie touched my life in many ways. For example, the earrings she wore for this picture were my "something borrowed" on my wedding day.

Anyone who has visited the Kau home knows Melanie loved inspirational quotes. A few years ago, I asked Melanie her favorite quotes to make a personalized Christmas gift. The following were the three she chose, and I believe they symbolize how she lived her lovely life: a happy disposition, a forgiving heart, and the faith to endure hard things. Love you Mel, Happy Birthday in heaven.

Sweet Feet of a Super Hero

Crystalee wrote the following essay after a summer visit with Aunt Melanie Kau. It's rare to find a woman of such endless love for her family and unbending faith. You see her in this picture five years ago at Thanksgiving with her sweetheart Uncle Jon. He's such an incredible husband. Their positive outlook, even in the face of cancer, inspires us everyday. Kau family, you're always in our prayers.We love you all.


My mom roped me into the art of foot massage. In my elementary years, she’d give me a bottle of lotion and a dry foot, and I’d begin. My younger sister often took the other side, and together we’d make a hilarious game out of finding mama’s ankle nerve – the one that would send her into a momentary spasm of leg nerves. She’d chide us every time, but never turned down a foot rub from her girls. It’s a special bond we have, between loving hands and feet who need them.

That training came in handy yesterday when I rubbed the feet of a real life super hero.

My mom’s sister, my sweet Auntie Melanie, needed a foot rub on our visit yesterday. It was my privilege. It’s been more than a year since she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Number two killer on the cancer list, she’s fought her opponent with the mighty courage of a warrior. The go-getter who always puts her family at the heart of her life, Melanie’s been my role model for years. Although I was an All-State track girl, she would cream me when we ran together, despite the fact she is 20 years my senior. Beloved by everyone who meets her, over 500 neighborhood friends came to support her in a friend-sponsored “Miles for Melanie 5k” race last September.

This past year, the strength of Melanie’s spirit has been refined inside a ravaging body. Her positive attitude, unbending faith, and the intense love both from and for her husband and four beautiful children keeps her going, causing progress to astonish the medical world. When in her presence, I feel I am on hallowed ground.

Melanie’s double dose of radiation has left her body weak. Her legs are so skinny now it’s hard to recognize them as the formerly lean, muscled runner’s legs that carried her through many races. On our visit yesterday in her room, her feet poked out beneath a thick quilt. It’s the middle of July, but engaged in inner battle, circulation to her feet has become a low priority on the bodily checklist. Although her feet are often cold and lined with purple veins, my auntie’s spunk shows in her choice of hot pink toenail polish.

While we spoke, I couldn’t help but reach for those pink toes and start massaging them. This soon led to lotioning, and circular loving touches from heel to sole. She eased contentedly into my hands, letting me help bring circulation to her toes.

“Oh, I will hold on to the memory of you sitting down there at my feet,” she said in her loving way. She says things like that, making you feel like you're made of magic.

Auntie, it is I who remember your sweet feet. Let's see you back on them soon. Love you.

Read Melanie’s remarkable story at http://positiveoutlier.wordpress.com/