Make A Wish: Help My Niece Jordyn

Okay JWT Nation, this is a story you need to read. A lot of stories on here have received a lot of attention... sports stories, other feel good stories, and of course stories about certain floors of certain hotels LOL... This is a real story that deserves some real attention. So please keep reading!

My brother Randy played ball for me in high school. He was on both of my state championship teams. Coaching him was fun, it was hard, but most of all, it's one of my absolute favorite memories that I have as a basketball coach. Getting to coach my brother, especially considering his last game as a senior we won the state championship, is a memory I'll always treasure.

So Randy grew up, and he married an all state volleyball player from Leopold High School. Randy is 6'2-6'3, was a good athlete, and Amber is 5'10 and was a great athlete. When she was pregnant with their first child, I gave Randy some great advice for naming his daughter.

HOW WOULD HER NAME SOUND WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED THE STARTING LINEUPS?

Think about it... "At Forward, a 5'10 junior, #31, (First Name Here) CONN!" That first name has to sound just right when they call out the starters, right? Well since he has a one syllable last name, I told him to go with three syllables for her first name. It just sounds better. I gave him three suggestions...

1. Hurricane - That's just an awesome first name for a power forward.

2. Tenacious - Maybe the best name for a ball player in the history of basketball.

3. Before I could offer a third name, Amber told me to shut up and informed me I wasn't naming her kid. I told her that wasn't very nice, and that I was just trying to help :)

Little did she know, that being the oldest sibling, I've had lifelong mind control on all of my younger siblings. So, of course, the name Tenacious stuck. Everybody started calling that little unborn baby Tenacious. And by everybody, I mean me and Randy. Eventually Tenacious became known as "Lil Nacious, and Amber just kept giving me dirty looks!

Well imagine the smile on my face when this was the sign welcoming my niece Jordyn (her real name) into the world:

That made the score: David 1, Amber ZERO. We don't take L's. It's Just "WIN" Today.

To this day, we still jokingly call her 'Lil Nacious. The name just stuck, and it could not have been more appropriate. Jordyn is tough, she's a fighter, and she truly has a very tenacious personality. God knew that she was going to need it.

Jordyn was born with Alexander Disease, a form of leukodystrophy, which is a rare disease that is also fatal. Less than 500 people in the United States are diagnosed with this, and she is currently the only child in the entire state of Missouri that has this disease. Her parents have handled this diagnosis with grace, courage, and a determination that is awe inspiring.

So now for my "call to action." Jordyn needs your help. Because her disease is so rare, they have to travel all the way to Philadelphia for treatment, where doctors there specialize in this disease. Jordyn has progressed so much since she started working with these doctors. She's walking, talking, and doing all kinds of things that the doctors here in Missouri never thought she'd be able to do.

They are having a Walk-A-Thon for Jordyn on April 15th. This is being run by the Make A Wish Foundation, an organization that grants wishes for terminally ill children. Here is the link to make a donation. (NOTE: this donation goes to Make A Wish, not directly to Jordyn. Make A Wish pays 100% of a trip for Jordyn to Disney World). Just Win Today gets a lot of hits, and I really appreciate all of the support. Having said that, instead of just reading some story that makes you laugh or makes you feel good, this is a chance to really, really make a difference for a family and this little girl.

That's what Just Win Today is all about... spreading positive ideas, sharing good stories, and trying to make the best out of a bad situation, trying to turn a "loss" into a "win." That's what Jordyn does every single day of her life. So click on that link. Reach in your pocket. Give her a dollar. Share this story. Maybe somebody else will donate a couple of bucks.

And if you don't do that, here's what I want you to take away from this story. It's like my Dad used to always tell me, "No matter how bad you have it, somebody has it worse, so be thankful for what you do have." There is no cure for what Jordyn has, which makes every day with her precious. So no matter how bad your day might be, or how bad your life might seem right now, stop and take a good, hard look. Be thankful for what you do have. Find the "win" in every situation.

That's what Jordyn does. She never has a bad day. She's Tenacious.

#JWT