THE A-TEAM: A Tribe For Ashlyn Mears- The Masses Join Forces, in a Particular “Fashion”, to Fundraise for a Great Cause…

Acute Myeloid Leukemia is not the diagnosis a young healthy, vibrant 32 year old woman could ever anticipate receiving when they go to the doctor for what they think is a recurring infection that could easily be cured with a round of antibiotics.  The day after Ashlyn's diagnosis, she began a new round of treatment, one that wouldn't involve antibiotics... she began her first round of chemotherapy.  The first of four rounds she will undergo.  None of us, including Ashlyn would have ever thought this would be a part of her life's story.  But there is one thing we, as in any of us who really know Ashlyn, did know from the minute we heard the news... Ashlyn is way too strong and fiesty for Cancer.  I strongly believe that cancer picked the wrong - you know what- to mess with because it will be another battle lost for cancer and a sweet VICTORY won for Ashlyn.  And The A-Team will be rooting her on throughout the entire process of this season of her life, our lives.   You'll get the whole "A-Team" thing shortly and I'll explain what all of the hype is about further down this page but I must give you some context first.

Let's back up for a moment.  I want to give you a proper introduction to THE Ashlyn Mears.  I first met Ash when I was 13 years old. I had just moved to a new school district which sent me to a new school, Lakeside Middle.  Ashlyn was one of the first friends I made at my new school and we've been like sisters ever since.  That was 18 years ago.  She has been there for me through my life's most difficult trials and tribulations, as well as for the most joyous moments of my life.  She was the first person to come to the hospital when I went into labor with my first born.  She was also the first person to come flying to my rescue a month later when I was forced to make the difficult decision to move my baby and I out of our home and out of a toxic situation and move into my parents house.  That was on New Years Eve 2011.  Ashlyn had plans to go out of town for a big NYE weekend getaway but, instead, she canceled her trip and helped me move all day, arranged a truck from a friend to help move my furniture and then followed me to my parents home and stayed with me for the ball drop.  That's just who Ashlyn is.  She is loyal, dependable, selfless and full of life with a darn good sense of humor too.

Another thing you must know about Ashlyn is that when that girl makes her mind up about something that she wants, or doesn't want, there is nothing in this world that could ever stop her.  Years ago Ashlyn moved from Augusta to Atlanta and took a job at DHL.  She had dabbled in real estate in Augusta, following in her father, Frank, and mother, Lynn's, footsteps, and she was great at it but she felt like something was missing and she needed a change.  She wanted more out of life...she wanted to explore and she longed for adventure.  I don't think she felt fulfilled working her job at DHL and at that time her friend in Atlanta mentioned an opportunity to her that she was also taking advantage of... the opportunity was to go work at the US Air Force base in Qatar, handling housing for our troops on base.  In typical Ashlyn fashion she jumped right on the chance to do something crazy and adventerous and just like that she was off to the Middle East for a year.  She made life-long friends during her time there and when her temporary job was up she headed back to the States.  She got back into real estate and stuck with it for a while but something was still missing in her life.  Fast forward a couple of years- I had already moved from our hometown of Augusta, Georgia to Iowa for my husband's job and I came home to visit family. While I was home I wanted to get in a visit with my best friend who lives in Charleston but since I flew home I didn't have a car to make the drive.  It just so happened that Ashlyn was making a trip to Charleston that same weekend to attend her friend's wedding, a friend whom she met during her time in Qatar.  So we rode to Charleston together.  On the car ride up she dropped a bomb on me... she said she was considering maybe moving back to the Middle East to work again.  Of course I begged her not to but low and behold there just so happened to be a charming British guy in attendance at this wedding.  He also lived in Qatar and was a mutual friend of the bride.  That guy's name is Carl.... I'm sure you can see where this is headed.  Carl solidified that deal... a few months later Ashlyn packed her bags and moved back to the Middle East and not too long after, she became the future Mrs. Carl Windly.

Carl and Ashlyn began planning their dream wedding.  There were a couple of wedding planning set backs along the way (ones that involved traveling and logistics for accommodating all of their friends and family scattered throughout the world).  They wanted to do a destination wedding that would accommodate both Carl's Family in England, Ashlyn's family and friends in the United States, as well as their friends in Doha.  After much consideration they finally agreed on a place and an official date for their wedding.  It would be held on November 3, 2017 at her Mom and Step-Dad's home on Lake Oconee.  We were all thrilled that the wedding would be in the States and we would all be able to attend.  The bridesmaid's dresses had been chosen and ordered, Ashlyn "said yes to the dress" and everything was planned and ready to go... until life through a curve ball.  

Her diagnosis and the start of her chemo came at a time when she was getting ready to start a new chapter of her life, but not the one she had expected.  She found great doctors in Doha and started her chemo treatments there.  We did not expect for her to be able to come back to the States for treatment, due to several factors, 1) her immune system may not have been strong enough to travel and the risk of getting sick from flying on an airplane for such a long flight was a big risk, 2) the cost of healthcare... she didn't have insurance in the USA but her medical care was covered in Doha, and 3) Carl owns a business in Doha and he doesn't have an American Visa as of yet.  Plus, considering how his income contributes to the financial support of the two of them he would not be able to just up and leave for months at a time.  We were all so worried that she would feel alone.  She needed her family and friends now, more than ever.  But thank the good Lord for Carl and also for the wonderful friends Ashlyn has in Doha, who were all amazingly supportive and present for her in Doha.  Carl stayed by her side day and night during that first round of chemo.  He would tell his ususal cheesy, yet funny jokes and do his magic tricks for Ashlyn while she was in the hospital ( allegedly, according to Carl, Ashlyn LOVES his magic tricks haha).  Not only that, Carl started the GoFundMe campaign for Ashlyn's Care Fund and he consistently keeps everyone updated on her progress.  Thanks to modern day technology, our close group of girlfriends and Carl and Ashlyn have an ongoing communication thread on the WhatsApp, which has allowed us to stay in touch, share photos, videos, updates, funny stuff, and words of love and encouragement.  It was the best way for all of us to be able to be a part of Ashlyn's journey even though we are all physically miles apart from one another. And Carl... well he is freaking hilarious and so very sweet. I look forward to our conversations and laughs each day as he always has something good to share.  God knew what he was doing when he put the two of them together.  He knew that a loving, selfless man who would treat Ashlyn like a queen and have an incredible sense of humor was just what she was going to need in her life, in general, but especially for what was to come... He knew she would need a partner to help lift her spirits, encourage her daily and keep a positive attitude and positive outlook on her circumstances.  And Carl has done just that and more.  Carl is a true blessing and he is also blessed to have Ashlyn.

With Ashlyn being so far away from home ( like seriously half way around the world), the girls and I were racking our brains on how we could be supportive and show our love for her from so far away.  All we really wanted to do was hop on a plane to the next flight out to Greece, then from there to Doha.  But with many of us having kids in school and the cost of airfare it just wasn't doable for most of us even though we wanted to just see her, hug and kiss her and tell her in person that we are here for her.  Fortunately, both Ashlyn's mother and Carl's mother were able to travel to Doha and be by her side during her month-long stay in the hospital during her treatment in Doha. We were happy to be able to send gift items to Ashlyn's mother so that she could deliver them to Ash for us.  But since the majority of us could not make that trip I decided to have bracelets made for all of us to wear, that would not only show our support for Ashlyn and be a stylish, wearable daily reminder to us to continue to pray and remind others to do the same... but would also serve as a way to encourage others to support her efforts to raise money for her medical expenses.  They would make for the perfect fundraising vehicle to help Ashlyn meet her financial goal listed on her GoFundMe Campaign.

Initially, I had planned to have these bracelets made exclusively for our tight-knit group of girlfriends and her family members and decided to have these bracelets engraved with the phrase "A-Team". So we call ourselves the A-Team.  Any of you who follow me and the work I do and the message I preach,  know that I am a HUGE proponent of supporting LOCAL, My company is all about promoting and showcasing talented local entrepreneurs and small business owners.  But I made somewhat of an exception this time.  I ordered the first batch of A-Team bracelets from a lady named Su, from Thailand, who owns her own Etsy shop, ShirtByHome.  Su sells custom made jewelry among other items.  I did this because the cost of supplies is so much cheaper in that part of the world and we were able to get these beautiful leather bracelets for $5 a piece (plus shipping which was not unreasonable).  We would have paid at least $20 or more for similar bracelets had we ordered from a US shop or jewelry maker.  Cheap cost meant more money we could donate to Ashlyn, which was the ultimate goal, so I went with Su (and I am so glad we did because she did not disappoint).  Ashlyn's story and what we were doing for our friend really touched Su and she kindly gave us a 50% discount on each of the 3 batch orders plus upgraded the shipping to express at no additional cost.  You Rock Su!!!  Before I digress any further, let's get back on track with where I'm going with this. So, once the bracelets were shipped to my home in Iowa I then had to ship them to various cities and States (Ash has friends all over the place).  I shipped all of the Augusta orders to our friend Morgan to cut shipping cost and she then distributed those bracelets to the Augusta folks who made an order. Thats when the MAGIC started happening... Once the girls received their A-Team bracelets they began posting pictures on social media of themselves wearing their bracelets and including inspirational words and custom hashtags that have now become the official hashtags for all things related to Ashlyn's fight against Leukemia. This social media sharing from the "A-Team" started a movement and a frenzy for more requests from people wanting their own A-Team bracelet.  It also offered words of encouragement to Ashlyn and all people fighting leukemia and cancer in general. It relayed a message of unity, hope, and "We got your back" and did so in a tangible way.  I began to realize that what we had accomplished for her was more than just bracelets to show our support or some money raised for her campaign but it was so much more than that.  We had achieved the very thing in which I help businesses do on a professional level and on a daily basis here at Mulherin Lane...we grew a TRIBE for her.  Her very own Tribe of people backing her every step of the way, sharing resources, making contributions and leveraging partnerships on her behalf to buy in to her cause.  It is a beautiful thing when you are able to facilitate something like this outside of the workforce, on a deeper more personal level for a friend you care about.  Not to say that I don't care and love all of my clients on a human level, but this was not a client, this was simply a friend who was able to benefit from my method of "leveraging for success"  in her own personal life....And that folks is why I LOVE doing what I do, What WE do together, when we come together and rally for something we truly want and believe in.  This movement had a snowball effect...  the next thing I know I'm getting hundreds of request from people (some of whom had never even heard of, or met Ashlyn) wanting to purchase an A-Team bracelet for themselves and their family members. It was AMAZING!! So I decided to make a second order to Su ....and eventually a 3rd order because they were selling out so fast. I charged a flat $16 fee, plus shipping (based on region) per bracelet.   That would allow me to be able to donate 100% of the proceeds from each sale to Ashlyn's GoFundMe Campaign account after the initial cost was covered.  Since I live in Iowa and the majority of the orders came from Augusta, and various other states, shipping got pretty expensive so Mulherin Lane covered that cost in order to be able to ensure 100% of the proceeds went to Ashlyn.

So far , The A-Team has raised over $1000 and counting from their bracelet purchases .  Once all of the orders have been fulfilled and paid for we expect to be able to donate more than that. And if more requests keep rolling in, then I will keep ordering new bracelets for those who want to purchase them. The "A-Team" has grown from a small group of Ashlyn's closest girl friends and family, to an entire community of supporters who span all across the US and even Other Countries.  The A-Team is growing in numbers on a daily basis, and has branched outside the borders of our hometown of Augusta, GA. The A-Team has grown to be a Nation and World Wide Support group, rallying for Ashlyn's cause, and their efforts of sharing her GofundMe Page across the web, social media outlets using the hashtags: " A-Team" and "smASHcancer" not to mention the good ole' fashion word of mouth marketing they've spent their time doing, have made a huge impact.  It has been truly mind-blowing and extremely effective, to say the least and I couldn't be happier.  This kindness and generosity from complete strangers reminds me that there is still a lot of good in this world.  Please always remember that...when bad things happen to good people, remember that there is still a lot of GOOD in this world and when we unite together, putting our differences aside, forgetting about politics or race or whatever it is that seems to divide us these days, and we join forces as in humanity to support one another on the things in life that are the most important, incredible things can happen and lives can be changed for the better.  It Brings Hope!  Hope is a powerful tool!

And one last thing before I end, I want to update you on some fabulous news: By the Grace of God and a lot of research done by Carl and Ashlyn on second opinions and exploring new options, Ashlyn was accepted into a program at Emory in Atlanta, Georgia and was able to come home to the States to continue the remainder of her treatment.  And here's the kicker... just guess where she will be living during her off time from chemo???  Her Mama's house.  What more could you ask for in this circumstance (other than not having cancer at all)?  It just so happens that her Mother's house is in Lake Oconee, about a 90 minute drive from Emory.  When Ashlyn isn't at Emory she gets to rest and recover in the comfort of her Mother's home and loving arms.  She is right where she needs to be during this time in her life and now her friends are able to swing by for a visit.   ** I want to point out that every donation that has been made to her GoFundMe Campaign has played a vital role in making this move back to the USA and treatment at Emory financially possible.  We know Carl wants to be by her side and that him and Ashlyn miss each other something fierce but he is working on a plan to come to the US soon.

We are also praying that Ashlyn will find a bone marrow match ASAP.  So I want to encourage each of you, if you are not already on the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry, to please consider joining.  All it takes is a mouth swab. Just visit join.bethematch.org to register online and receive and return your cheek swab kit by mail.  This will put you on the National Donor List, so you must be committed to donating to anyone you may turn up a match for. Once your HLA Typing results are ready, you can call Be The Match at (800) Marrow-2 and request a copy of your HLA typing report to be sent to you in the mail.  If you would like to see if you're a match for Ashlyn, simply scan and email this report to Ashlyn or simply take a picture of it and shoot it to her on Facebook  Private Messenger so that she can foward your report to her doctors, who will then be able to determine if you are a match for her.  If you do not know Ashlyn and want to help but do not have her contact info. Feel free to shoot me an email and I will be happy to get you in touch with her.  Either way, there are thousands upon thousands of people in need of bone marrow transplants and those transplants can make the difference between life and death or less chemo time and a quicker recovery.  I'm on the registry and I encourage all of you to check it out!  And as always, if you are eligible to donate blood and/or Platelets I encourage you to do so.  Ashlyn has needed several transfusions of both blood and platelets and they have been a game changer for her recovery and treatment options.  There are so many in need of blood transfusions and platelets every day and our local blood centers are almost always critically low on blood. Stop by any of the Shepeard Community Blood Centers in the CSRA to donate at your convenience or find a local blood drive near you by visiting their website www.shepeardblood.org.  Not sure if your eligible to donate??  Check out their website or simply give them or myself a call. The restrictions for donor eligibility are not as tight as they once were and chances are you will be a great candidate. If you're not in the Augusta area, find a blood center near you that supports the local hospitals in your area!  Are you pregnant and expecting a baby soon???  Please consider saving and donating your baby's cord blood.  Statistics show that cord blood and stem cell treatments are very effective in treating and helping to cure Acute Myeloid leukemia amongst many other diseases.  Or consider saving your Child's cord blood and banking it as a precautionary, proactive measure for your own family or future loved one, if, God forbid, someone in your family is diagnosed with cancer in the future. It can make the difference between life and death. Ask your OBGYN today for more information about saving your babie's cord blood.  The sooner we become proactive about these things the quicker we can aid in someone else's recovery or even our own.  The turn around time to get results back for bone marrow testing is a grueling wait so the sooner you join the sooner you can be discovered as a match if you are found to be a match for someone.  It's very hard to find an exact match ... like finding a needle in a haystack, so we must get involved and encourage others to sign up to be listed on the Be A Match National and International Bone Marrow registry also!!!

Below are some photos of some of the many posts of people wearing their A-Team bracelets as well as some of Ashlyn before her diagnosis and some taken on the day she made the decision to shave her head. Her sweet big brother, Brandon, did it for her and she had her family and friends by her side. If Ashlyn's story has inspired you and you would like to donate to her GoFundMe campaign, which will help to pay for her medical  and care expenses, including a potential bone marrow transplant, I've included a link to her campaign here... Just scroll down past the photo slideshow to view this link. Any contributions are greatly appreciated and will be a huge blessing to Ashlyn and her family. We would love for you to share her GoFundMe campaign link on Facebook to help us reach more people and to spread the word!!

Share this Blog post on Facebook and Help us Spread the word! Feel Free to comment below with any stories of your own and/or post a photo of yourself wearing your A-Team Bracelet!

**Update from original Blog post on 10/27/2017:  We have just been given a generous donation that allowed us to order 39 additional bracelets to sell for the benefit of Ashlyn's Care Fund.  The order for this 4th batch was placed today and was pre-paid by that nice friend I mentioned in the beginning of this article (the friend who Ashlyn successfully convinced to lend his truck and help me move my furniture when I was making a difficult move).  God is good and I believe he will bless this wonderful friend of ours for all of the kindness he has shown to others.  Thank you C!  If you would like to purchase an A-Team bracelet please email me at d.mulherin@mulherinlane.com.

THIS ONE'S FOR YOU ASH! #A-Team #smASHcancer #orangeforleukemiaawareness #BeTheMatch.org

Check out Ashlyn's GoFundMe Campaign here!