Katie

As some of you know, I'm a member of the 501st Storm Trooper Legion. While it's a group of people who dress up in armor, a great deal of charity work goes on. Much of it was brought on when it came out that the daughter of the founder of the legion, Katie, was dying of a type of brain cancer. She became the focus of the legion, and much effort was put into awareness and money for a cure was raised at various conventions and through a website campaign.
Katie died last night, at age 7.
I received an e-mail today from the people who were working on the 501st documentary, which was in part shaped by Katie's story. They broke the news. I read the e-mail twice, and cried. I not sure why. I've never met her, and no one else that I know knows anything about her. But after the convention, with everyone there, something touched me about her story. Maybe it was because she's the daughter of a Storm Trooper leader, or that the energy and devotion in that room was so much, but I cried when I learned that she was dead.
More information at www.forkatie.org. There's a link at the bottom of the page.