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Q-C man's 'Superhero' joins the fight against cancer
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By Laura Anderson Shaw, landerson@qconline.com
By Laura Anderson Shaw, landerson@qconline.com
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When Matt Essex's mother died of lymphoma in 2007, he decided he wanted to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society however he could. The Davenport man said his mother, Wanda Trivette, was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2005. When she went into remission, he said, she was "very, very involved" with the organization, as was his sister, Jennifer Essex, who is stationed in Georgia with the Air Force. Then, Ms. Trivette's cancer returned, and she passed away in 2007. "I decided I kind of wanted to help" the cause, too, Mr. Essex said. He had been working on a book called "Becoming BGD: A Superhero Tail," a "silly, tongue-in-cheek story" for those 18 and older that he wrote using his former co-workers as characters. It's "the kind of comedy you'd see in 'The Hangover,'" he said, "just real silly, guy-type comedy." After he had it published through Davenport's Paradisiac Publishing, he decided to get involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and donate his time and 10 percent of the proceeds from his book sales to the cause. "(My mom) was the one that kind of convinced me that I could do something with my creativity," he said. Over the years, Mr. Essex and his mother "bumped heads a lot," he said, but she always "made me feel like if I wanted to do something, I could do it." He said he wrote several stories when he was younger, including stories about his mother being a queen, and "she always got a kick out of it." It gave him confidence, he said. "(She) made me feel smart. (That's) one of my better memories of my mom." "Becoming BGD: A Superhero Tail" was published and released on April 1. In March, Mr. Essex contacted the LLS and said he would like to donate a portion of its proceeds to the organization. That got the ball rolling, he said, and he was asked to join the committee for the LLS' annual Light the Night Walk, so he joined with his wife, Ashley. "We've been working our tail off to try to make this year's Light the Night walk as successful as we can," he said. This year's walk will begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Modern Woodmen Park, 209 S. Gaines St., Davenport. Festivities including music, food and more will begin at 5 p.m. Mr. Essex said the group is still looking for volunteers, and those who are interested may contact Laura Smidt at (319) 795-3225, (800) 347-1074, or Laura.Smidt@lls.org. Those who are interested in donating and walking should go to lightthenight.org/ia. Cancer has "affected pretty much everybody's life," Mr. Essex said, adding that everybody knows somebody who has lost someone to cancer, or someone who has been diagnosed with it. The Light the Night walk is a place where everyone can "kind of celebrate life together," he said. "It's just a way for people to get together and kind of share with each other and show support, and hopefully raise a little bit of money for research." Want to help the cause? -- For more information about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, visit lls.org. -- For more information about the Light the Night walk, visit lightthenight.org/ia. -- "Becoming BGD: A Superhero Tail," is available in area bookstores and online at ibelieveinbgd.com and Amazon.com. 
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Today is Tuesday, June 18, the 169th day of 2013. There are 196 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: Fanatics have grown wonderfully civil since the president snubbedthem by revoking Burnside's infamous attack upon the freedom of the press.
1888 -- 125 years ago: The Interstate baseball league has collapsed, leaving Davenport'sleading team without a league connection.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Passengers were stunned yesterday when lightning struck a LongView street car at 9th Ave. and 25th St.
1938 -- 75 years ago: X-ray examinations today traced the trouble with Dizzy Dean's$250,000 pitching arm to a pulled muscle back of his right shoulder blade.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Radio station WQAD in Moline is being considered by the NationalCivil Defense Office for selection as a "secured communication center" Mrs. Gault,executive deputy director of the Moline Civil Defense unit reported today.
1988 -- 25 years ago: "Marketplace 29 A.D." an unusual vacation Bible school programthat will allow children to live three days as people did during the Bible Times June 21-23. The three day program, is a joint project of Aldersgate and Bethel-Wesley UnitedMethodist churches.
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