February 19, 2009. Dalton gave that answer hundreds of times of the three plus years he fought cancer. Anytime he checked into clinic, got scanned, had surgery, given meds, or had chemo, the nurses and doctors would ask him for his birthday. On a few occasions, Dalton would try leaving the year off his birthdate in hopes the staff member would ask “what year?” Dalton was ready to say, “every year.”  The staff at CHKD, our local Children’s Hospital in Norfolk VA, were amazed that we could also recite his medical ID number. After passing the birthday match test, the next step was checking his wristband for his ID number. Before they could visually see I, I’d tell them 785713. Even five years later, I can quickly regurgitate D’s medical record number. Dalton’s ID number, his birthday, his aversion to sharing food are all easy to remember. What’s harder to remember is the sound of his voice, the warmth of his hugs, and the feeling of his hand in mind. We are upon another February and another Dalton birthday without him. D would be a junior in high school this year and turning 17.  I’m sure his voice would sound different, his hugs would be stronger, and his hands firmer if he were with us today. But I know Dalton would still not be a fan of sharing food, have no need to memorize a hospital ID number, and always looking to make someone smile and laugh. Welcome to February everyone and Happy Birthday Buddy!

D-Feet Cancer distributed over $200,000 in pediatric cancer research grants in 2025. As an ode to Dalton and his favorite number, all grant checks get eight cents tacked onto the end of them. This past year was our best year ever. Thank you to everyone who attended one of our events, donated, helped organize a fundraiser, or just read about Dalton’s story. To keep the momentum going, we will hold our gala on February 21, 2026, at the Neon House in downtown Norfolk. To learn more, check out the link below and/or our events tab. In March, we will have our annual dodgeball event which is generously hosted by Cape Henry Collegiate. If you always wanted to throw something at a friend, family member, or co-worker feel free to sign them up on an apposing team and have at it.

https://EverydayMemoriesGala2026.auctria.events

Thanks for reading this month’s update, Jen, Rachel, I, and our wonderful team of volunteers really appreciate all your support and generosity.