Inspiration

Sage Martin

In 2005 the staff of the IPC/SPC Charity Softball Tournament benefitting Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) faced its most daunting hurdle when they had to decide which TCH department to benefit. How could one choose a child on dialysis over a child with chemotherapy needs or vice versa? An idea was born to personalize the department by finding an employee who might have a family member being treated at this hospital. Gary Martin was that employee - his 7-year old son Sage had been diagnosed with Hypoplastic Anemia in 2003 and had been a patient of the Hematology and Oncology Center (now the Texas Children's Cancer Center) ever since..

With Gary's blessing, the lives of everyone involved in the event would never be the same. In 2006, Schlumberger joined forces with National Oilwell Varco to co-sponsor the Derricks and Diamonds Charity Softball Tournament benefitting Texas Children's Hospital. Half the money raised would go to the Charity Care Center and the other half to the Cancer Center. In 2008 the event yielded $200,000 for its beneficiaries with $155,000 going to Texas Children's Hospital, with 60 companies making donations and 42 co-ed softball teams playing during the 2-day event.

Since 2005, the Cancer Center has directly received over $200,000 as a result of the decision to use Sage Martin as an inspiration. Despite the promise of the future and the event's tremendous success, the hearts of those involved are very heavy these days. In February 2008 Sage was admitted to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit with the hope that the transplant would deter the effects of this terrible disease. Hypoplastic Anemia is not a cancer, but it has the exact same effects and treatment as leukemia. The first transplant did not have the desired effect, and after over 6 months in the transplant unit with a variety of residual ailments, Sage was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. On August 31 Sage Hayward Martin received his Angel's Wings and was laid to rest in a family plot at Glenwood Cemetery on September 8. Gary's numerous friends throughout Schlumberger attended the service, sent condolences, and raised over $1,000 to donate to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Texas Children's Hospital in Sage's memory. While Sage only graced this world for 10 years, his legacy is immortal and his spirit lives on. He not only inspired others to raise money for the Cancer Center and brought awareness to these terrible diseases; but most importantly, he touched numerous lives forever since the decision made in 2005.

George Bember

George has a special place in Derricks & Diamonds as he was present at the 2005 Schlumberger Tournament's Check Presentation Dinner having just been diagnosed with Burkitts Lymphoma and again at the 2007 Derricks & Diamonds Charity Softball Tournament Check Presentation Dinner as a survivor. He's currently in the top 10% of his class at Klein Forest, on the varsity baseball team and has been accepted to Baylor University where he wants to become a Physical Therapist.

Chelsey Campbell

Most of those involved in the Derricks & Diamonds Charity Softball never had the Honor to meet Chelsey Cambell but her Spirit and Legacy are very much alive in everyone's thoughts, actions and hearts. In a relatively short time she touched the lives of many people and became an inspiration to them and thus the reason Snowdrop Foundation exists. In September of 2005 Chelsey was a normal sophomore in high school. She had been elected homecoming co-princess and the holidays were right around the corner. In October all of that changed as she was diagnosed with advanced, stage four, undifferntiated sarcoma, a rare cancer of the soft tissues that only affects fifty people worldwide, annually. Statistically, only one person in ten survives this type of cancer. Upon receiving her diagnosis she quickly told the doctors she "would be that one person in ten." In February, after three months of chemotherapy treatment, Chelsey had a record-setting 28 hour marathon surgery at Texas Children's Cancer Center. Ninety-five percent of her tumors were removed. Only two of the tumors remained in her body post surgery. After four weeks of radiation, only one remained. Continued radiation treatments did not eliminate this last tumor. Post-op scans later showed her previous tumors had returned and there was the emergence of new ones. She received her Angel's Wings on December 9th, 2006.

Danielle Cordes

In 2007 the Snowdrop Foundation very proudly presented the first set of scholarships from the foundation thus meeting the second half of their mission statement by providing scholarships to college bound current or former pediatric cancer patients. One of those recipients was an outstanding young lady named Danielle Cordes. To prove that it IS a small world, after all Danielle Cordes is the daughter of Mo Cordes. Mo is the Vice President Global Account Director Chevron and 27 year employee of Schlumberger. Neither side was aware of the mutual relationships. The discovery in 2007 brought Snowdrop's involvement in the Derricks & Diamonds Charity Softball Tournament which has been actively involved ever since.

Ryan "Batman" Williams

Twelve days after Ryan's 3rd birthday he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuro blastoma at Texas Children's Hospital. Mom and Dad noticed he had bruises around his eyes and thought he had been wearing goggles that were too tight. The bruises wouldn't go away so after seeing his pediatrician several times, Mom had them go to Texas Children's to have blood work done. The doctors requested a CT scan and it was unbelievable what they found. There were tumors behind Ryan's eyes. Shock was a gross understatement.

Ryan was treated for over 9 months at Texas Children's receiving chemo and radiation. He had long been fascinated with Batman and would only answer if called Batman. The clinic had to put notes and records for the doctors and nurses to call him Batman. Batman was even on his charts! He would only wear Batman pjs and clothes.

After his initial treatments Ryan went into remission, or as we call it NED (no evidence of disease). He enjoyed almost a year of NED, playing and having fun and praying and believing he would never relapse. Most neuroblastoma (NB) patients do.

In October 2007 a "routine scan" brought the news that Ryan had relapsed. Through Ryan's life, he had over 55 blood and platelet transfusions and has been under anesthesia more than 60 times. On Wednesday July 9th, 2008 Ryan got his Angel's Wings.

Katie Johnson

Gary Martin, father of Sage Martin, came by the desk of one of Derricks & Diamonds' chairperson's and asked if he'd ever heard of the R2-KT Star Wars action figure. After a brief explanation and a few hours of reading and conducting research, the story of Katie Johnson, daughter of 501st Legion founder Albin Johnson, would make its mark on the Derricks & Diamonds Tournament for 2008. The story lead the staff of the tournament get the 501st's South Texas Squad of the Star Garrison involved in our event that year. This has lead to yet another wonderful relationship with Sam Morton, Wes Jackson and the troops of the South Texas Squad.