DREAM BIG — The Hall of Champions
Our heroes, brothers Michael and Max, and their dog OdieBoy sit around the kitchen table, dreaming up the Hall of Champions.
Two Boys, One Dog, and a Legacy of Hope for Children Living with Cancer
Today, we get to celebrate something truly special — the release of DREAM BIG — The Hall of Champions: Two Boys, One Dog, and a Legacy of Hope for Children Living with Cancer.
This book began as a promise to honor the courage of children who face impossible moments with open hearts and endless imagination. It’s a story rooted in real life, built from the bond of two brothers, and brightened by a silver Weimaraner named JuJu — a dog who has helped teach countless families what empathy, comfort, and unconditional love look like.
It’s a proud day for the Hall.
And a joyful one for every family who believes in hope.
Where the Story Begins
Michael wrote DREAM BIG as a way to capture the courage he saw in the children around him — not as “sick kids,” but as heroes. Kids whose joy, humor, and resilience deserve to be celebrated. Kids who show us that even in the hardest moments, imagination can become a lifeline.
Families have already called it an inspirational short story, a touching story, and a gentle way of teaching empathy to children of all ages. It’s a book that opens the door to heartfelt conversations — not about illness, but about bravery, love, and what it means to show up for one another.
The Boys, the Dog, and the Heart Behind the Pages
At the center of this story are:
Two brothers learning what it means to be strong for each other.
A Weimaraner dog named JuJu, whose steady, soulful presence has become a beacon of comfort.
And a legacy that reaches far beyond one family.
Anyone who has loved a dog — especially a Weimaraner — knows they are sensitive, intuitive, and wonderfully expressive. JuJu brings all of that to this tale. His role is inspired by the way dogs are therapeutic companions for kids who need steady love and soft places to land. Some might call him an emotional support dog — to us, he’s simply family.
A Real-Life Story of Hope
Many families find the Hall because of a word they never thought they’d search — a word like leukemia or childhood cancer. We hold those families with tenderness.
But this book is not about diagnoses.
It is about the real life stories that rise from them — the inspiring stories, the small victories, the ways courage shows up in unexpected places.
This is a story that reminds us why we build the Hall at all:
To honor every child’s light.
To celebrate every family’s love.
To keep their courage alive.
Why This Book Matters
Children learn so much through storytelling — empathy, kindness, strength, imagination. Books on courage help kids understand that bravery doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it looks like laughter in a hospital room. Sometimes it looks like a dog resting his head in your lap. Sometimes it looks like dreaming bigger than your fear.
DREAM BIG was written for families who want a story that:
Uplifts
Comforts
Celebrates
And connects them to something larger — a community built on hope.
The First Brick of the Hall
This book is the front door to the Childhood Cancer Hall of Champions™.
The place where stories live.
The place where heroes are honored.
The place where courage becomes legacy.
Every reader, every family, every shared moment helps build that home — one brick at a time.
A Day Worth Celebrating
Today is not just a book release.
It’s the beginning of a movement.
A joyful marker of what’s possible when love, imagination, and purpose come together.
We hope DREAM BIG finds a place in your home, your heart, and your bookshelf — and that the Boys, JuJu, and the Hall become companions on your own journey of hope.
This is a proud day.
And it’s only the beginning.
