Mitchell Graham Whitaker
15 May 1997 - 27 September 2007
His Life and Legacy
Every child is precious. Every child has potential. And, some very special children impact our lives far beyond their years on this earth. Mitchell Whitaker was that type of child. His life was an inspiration. His legacy continues as a positive influence on all who have heard his story.
Mitchell was an active, fun-loving, intelligent, inquisitive, sensitive, and highly competitive boy. He loved sports, especially baseball, and he played them with both skill and passion. He was an outstanding student at Earl Harris Elementary School in Bethany, OK. He was very popular with his teachers and classmates there, along with all his friends at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene. His entire family adored him. He was an “All American” boy with such a bright future ahead - a future full of unlimited possibilities.
Then, at the age of 8, Mitchell was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. After the initial shock, his parents, John and Tracy, explained the situation to Mitchell and his little sister, Meredith. Together, as a family, they resolved to avoid the “why-us” mentality and chose to fight this disease with God’s help and every fiber of their collective being. During Mitchell’s illness, John, Tracy, Mitchell, and Meredith constantly found ways to assist and encourage other children with blood cancers and their respective families. They organized fund-raisers, provided supplies, enlisted support, gave encouragement, and participated in many events sponsored by the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the OU Children’s Hospital.
Mitchell valiantly battled the leukemia for 26 months. Despite the pain of his treatments, Mitchell never quit. He continued his schooling and led his baseball team to a first place finish in their league. However, the cancer eventually gained the upper hand and Mitchell went to be with Jesus at the age of 10 years and 4 months. His last words were, “Keep Fighting” - the theme that his family had adopted since his initial diagnosis. In this vein and in Mitchell’s memory, John and Tracy have established a family goal to raise one million dollars in their lifetime for blood cancer research. Since Mitchell’s passing, they are pursuing this goal through their direct affiliation with multiple charitable organizations and their active involvement in a wide-range of activities including:
- LLS Team-In-Training (TNT) program: Oklahoma City National Memorial Marathon; Phoenix P.F. Chang’s Rock & Roll Marathon, San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon, San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon, Capitol of Texas Triathlon, Hawaii Sprint Triathlon
- LLS Light The Night Walks at the OU Health Sciences Center
- OU Baseball Team’s Homeruns for Charity
- GoMitchGo Golf Tournaments
To further expand and facilitate fund-raising capabilities, John and Tracy have also established the GoMitchGo Foundation. Its charter and objectives are to provide: (1) funding for blood cancer research; (2) support for the children and families battling this disease; (3) assistance to families in crisis. For more detailed information on the GoMitchGo Foundation, click on the THE FOUNDATION link above.