This has been on my mind whether or not to blog about what happened on Saturday after mass. I was going back and forth because I am a private person and also sometime think no one wants to read about my boring little life. (Though it is not boring to me, we are a really busy family) And it involves another family and their little baby boy who is in the fight of his life. He was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of 5 months. And is now starting the process for a bone marrow transplant. Mike tells me to give things that are on my mind the 24 hour rule. Well it has been well over 24 hours and it's still on my mind.
The little baby, his mommy, daddy, and sister are members at our parish. I knew who they were because we would be in the cry room during mass with our kids, but never formally introduced myself. Their daughter is Jamie's age and will be in the same class. So our paths were going to cross eventually. I wished it would have been like that not this. Once their son was diagnosed with Leukemia I started following his page on Facebook. One day I felt the need to reach out to his parents via the Facebook page. They had wrote an update talking about their ongologist. I was pretty sure that is was the same oncologist that Mike and I had when we where kid battling cancer. I wanted his parents to know that their son had the best doctor in the midwest and one of the top 5 in the country. I wanted them to know that Mike and I both had cancer as children and now we are blessed with 4 beautiful happy healthy kids of our own. I told them if they wanted to talk with us to give us a call. That gave them some comfort, as much comfort as you can have when your little baby is battling cancer.
Saturday after mass this couple and their daughter were at mass together for the first time in a long time. See when you have not infection fighting cells you are not able to go anywhere. Grandma was in town and stayed home the their son so they could go to church as a family. They came up to Mike and I and introduced themselves. They are very sweet. We chatted about our experiences a little bit. We talked about Dr. Rosen, we reminded them to look at that wall of photos in Dr. Rosen's office of all the kids who have beat this horrible cancer. They told us Dr. Rosen has went digital, it is no longer a wall but he some type of slide show of all the pics now.
The mom told us with tears in her eyes, she that she was told there would be ups and downs. She was having one of those down times when she was praying to God to help her through this tough time and give her strength. She said we took up gifts that night at mass and she then knew that seeing our family of six was her sign from God everything was going to be ok. Mike and I told them it will be a tough road but they can get there and this can be beaten. We told them about Camp Hope and how many kids we know who beat all types of cancers. This little guy needs your prayers.
One year Mike and I put a team of former camper together cook dinner for the campers and volunteers at Camp Hope. I over heard on teenage camper ask "are they all really former campers"? I'm not only hope but so are many, many other kids who have survived cancer. I am blest that I can give kids with cancer and their parents hope. I would rather not have to be "hope" I wished nobody had to endure cancer. One thing I have wanted to do for many years is to voluteer at Victory in the Valley so other kids and families can see there is a light at the end of the tunnel and they can have a wonderful life after cancer.
Please keep this family in your prayers. The little boy needs a bone marrow transplant and his big sister is his match but he needs his cancer to be remission first. Pray that his cancer will go into remission soon so he can start the Bone Marrow transplant soon.
