Childhood Cancer Awareness

Did you know that 46 kids will be diagnosed with cancer everyday?  Today, tomorrow, the next day, the day after that....46 sets of parents will be literally knocked to their knees in despair and in prayer for their child.  Noone should ever have to deal with cancer.  I know.  I watched my Mom lose that battle.  But really, NO CHILD should ever have to do it.  It makes my stomach turn.  And now, lots of my friends have cancer kids....all these people that I have met along the way.  Some are near and some are far, but the 46 number to me....well it is just that much greater because I am somewhat surrounded by it.

Just in the last two weeks, our little friend Katie (with ALL) relapsed.  Another little child with ALL (whom I had been following online for months, but did not know) lost her battle this weekend.  A friend of a friend had her daughter Brooklyn diagnosed with ALL down in Cincy.  And nearest and dearest to my heart, our friend Caulin left for Cincinnati to have his bone marrow transplant.  He will likely not be sleeping in his home (3 doors down from me) for over 100 days.  I had to hug my sweet Caulin goodbye and quickly turn so he would not see the tears rolling down my face.

Right there it is. Four examples of ALL.  Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  The "good" cancer as I have seen it called.  Hmph.

And Ally...I pray she continues to do well.  She got her first "illness" since being off her treatment about 12 days ago.  Her first regular old child-like stomach flu illness. She vomited for about six hours and was done.  I didn't think I would get so scared.  But her father and I have been worried about her ever since.  Constantly asking her if she feels ok.  Checking her lips to see if she looks pale.  Is she sluggish?  Is she sad?  Why is she waking up at night?  Pleading with God that it is not coming back.  It is one thing for me to worry...it is another thing when Dad amps up his worry.  We went back and forth...should we have her blood tested? Should we not?  It was just tested 7/25 and she got a good report.  Well we decided to let it go.  We just let our faith keep us going.  She seems better to me.  She even did a basketball open gym tonight.  But as a cancer Mom, I can just sit her replaying a thousand things in my head and keeping myself up half the night. Her next blood test happens to be the first day of school.  I am counting the days until her blood test.  I just need a little reassurance right now.  All the things I mentioned above don't help matters any!

So anyway, I am asking Ally's Army to walk in the Curesearch Walk again this year.  It will coincidentally be the one year mark off of treatment.  It will be Saturday, Sept 22.  You can sign up to walk (or just donate) here. Please consider signing up to walk.  If you live afar, you can sign up to be a virtual walker....or just donate to a wonderful cause!

Link to sign up:
Curesearch Walk: Ally's Army

Walk for Ally. Walk for Caulin. Walk for Katie.  Walk for Taylor.  Walk for Brooklyn.  Just walk and pray and walk and pray that we can put an end to this disease.

A fellow cancer Mom made a video of all the Dayton kids for the Curesearch Walk.  So now, not only do I have to see my own child's face in this video, but I see that of my best friends.  And many many other friends who I love so much that I met along the way.  You can watch the video here.  Not trying to make you sad....(but it will!)...just trying to make some small difference as I have tried to do for 3+ years now.

Press Play.

Thank you Ally's Army!  Please continue to pray for Ally and Caulin and all our kids!