Your Child has Cancer

  If you ever hear the words- “ Your child has cancer”, your  life will change forever. There is nothing “normal” any longer.  Your new home is the hospital, your new family becomes the nurses, doctors and PA’s. Your new view from the windows are buildings, roofs, and parking garages. Being outside to your child is walking down the hallways of the hospital outside of their room. Being social  is hanging out at the nurses station. Your world is turned upside down.  A fight, a journey, and a unpredictable roller coaster ride begins.  Before you can catch your breath from the shock of cancer diagnosis, you are now being told of the medications, infusions, surgeries, and chemotherapies your child will be receiving. It is surreal and overwhelming. You pray you will wake up from this nightmare. This can’t be real. This can’t be my child they are talking about.  Now that you know the treatment plan which doesn’t promise to be a cure, you are informed of all the side effects of the medications and chemo. Chemotherapy effects the entire body of the child and leads to hair loss, nausea, vomiting, anemia, fever, mucositis (mouth and throat sores), organ damage, infertility, and potentially life-threatening infections. Oh and by the way, this can cause another type of cancer years later after treatment.  Some drugs may also effect hearing.  As a parent, you are in disbelief and denial. You are overwhelmed with anxiety and shock. But this is something so many parents face everyday. No parent is ever prepared to hear that their child has cancer. There was a time when I was so blissfully unaware of how many kids get cancer and what they go through, but now that I am fully aware and have fought this battle with my own son and now see so many other children fighting, I am determined to help make a change and raise Childhood Cancer Awareness. These children and their families lives are turned upside down. Their lives are forever changed, seeing their children having surgeries, getting chemotherapy and infections, endless traveling, long stays in the hospital, and countless medications. When you see a child fighting cancer, it will change your life forever. My goal is to get everyone thinking about and wearing gold in September.  According to the https://www.acco.org/, almost three-quarters of survivors experience “late effects” such as heart damage, secondary cancers, lung damage, infertility, cognitive impairment, growth deficits, hearing loss, and more that require monitoring for the rest of their lives. It’s our job to advocate.  How can you help? You can help in so many ways. Spread the word! Make others aware of childhood cancer. You can also donate to the American Childhood Cancer Organization https://www.acco.org/. By funding research, you are giving every child hope for a cure. I choose to be a voice for Luke and all children, you should too. I also challenge you everyday this month to pray for a child or children with cancer. I believe in the power of prayer.