HALLOWEEN...

We enjoyed the weekend of Halloween festivities. We painted/carved pumpkins on Thursday, which proved to be the always messy experience yet very fun. As for costumes, we found some monkey costumes a while ago, and as I often refer to the kids as my monkeys, these seemed to be perfect. Come Saturday, as we were getting the kids ready, Sam wanted absolutely nothing to do with her costume. So for Halloween, Livi was a monkey, and Sam was a 2 year old who threw a fit about putting on a monkey costume.

The girls went to Noni's for a party, then we met up and went to a trunk-or-treat in her neighborhood. Afterwards we went to her home for some dinner, and when we got home, Zac took Livi out trick-or-treating and Sam and I passed out candy. It was a full day but the girls seemed to have fun.

We made it through the day OK. We proved to have many reminders of Sadie... what we were doing at this time last year. She was indeed missed. But again, with those reminders come the joy we see with Livi and Sam's experiences.

Yesterday Zac and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary. I'm thankful for a strong marriage that has held tough in times of adversity, and for his love for me. He is my rock, and all of you who know the guy know he is something else. Love him more than I can express.

There are some families that can use your prayers at this time. Little Melana passed away recently (http://www.carepages.com/ visit: melanamatson); Andrew's been dealing with some issues (www.caringbridge.org/visit/aws); and Maryn's tumor is growing (http://www.marynshope.org/). Please show them the same support you have shown our family.

Also, I wanted to ask again if any of you have any connections to anything ski related. We've had a few leads (thank you!), but nothing has panned out. This would benefit The Cure Starts Now's "Once in a Lifetime Gala" that will be held in March. Just email us at huishfam@yahoo.com if you are able to help.

And a heads up to all of you who have had Sadie wristbands break or for those who never got one. We just received some more... they are a little different than previous, as Livi wanted to help in a design. Same concept though - gray for brain tumor awareness and gold for childhood cancer awareness.

For these, we'll sell them at cost ($1.50), just for the ability to continually order wristbands (there are large, medium, and youth). Just email to the address above if you are interested. As always, we thank you for the many ways you have lightened our load, and continue to bless our family. We are so thankful for your love, support, and prayers!

5 years, 4 months...

I will begin by telling you about our Livi. She celebrated the big "5" last week. I marvel at how much she has gone through in the last couple of years. She watched her big sis and best friend slowly change and then be gone from her life. She took on the role as the oldest child in the home. I continue to watch ever so carefully for if she needs any help... I don't know how this has truly all affected her and may affect her in the future. So far she is doing so well. She had a Sadie moment yesterday... we were heading into the store and completely random she started sobbing. When asked what was wrong, she said, "I miss Sadie". Such are the moments, and then she is good.

So this birthday she was once again the boss; whatever she wanted she got. She really wanted to go to get her nails done (um, not my daughter!). There was a place that did nails for little kids that we went to last year for my niece's birthday, but it isn't around anymore. So, we headed to the local "mommy" nail place, and she got her nails done.






She also wanted to go bowling, so we did that. She beat us all, and the only reason Zac and I were even close to her score was because Sam helped us.

After that we went to Cotsco and got a big batch of roses that Livi picked out (pink and white). We headed to the cemetery, and there we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Livi. Livi then picked certain flowers out of the bunch to put in Sadie's vase. We brought the rest home for Livi's birthday.

The next day was Livi's actual birthday. She opened presents that morning, and later that night we had family come over for cake and ice cream. True to the Huish tradition that Sadie began, Livi made her own birthday cake, and with the help of her cousins, did some wonderful decorating (proved to be a very crunchy but delicious cake - see below). She was also spoiled by her church class and preschool class. I hope she felt lots of love and had a good birthday weekend!

I would like to share some fundraising and awareness opportunities. First off, due to the kindness of a mutual friend, there will be a tree at the Festival of Trees (http://www.festivaloftreesutah.org/) that will be dedicated to Sadie and our little pal Lucas. It will have a Curious George theme with things on it that are a reminder of the kids. By the tree will be the stories of these little angels. This will be held December 2-5 and every penny raised goes to Primary Childrens Hospital, where the two were treated. Please refer to the link for more details.

Also, The Cure Starts Now is looking for some contacts in the skiing community out here in regards to their "Once in a Lifetime Gala". This will be held in March in Cincinnati, and this event auctions off once in a lifetime experiences, like being a ballerina for a day, and also large ticket items. I'm not a skier (I know, and I live in Utah?), so I'm not familiar with the best places to ski. If any of you have contacts or "ins" with ski packages, lodging, or resorts, please email me at huishfam@yahoo.com. CSN is also selling holiday cards, with the artwork done by dipg kids. If you are interested, please visit http://www.thecurestartsnow.org/.

And mark your calendars for Saturday, June 26, 2010. This is when we will be holding our premier fund raising event for CSN. It is a golf tournament and silent auction to be held at the Ranches Golf Club, and tentatively titled "Swinging for Sadie". We just had a meeting about it last week with our committee (which happens to be our awesome family), and it was great... got us really excited for what will occur. It happens to be the day after Sadie passed away (and uncle Nik's birthday!), and will prove to be a wonderful tribute to our little angel and more funding to find a cure. We will provide more details as they come.

On a somber note, I ask you to offer your prayers and support for our little friend Melana, as she is not doing very well (http://www.carepages.com/, visit: melanamatson).

And finally, today marks 4 months since our princess left us for a better place. It is unreal at times and too real at other times. Oh, how we miss her... there is indeed an actual ache to just hug her again. It is truly harder than I could ever convey in words. Celebrating 5 years of our Livi and wishing we didn't have to acknowledge 4 months without Sadie. We are indeed so appreciative of your continued love and prayers for our family.

Rest in peace, my Sades...

Well, it has been a little while... my apologies. I tried posting last week but blogger somehow thought our blog is spam and locked it up... guess that is what they think of it! I think all is well now. I guess it is good they are trying to be efficient. ;)

Life is going well and busy. Livi has loved preschool, and is just being her entertaining self. She was a part of the Primary Program a couple of weeks ago. The Primary theme this year is "My Eternal Family". Livi spoke at the end about how she is thankful for eternal families and how she wants to see Sadie again and be a forever family. She did great, and of course made us tear up - it was a tender sacrament meeting. Sam... well, Sam is crazy and all of the sudden seems to be talking so much more. She loves her sundresses, yet the weather is changing. She isn't a big fan of me putting shirts underneath or tights on her. But she is learning compromise, and it is working out somehow. They are such good kids and bring us so much joy.

We also sure enjoyed the LDS general conference. Every talk was wonderful and uplifting to give a spiritual boost of sorts. The leaders of the church are truly inspired. We had the opportunity to meet Elder Ringwood of the Seventy not long ago, and enjoyed his wonderful address in Sunday's afternoon session. They are all just so amazing. We are continually humbled and our testimonies ever grow that the church and these men are truly looking out for "the one". We love them all so very much. We had some Sadie moments during this time as well. One was when we were updating our 72 hour kits (long overdue), and had the experience of interchanging clothes for two kids instead of three. Another was when I was assessing our winter coat and snowpants needs, and put Sadie's coat away until next year when Livi will use it. I hugged that coat for a little while as I watched conference. Little reminders that catch us at different times. But it means we are remembering, because I don't ever want to forget.

I hate to update about me so I'll keep it brief. The seizures are coming farther in between. The frustration still lies that we don't know when they are coming. I'm not driving right now as a precaution (so all you in Eagle Mountain driving around, don't be scared, you are safe!). We are trying some different dosages of medicine and a few more tests this week. But all is well... thanks for your prayers and help.

We continue to miss our little princess Sadie so very much. We have our good days and our tough days. But she is ever a part of our daily routines. After our night prayers in the girls' room, we say "good night" to Sadie (the pictures of her above their bed) - we blow her kisses with both hands. We all have a stuffed pal to sleep with that is from Sadie... yes, even Mom and Dad! Livi continually talks about her in a manner that makes her happy, though I know she misses Sadie so much. The other night we had a salad with dinner, and I asked her if she wanted ranch dressing. She asked if Sadie liked ranch (which she loved), and wanted some when she found out Sadie liked it. I also noticed this love of her sis with her preschool work. Every time she writes her name on her paper, on the back she draws rainbows, because they remind her of Sadie. Oh, and sweet angel baby Lucas gets a rainbow drawn as well. Every prayer, she says "help us be good so we can see Sadie and Lucas again". She seems to think of him often, and talks much about Lucas when she does Sadie. He will always have a special place in our hearts.

I realize I didn't share the words to that song from Lucas' funeral... the music alone makes you emotional; the words alone make you emotional. Combined? Wham, sobfest! It is beautiful... those last few line just blow the cover off the emotions. I'm sure Lucas and Sades are palling around sharing brave stories. So here are the words (written by Barbara Anderson, his grandmother):

Angels came to the earth, and took me by the hand

I wasn't afraid to go, the light was so beautiful

I met Jesus Christ

He was so proud of me, and said I was worthy

To live with the Father forevermore

So when you think of me, remember what I ask

Be kind and love everyone, share what you have with someone

And serve the Lord

Now it's my time to go, with Jesus right by my side

But I will be waiting at Heaven's door

Don't worry Mom and Dad, I'm just grateful for the time we had

And when your life here is through, I'll be waiting here for you

Angels came to the earth, and took me by the hand

*******************************************************

My heart hurts to make mention of a couple little guys that have passed away from a dipg since I last posted. I regret to say I don't follow many kids right now, but these brave ones I followed as we dealt with Sadie's battle. Please keep their families in your prayers.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/lukepollok

www.caringbridge.org/visit/tylermagnuson

I am also humbled to inform you that Sadie's stone is in... we are "done". It was placed sometime earlier last week. The initial moment of seeing it was in brought some tears of reality, but we are very happy with it and are grateful for this finality... something that we can visit and know it is there to stay. I recall earlier when I mentioned the day after her funeral (when we went back and she was buried) that I said then all is finished. Well, it wasn't! Arranging her stone and waiting for that has been a big part of the process. Well, now all is indeed finished.

We thank you for your continued love, support, and prayers for our family, and all others in similar circumstances. These approaching days filled with holidays will prove to be bittersweet as we see the joy of two of our little gals and acknowledge the void of one. Saders, we miss you so very much, and strive to live in a way that will lead us back to you. We hope your stone meets your approval! Can't wait until we walk together again. Love you forever, sweet girl.

3 months...

It's been quite a week! Friday, I had the opportunity to head to Park City with my sis and mom for some girl time. It was well needed and we had a great time. Love them more than I can express...

Sadie let us know she was along for some girl time.

Saturday we just did some hanging out. We were able to meet my brother and his family for lunch as well. I am indeed so thankful for the relationships we have as a family.

At this time I want to thank you all for the support you have been to my family this weekend. I only share this as an update to family and friends and not to invoke pity. Sunday night I had a seizure and stayed in the hospital for a few days, having subsequent seizures since that initial one. Through blood work, diagnostic and imaging testing, I am the picture of health. So we are unsure what they are from. The doctors determined they are non-epileptic in nature, and think they may be from deep rooted anxiety stemming from what we went through with Sadie. I always thought I was dealing with it fine... not hiding my emotions, talking, keeping busy, etc. Apparently my body thinks otherwise! Anyhoo, we're trying some medicine, I'll see the neurologist in the coming week, and we'll try to keep things under control. In the mean time, these seizures kick my trash, so whether it is from those or the medicine, I don't quite feel my bearings are straight right now. Forgive me if I don't come across quite myself.

One interesting thing that happened Sunday night after that seizure was I had something called "Todd's Palsy", which is a form of paralysis after a seizure. For a long time after, I could hear everything, but couldn't move or talk... only blink or move my eyes. It scared the heck out of me. Sound familiar? Yeah, in those moments I continually thought of my Sades. I got a taste of what she lived with... and gained, once again, a greater appreciation for her bravery and how she coped with her limits. I was indeed grateful to have wonderful family and special visitors around so it wasn't so scary. I only pray that we were that kind of comfort for Sades when she was going through those kind of moments. So thank you all again for your prayers.

As for today... 3 months ago our Sades left to be with the angels. It was only 3 months ago that I held my little gal. It seems like it has been years and years. Tonight we visited her grave and reflected. No stone yet, but hopefully soon. On this mark of her passing, I thought I'd share some of her favorite things, a list we shared at her funeral (parentheses mark other answers she gave at some point). And I don't think I ever shared her painting that was displayed at her services, so here it is - 30"x40" masterpiece.

FAVORITES:

DESSERT: VANILLA ICE CREAM CONES, STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
VACATION: SEUSS LANDING (UNIVERSAL STUDIOS) & THE BEACH
STUFFED PAL: LAMBY
PRINCESS: KIM, JESSICA (MISS EAGLE MOUNTAINS) - DISNEY PRINCESS VARIED WITH THE MOOD
NUMBER: 9 MILLION (SHE SAID "IT’S BIG")…. (22, 200)
COLOR: PINK (RED, WHITE)
BOOK: LOVE YOU FOREVER (I WISH THAT I HAD DUCK FEET, DR. SEUSS, PRINCESSES)
RESTAURANT: APPLEBEES & MCDONALDS
ANIMAL: HORSE
CEREAL: LUCKY CHARMS (HONEYCOMB, FROSTED FLAKES)
INSECT: LADYBUG (BUTTERFLY)
INSTRUMENT: VIOLIN
TEMPLES: JORDAN RIVER (ALSO SALT LAKE, SAN DIEGO, OQUIRRH, AND DRAPER)
SINGER: OLIVIA (HER SISTER!), JOSH GROBAN, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, TAYLOR SWIFT, HILARY WEEKS, RASCAL FLATTS
MOVIE: BARBIE MOVIES, BEAUTY & THE BEAST (SLEEPING BEAUTY, SNOW WHITE)
FOOD: ITALIAN (SPAGHETTI, LASAGNA)
CARTOONS: TOM & JERRY, SPONGEBOB
SPORTS: SOCCER AND DANCE
HOBBIES: BOOKS, COLORING, DRAWING, PAINTING, PUZZLES, WII, BEADS
WHAT SHE WANTS TO BE WHEN SHE GROWS: BAKER, ARTIST, DOCTOR (WHO DOESN’T GIVE ANY POKIES), COUNTRY SINGER
BYU OR UTAH: UTAH

So hopefully this helps you get to know Sades a little better. 3 months later, we miss her the same as the moment she passed. But we walked away from her grave today thinking just how joyous the reunion will be. We are so thankful we have been given the gift of forever families, and for faith in the plan of salvation. It is so hard to be patient, but I can't wait to see Sadie again. Miss you pal... love you forever.

SPECIAL EXPERIENCES...

Well, I want to refer you to the website of our little friend Andrew (www.caringbridge.org/visit/aws). You may recall me posting a letter around this time last year acknowledging childhood cancer awareness - it was from a mom who is a breast cancer survivor and has a child with a dipg, diagnosed four days apart... remember that? This is the same family. We were blessed to be a part of a special experience with them recently. I had wanted to share this before, but didn't (and still don't) want to come across as prideful or in a seemingly boastful manner. It is truly just such a remarkable story. Sandy, Andrew's mom, just shared it on his site (Sept. 14). We are grateful and humbled for her kindness and sincerity to our angel Sadie and our family, yet really feel inadequate for the praise; I refer you to it only to have you witness another of the Lord's tender mercies and true miracles, and for the awareness to support Andrew. The way it all came together, everyone involved... still gives me goosebumps. We feel so blessed to have been a part of the experience, and are grateful to have gotten to know them better through it. Andrew is approaching 2 years since diagnosis and is such a fighter. We have followed his site since shortly after Sadie was diagnosed; please take the time to continue to support him and his sweet family... they are indeed very special.

Olivia officially started school last week, and loves it! As we were leaving that first day, Sam got so somber and teary and said "I want Livi". We had to go back in and give her a big hug - she was OK after that. Such are the random emotions around here! It was tender and sweet, and I'm grateful for the bonds they share. Here's Livi on her first day, and Sadie on her first day. Livi wore the same shoes as Sadie... they are her favorites right now, and uses Sadie's same preschool backpack. We have a variety of backpacks, yet she still very much wants to be like her big sis. I can't believe Livi is this old. Hopefully Mrs. "O" is still teaching when Sam gets to that age... another picture by the door!

I also wanted to acknowledge my brother (Sadie's uncle Nik)... we recently got some pictures of the work he is doing back in Chicago. As Sadie wanted to be a baker when she got older and always loved seeing what Nik could do with his pastry skills, I imagine she is very proud.

Life is going well... we have kept busy this last week. Zac and I had the opportunity to go to Martins Cove in Wyoming, which is a place that holds great meaning in regards to some of the pioneers that crossed the plains and endured extreme hardships. It is a place that means much to our faith. Needless to say, it was humbling and eye-opening, and I learned so very much in a short time. We were also able to attend the "Night Out at the Movies" sponsored by some of our city officials and were able to help promote the Utah chapter of -The Cure Starts Now- (http://www.thecurestartsnow.org/). We appreciate all those who helped with the night and awareness for this cause. And we are grateful to the city for giving us these awareness opportunities.

This next week makes for a humbling one. Tuesday (the 22) marks Hannah's birthday (www.caringbridge.org/visit/hannahbinns) and the one year mark since Mara passed away (http://www.maraadams.com/). Friday (the 25) marks the two year mark since Hannah passed away, and 3 months since our sweet Sadie passed away. Please keep us all in your prayers... it will prove to be emotional I'm sure. These two families are doing book drives in honor of their angel princesses - refer to their sites for more details if you want to take part.

We are doing well, yet we truly miss Sadie more than I can express. Her stone should be done soon... I will put a picture on here when we see it. We thank you for your continued love and support!

More humility...

Well, this weekend has brough much humility... reminders that we are a part of the childhood cancer world, but sweet experiences. On Friday night, we had the opportunity to have a BBQ with the Peterson family (www.caringbridge.org/visit/ashleypeterson) and Brandon Palmer and his daughter (www.caringbridge.org/visit/morganpalmer). We laughed, we got teary; such is our experience. As much as we talked about life, conversations always reverted to our brave little angels. Lots of pride in our sweethearts! Later that night, we attended Lucas' viewing (http://nelsonsforever.blogspot.com/); it was hard but I'm glad we went. And he looked just adorable. Saturday morning we attended his funeral... it was a beautiful service. Many parts of it reminded me of Sadie's services (the opening and closing hymns were the same, and "A Child's Prayer" was part of the program, etc). Aaron and Shannon gave great tributes to their little angel, and Shannon's mom composed an amazing song... one that was from Lucas' perspective with his passing. I will put the words on here soon - that will give you adequate time for a tissue. We also found out that our little friend Maryn's (http://www.marynshope.org/) tumor has shrunk 75% from radiation! Please continue to pray for her to do well.

On Sunday, we had the chance to see the Nelsons once more as they stopped by for a second... Shannon mentioned that on the way to the graveside service for Lucas, there was a rainbow... that was really neat to hear! Sadie's primary teacher also dropped off some pictures her class drew in remembrance of Sadie. I'm very grateful they still acknowledge her in their class. And the Weeks family also came by for a visit (http://www.hilaryweeks.com/). An amazing family, and we will forever be thankful for their generosity.

In other news, Olivia is starting preschool tomorrow! She had her open house last Wednesday; I hadn't been in that room since the week before Sadie was diagnosed. I was really OK until I was driving home and my sister called. Unlucky for her, she caught me in my emotions! But we are so excited for Livi; she has just grown up so much. She is also officially riding her bike without training wheels. She first rode her little Dora bike without them a few days ago, then Zac took the training wheels off of Sadie's (bigger) bike yesterday, and she is riding that one now. This brought much reflection as 1) She was riding Sadie's bike, and 2) Sadie was never able to try this, as her balance wouldn't allow it. A moment of missing Sadie, and a proud moment of our little Livi.

Zac put the training wheels back on the Dora bike for Sam. Though she can't reach the pedals, she still wanted to sit on it. She also wanted to wear a helmet and pads like Livi, so we got Livi's old ones out. Um, I never really understood what it mattered to have a kid with a head circumference in the 90-95th percentile (all my kids have). Well, this is one result of that statistic. This helmet fit Livi when she was this age, but not so much luck with Sam. Yet, she still wanted it on, so we let it go!

So it's been a good and teary weekend. We stopped by the cemetery last night, and there was a cute butterfly stick with a croc keychain attached to it... a sweet reminder of our little Sadie! I found out Bryan Adams (http://www.maraadams.com/) had a quick trip to Utah and made the visit to Sadie's grave. He brought that keychain from a dear family friend. The butterfly and the croc are indeed sweet reminder of our little gal.

The love we feel from everyone continues to be so amazing and continues to buoy us up. We sure need it! Gosh, I miss my Sades. And having her and Olivia so close (20 months apart) bring many comparisons. It's not something I try to do, but it happens. There will always be a remembering of what Sadie was doing at this age. And I realize soon there will come a time when I won't have a memory of Sadie doing something at a certain age, as the girls will be become older than their big sis ever was. Yet, all these moments we take a second at a time. I imagine as the days, weeks, months, and years pass, it will not feel any easier. Just that for the rest of my life I will have good days and bad days. It is almost like a dream that she was here, that she went through what she did. Then we watch movies and look at pictures, and we know it is real. We try our best to keep her memory fresh. I have her laugh as my ringtone, and we have reminders of her in every room... a careful balance of not making the girls feel inferior, but a way to keep her a part of our home. Her stone should be done in the next couple of weeks as well. I imagine we will just show up one day and it will be there. It will be bittersweet to see it... glad to have it done, but a punch in the gut at the same time!

So, give your kids big hugs and kisses today, and just tell them you love them. Please remember our Sadie, and all these little ones who fought, and fight, so bravely. Please continue to pray for our families. And don't forget this month dedicated to Childhood Cancer Awareness (and if you are in the area of Eagle Mountain Saturday night, come to the movie! - see the info at the top right of the blog). As we have been getting stuff ready for Saturday, it has been hitting me really hard that we are doing this "in memory" of Sadie. How I wish my eyes had been opened to awareness under different circumstances. But I hope we are making her proud. Just think about it... lives are going to change forever tomorrow as children will be diagnosed with cancer throughout the day. It could unfortunately happen to anyone. Be a part of the awareness. Thanks to all of you for your continued support!

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month...

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. My guess is that a lot of you weren't aware. Gold ribbons depict childhood cancer awareness, and gray ribbons depict brain cancer awareness. I fear not many of you knew that either. Why? Because you don't see them around anywhere. We know because we became immersed in both worlds. Were we aware of the ribbons or this month dedicated to awareness before Sadie was diagnosed? Absolutely not.

So what can you do for support? Well, for one, Chili's is donating all of their proceeds on Monday, September 28 to St. Jude's. I vaguely recall informing you of this at this time last year. Sadie was here and doing well... a humbling recollection. Another way, visit http://www.childhoodcancer.org/ and familiarize yourself. Maybe commit to a race for this cause sometime in the future... even if it isn't in the month of September, it is a commitment. Or do a race and dedicate it to these little ones. We have gray ribbons on our cars because of our experience with pediatric brain cancer (http://www.justonemoreday.org/)... get one of those or a get a gold one (http://www.choosehope.com/). Very cheap and an awareness tool throughout the year.

If you are in the area of Eagle Mountain next Saturday, there will be a "Night Out at the Movies", showing "The Princess Bride" at the Silverlake Amphitheater. All proceeds from the refreshments will go to "The Cure Starts Now" (http://www.thecurestartsnow.org/.) It happens to be on the 12th... Childhood Cancer Awareness Day.

Here's some facts regarding childhood cancer...

-12,500 children are diagnosed with cancer annually in the U.S.
-1 in every 4 elementary schools has a child with cancer
-Cancer is the #1 cause of death from disease in children ages 1-19 in the U.S.
-The average age of a cancer diagnosis in children is 6 years old
-3,000 children will die of their cancers this year
-Leukemia and brain tumors are the most common childhood cancers
-The average high school has 2 students who are survivors
-Every school day, another 46 children are diagnosed with cancer
-3 out of 5 survivors experience late effects of treatment
-There are now 250,000 childhood cancer survivors in the U.S.
-Every year, more than 150 children are newly diagnosed here in Utah.
-1 in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20
-The cause of most childhood cancers is still unknown
-Only 3% of cancer research money goes toward childhood cancers.
-There are many different types of childhood cancer that fall into 12 major categories (s0 3% of all research money is then divided up among 12 major classifications... lovely)
-There are currently 30,000-40,000 children fighting cancer in the U.S.
-In the past 35 years, ONLY ONE new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use
-Since children can handle much more chemotherapy than can adults, most treatments are little more than mega doses of adult cancer chemotherapy treatments. The results of these high doses of chemo on children is a higher rate of secondary cancers
-Teenagers have the highest cancer fatality rate of any age group under 80. Their cancers tend to be much more rare, therefore lacking established treatments. Their cancers also tend to be far more advanced when diagnosed.

It is easy to sit complacently by and think it is a good cause and then continue on with life. Because it doesn't affect you. Something so horrible would never happen to your family, right? We thought the same thing. The awareness of this month hits home having lost our sweet Sadie. And it hits even more as our little pal Lucas passed away last night (http://nelsonsforever.blogspot.com/), the second day of a month committed to awareness for what he was dealing with. Sadie and Lucas join the awful numbers of children who's lives were cut short by something so completely devastating. Can you commit to some type of support for this month? For Sadie? For Lucas? For all those children who have touched us so deeply? Spread the word...