Friday, October 11, 2013

Here's what I want you to know...

I want you to know that Sam is alive.

I want you to know that we're "fine."

I want you to know that Sam sleeps peacefully, and comfortably for a few hours at a time, and then he stirs and makes simple, whispered requests for food, positioning changes, and trips to the bathroom that we struggle to understand.

I want you to know that if you had told me that he would go from eating sitting up in a chair unassisted, walking with help, and standing at the toilet to pee, to not even being able to hold his head up and peeing in a diaper in less than 24 hours I would have told you to go fuck yourself.

The hardest part is watching Sammy, my vibrant, active, smart, creative, compassionate, 8-year-old, be altered by this killer. 

The hardest part is not being able to honor his requests. "Can we get up and start our day?" "I need to go pee." "I just wish everything was normal." "I want to go home." This-lying on the couch all day, sleeping, taking sips of soup and tiny bites of McDonald's soft serve ice cream (McFlurry)-is our day, baby. It's okay to pee in the disposable pants (diaper), Sammy. I wish for that too, Little Guy. We are home, sweetheart.

The hardest part is knowing that this will not end with recovery. There will be no awakening beyond the half-open eyes we see now. There will be no physical therapy or occupational therapy or speech therapy or IEP or...

I also want you to know we are grateful for your help, and we are comforted to know that you are holding us all in your hearts. 

Please remember that there is still so much work to be done in the childhood cancer arena. While I am still mothering Sam I need you to continue that work for me. Raise awareness. Tell people childhood cancer is not rare (1 in 300 kids will be diagnosed. And if you think I'm being alarmist, Google, "childhood cancer blog," and start reading). Tell people childhood cancer research does not get enough funding from public or private sources. Tell people we need treatments specifically for kids that are effective for their cancers and less toxic. Refer them to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for information and ways to help. Send them over to The Truth 365 for facts and an action plan. Tell them to check out St. Baldrick's.

Whatever you do, please check out an organization before you start donating, volunteering or referring other people to it. Check them out on Charity Navigator and figure out how much of the money they raise actually goes to childhood cancer research. 

Whatever you do, don't support the American Cancer Society as a means to supporting childhood cancer research. Please read their report and this article.

If we arm ourselves with anger, information, compassion, and vulnerability, I believe we can make a difference.



Remember Sam's song, Rocket Ship, by Chris Beland? Here's the video


4 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing everything Sabrina, we are with you all the way. Life is not fair I found out when my nephew was taken too soon from cystic fibrosis and then my son diagnosed one year later with leukemia. Let the support of many sustain you and when the time draws near.

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  2. DAMN IT!!!! I hate cancer. I hate childhood cancer with all my being. And as a friend said to me this week after her mother was diagnosed: F*U*C*K CANCER!
    That may be offensive language to some but not near as offensive as cancer attacking children. I wish there was something I could say to help. There's not. May you know moments of peace so that you have the strength you will need.

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  3. Dear Sabrina, I found you and Sam through Phyllis Sommer's blog. I am stopping right now to send prayers to you. And i am so appreciative of your advice about how to take action so other families will one day hopefully not have to suffer like this. I will absolutely spread the word to my entire network about where to donate. Know that you have a new friend in California sending prayers for strength - Jill

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  4. We want you to know we think about you each and every day, and we are committed to fighting for your family, and for so many other children and families. We say the Prayer for Strength and Healing every night, and on Shabbat we light a candle for you. You have changed our minds and hearts. We are here and we want you to know you have touched our lives, and our daughters life.

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