Hitting the Road...

Hello my friends! I am laying in bed tonight fighting to fall asleep. I am going through the stage where I want to stay up late and sleep a little later. No good. I need to be at the office earlier these days and it is hard.

Kaylee is feeling good. She had a spinal tap last Wednesday and it caused a headache that lasted nearly a week. Kaylee's poor little head was hurting badly. Today she is feeling better. Kaylee is getting ready to start school in August. We are excited. I forgot to warn everyone that Kaylee got her Driver's License a couple weeks ago. She has been enjoying her freedom that comes with the privilege of having a license.

Kaylee got the Jeep Cherokee but wanted a little Mercury Cougar. I assured her we will explore her options down the road but the Jeep will work fine for now. I think Kaylee is a great driver and I'm so excited to see her go down the road. I might have missed the beauty a year ago of just watching things, simple things unfold, but now I observe with appreciation. Take my word when I say "slow down and enjoy the ride!"

Lights, Camera, Action...

http://www.kmbc.com/video/16981761/

Did you see Kerry's interview? If not then click the link above. It was on tonight at 6:00 and 10:00 pm. It was nice and hopefully someone will see it and be touched. I think a lot of this is political. The hospital has worked hard and the Social Workers have also done an amount of work on this case but it just sat there. It was fragmented. It needed a dad who is fighting sickness with his kid to get in the ear of the people who can help assist in this case. If you write the letters then you call the recipient to get an answer after you send the letter. If no one calls or writes then you call and write again.

I thank Sara Visomirski at KCTV 5 for sending my email to Maria Antonia at KMBC 9 news. They both are alumni at the University of Miami and Sara sent her my email. I have done advertising and promotions for KCTV 5 for almost 3 yrs now and called in for a favor to Sara. Sara immediately sent the email on Sunday and we did an interview on Wednesday. That is getting things done quickly, thank you Maria and Sara.

Maria is such a nice woman as well. She is professional but caring. I'm sure she had her heart tugged by this little girl too. We all want our kids to be comfortable. When you see a child missing that comfort or when you see a young child having to do things you couldn't imagine your kid doing it really hits home. It makes me want change, assistance, or solutions for any kid fighting such a circumstance. Please keep reading because I might need some help from you soon!

KMBC 9 News...

Maria Antonia traveled to Children's Mercy Hospital today and interviewed Kerry. It is scheduled for tomorrow. I do not know what time but keep your eyes open for it. I was not included in the piece. I had my gel in, teeth flossed, and my shirt ironed but it didn't matter. It was all about Kerry.

I am so proud of Kerry and her mother. Kerry is not feeling well so everyone had a mask on. She wasn't bothered by it. Her mother Claudia had her hair done and was excited. I was in and out because Kaylee was getting treatments. We were at the hospital all day. It was boring. We sat for hours waiting for our spinal tap. Well I didn't get a spinal tap but you know what I mean.

I want to thank everyone for their input on how to help. I want to also thank Randy and Stacy Sharp for actually getting this going. If it wasn't for you and your emails I might not have started this campaign. I want everyone to know that sometimes we all need help. My voice is strong enough for Kaylee and Kerry. I just want comfort for my kid and Kerry. I can't imagine Kerry needing something and someone not being there for her. I can't save the world but I can start with a beautiful little girl named Kerry Magana!

Grandma: Part 2

I want to update everyone on my Honduran efforts. I am filling out paper work for Kerry Magana's grandmother's Visa. I have Congressman Emanuel Cleaver on board to write me/us a letter of support. I secured Senator Bond's office yesterday. Today I made contact with Claire McCaskill and hopefully she will sign a letter as well. I have countless businesses ready to submit letters as well.

I feel grateful that so many people have offered to help. I need more though. I need everyone to sign a letter, a signature or something to show the Consulate that Kansas City cares about their children. I started a website called caringforkerry.com that should be up soon. Does anyone have any suggestions how I can get signatures? Would I write the letter and put it in a blog then have the end user copy, paste, put it in a email resend it to me through email? I am up for any suggestions. I need thousands of signatures. I need to get it going asap. I'm tired and could use any help.

KMBC 9 is doing a story tomorrow on the situation. Thank you Maria Antonia. I only wish I could figure out the signature campaign. Please feel free to email at michael@inadtv.com if you can help me figure it out. I pray we get this little girl's family here.

Goodnight,
MQ

Angels, Curves, and Potholes...

If there was any reason why my family had to be struck with cancer, childhood cancer, I would suspect that it was for me to do something good with it. At first I thought that I had done something terrible to deserve such a diagnosis. My child was paying for something I may have done. I went over every scenario and came to the realization that God doesn't give you more than you can handle and he certainly wouldn't have a child endure this pain for the sins of her father.

Friday I traveled to Children's Mercy to get some documents from Kerry Magana's mother. As I sat with her mother I asked her if she ever wonders why God would do something like this to us. She looked at me and said her faith was still in place and she believes that God has delivered her angels. He has put sorrow and hard times at their door but also supplied people like me to help in her journey. People like me?

Claudia explained that we have seen each other over the coarse of a year but never really talked. She explained to me that the last time we saw each other she needed someone and it happened to be me that appeared. That particular day as we talked and held each other as our daughter's lay unconscious getting their treatments, her home was being burglarized. She obviously didn't know it at the time but got through it later that day knowing that I had joined in on her fight with this sickness and paper work needed to get her mother here. Our conversation and my commitment to her and her family helped ease her pain. So was it a coincidence that we happened to land at the same hospital with the same diagnosis? I can't answer that but I do know that I have a voice and strength for both little girls and I intend on using it to help in our fight to recovery.

I'm aware that I can't save the world, just as I'm aware that I can't fix every pothole in the country. But this situation, this little girl has crossed paths with me and I'm determined to lend my hand. I ask you to do the same. It was normal for me a year ago to hear the sad story and for me to tune it out. Well it has occurred to me that things don't happen by mistake. My kid got sick. I had to learn to live with the fact that our surroundings such as the hospital presents death. We hear about it, we see it, and we fear it. Is it coincidence that I'm writing about it and your reading about it? Maybe one of you are supposed to help Kerry Magana. Maybe through a chain of events it was destined for you to be touched by my story, by these children's stories. I believe everything happens for a reason.

I'm going to put together a letter I hope each of you will copy, paste, and sign and resend to me so I can forward it on to the Embassy in Honduras. This little girl needs a voice. A nurse told me,"You can't expect every parent whose kid gets struck with cancer to be as a caring as you and me." I'm sure it was supposed to be a compliment but I then realized she was talking about Kerry's mom Claudia. She minimized this poor woman's lack of communication, tough economic hardship, and support as non-caring. Well let me tell you something. If I was still in Los Angeles, a single dad, with 2 other mouths besides Kaylee to feed I'm not sure I could do it. Oh, throw in I couldn't speak English well, little or no job skills, and no family or support system. Would all that adversity discount my love for Kaylee? Not at all.

We are given a certain path/road. Some of these roads will be scattered with potholes and blind curves but it is essential to know that hope, faith, and an occasional angel will help guide you through the toughest terrian and on to a smoother coarse.

Caring for Kerry...

The story about Kerry Magana came out this week in the Kansas City Hispanic News. Click the "Caring for Kerry" title to read the entire story as it appears in KCHN.

I ASK YOU PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS STORY OUT TO THE MEDIA. IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP PLEASE SEND THE ARTICLE OR BLOG TO THEM. I NEED THIS STORY TO BE SHARED. I NEED THOSE DECISION MAKERS IN HONDORUS TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN KANSAS CITY WHO CARE ABOUT THIS LITTLE GIRL. I NEED YOUR HELP SHARING THIS STORY.


Kerry Magaña is 15 years old and fighting for her life. She is battling leukemia. Her fight for life is taking its toll on her body and spirit leaving the once energetic teenager tired and wishing that her mother could be at her bedside as she faces her cancer treatments. Stress and anxiety rule Claudia Sabrera, Kerry’s mother. She struggles with the need to be in three places at once. As a single parent, she must be at work so that she can provide for the other two siblings in the family household. When she is not at work, she feels that she must be home with the other children. She can’t leave them alone. She has no family to help her care for them or Kerry. Sabrera has had to make hard choices lately. She has missed work to try to be at the hospital with Kerry. Now her work hours have been cutback. The family is in turmoil and struggling to make ends meet. Sabrera does not know where to turn. Kerry was diagnosed in 2006 with ALL Leukemia and was in critical need of a bone marrow transplant. Following treatment, Kerry’s leukemia went into remission. While trying to find a bone marrow donor, she had a relapse in December 2007 and the family faced a life or death situation. Her daughter battled the disease and it appeared that the treatment had worked. While she was in remission in February of this year, Kerry worked hard to educate the Latino community about the importance of Hispanics registering as bone marrow donors. She attended the three hour bone marrow drive held last February at Bales Baptist Church in the northeast area of the city. Her future looked bright when a bone marrow donor was identified, but before the transplant could take place, her cancer returned. She is currently recuperating from her latest bouts of treatment. She is scheduled for a transplant on August 11. The cancer is beginning to take its toll on the young teenager. She is tired and disheartened. Previously, the spirited teenager was a beacon of hope and high spirits, spending time in the hospital visiting other children in the cancer ward. She would talk to the parents and the children about losing their hair from the cancer treatments; she would introduce the children to members of the hospital staff and try to make both the parents and children at ease while they were going through their treatments just as she was. Michael Quijas met Kerry while his own 15-year-old daughter was in Children’s Mercy hospital diagnosed with leukemia. “We would stay weeks at a time at Children’s Mercy on the pediatric cancer floor. Kerry came into the room and she talked to my daughter. At the time Kerry had no hair and my daughter was beginning to lose her hair. She sat down, they talked, and she showed us what it was to wear a wig. … She helped my daughter out and her visits with us and with the other children and families was priceless.”
While at Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kerry has a social worker and a Child Life Specialist assigned to her. “Their job is to reduce the stress and anxiety that accompany the hospitalization and other aspects of health care here at the Hospital,” said Jessica Salazar, Manager of Media Relations at Children’s Mercy. “They will meet with the child and help them and guide them through what they are dealing with as a patient. They will prepare the child for medical experiences, they advocate for patient and family rights and they normalize the environment
for the patients.” Even though Sabrera knows that Kerry has hospital staff with her as she goes through her medical treatments, it tears at her heart knowing that she cannot be there to comfort her and reassure her that everything will be fine. “This is difficult for me and for her. She is preoccupied with getting ready for her operation and I am preoccupied with worrying that she is taking her pills. I know that her sickness makes her very tired to where she just wants to lay there and sleep and sleep. I want to be the person that is there to make sure that she takes her pill, make something for her to eat and give her food.” At the same time, she is aware of the needs of her other children. “It is something I cannot control. I cannot be guarding the kids for 24 hours. I can’t break myself into pieces to be everywhere. … I have not lost my faith but this is very hard, to get out of work, come home to cook and take care of the kids and then go to the
hospital it is difficult. … I want things to be stabilized.” As a parent, Quijas understands what Abrera is experiencing emotionally and knows how important the familial touch is. “Just to have
that family member there to rub her back when the child is getting sick, to administer the
medicine or to just make sure they are comfortable while they are battling this. I think that everyone wants a little bit of comfort whether you are an adult or a child, there is something about having someone there with you,” he said. “She wants to be there but she has two other mouths to feed and she has to keep a roof over their heads. I saw Claudia on one of the treatment days for Kerry at the hospital and she told me, ‘I need my mom’ I need someone to help me,” added Quijas. Sabrera has tried to bring her mother from Honduras to the United States. She has sent money to her mother, sent papers from the hospital proving the gravity of the situation. Sabrera has found the situation untenable. Her mother must apply for the visa in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, a distance of five to six hours. “She has to leave for a whole day to be there early in the morning for the visit. Then they turned her down without saying why.” Sabrera explained that her mother would have to apply again and pay the nonrefundable
application fee once again to get another hearing, which she fears will turn out the same. “She not only loses the money for the visa but also the travel cost because she lives so far away.”
Quijas has taken steps to see if he can get local and federal politicians involved in helping to bring the grandmother to the United States. He has contacted Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and Julie Myers, assistant secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICE), to see if they can help expedite the paperwork for the grandmother. “Since I have been in this campaign to help them, I have been told that this is not an emergency to bring the grandmother here,” explained Quijas. From where he stands, he cannot imagine a more critical situation. “Until you are there with your child, and it is hard enough being in the room with your child, to think about your child being there by themselves going through this kind of sickness, it is really about making your child comfortable, which contributes to the well being of that person,” added Quijas. “This visa is a necessity. Someone needs to be at the hospital for that little girl while she gets her treatment.”

Dr. Mount...

My family went to a party last night. The party was a Jewelry Party and it was hosted by a woman named Kaye Mount. Kaye was our home school teacher this last year. She was my daughter's teacher. Normally kids may have 6, 7, or 8 teachers during the day - we had one. We had Kaye Mount.

I write about Kaye tonight for a reason. Kaye Mount is such a special part of our family that I feel obligated to tell everyone. The friendship sort of symbolizes this past year. We had Kaye come in like all the other professionals. Kaye was just like all the other knocks at the door when this thing started. We were assigned a teacher, similiar to the specialists that were being assigned daily at that time. There was a job to be done and Kaye was given that job. We really didn't care if it - the teacher - was a he or a she. Tall or short. White or black. It was business. Kaylee needed a teacher to keep her on track. Kaye was given the job.

Looking back, it was one of those introductions that were like so many at that time. Our sickness was thick and the salutations polite and proper but insignificant. When you are in a fight for your child's life everything else doesn't really matter. I was on auto-pilot. Hey, how are you? Here's my kid now lets get this done!

Week after week past and we had our ups and downs but Kaye arrived at her usual. The relationship blossomed in rhythm with Kaylee's health. Before long that insignificant relationship became the cornerstone of our recovery. We had someone that felt our pain but was professional. Kaye kept Kaylee in the loop. Kaye's scheduled appointments at the Quijas household made Kaylee get up and about. This routine directly contributed to the health of my child. Although Kaye doesn't have her medical degree, she is a doctor in my eyes.


I'm writing about Kaye tonight because Kaylee and Tammie felt like they were part of Kaye's family yesterday. They arrived at the party and everyone knew who they were. They fit in with Kaye's family and friends like they had known them for years. That professional demeanor Kaye brought to the door that first day was just the thing we needed. It was right on cue with the whole sickness thing. As time went by that relationship progressed into something so much more than a pupil and the teacher. It grew into friendship that will always be. I thank you Kaye for being there. This situation we went through demanded that we have a professional. It just happens that our professional brought more to our doorstep than a degree. Kaye Mount was our teacher, is our friend, and a savior to this family. Thank you Kaye!

All Aboard...

A couple of months ago I gave a speech at CMSU for young entrepreneurs. I kept referring to my experience as a bus ride. You head out on your journey, your ride, and you have all sorts of people come along for the ride. Some people get off during the cruise and others stay on. There's some that matter more than others. But eventually everyone leaves.

If trying to make something out of nothing isn't hard enough, throw in emotional attachments that dissolve. It hurts. Well it has happened again. My right hand man, Ken, had to go. The direction my company has been going isn't or hasn't been right. I had to make a decision, a tough decision to go a different direction. It's like a relationship ending. The bus has pulled over and another passenger has to go.

Ken was such an important part of my business and important part of my family. He made sure that my business kept running while my daughter fought her sickness. He made it to appointments when I wasn't able to. He was the boss and I'm thankful. Unfortunately things run their course and change has to be made. My dreams are exactly that, my dreams. I have suffered for this dream, sacrificed for this dream, and have committed myself to this dream. I have to steer the course.

So I guess what I'm saying is that life is like a bus. People come and people go. Some stay longer then others but the majority all leave sooner or later. Everyone has a journey, or a road to take. The bottom line is that this is my bus - my life - and it has to make it down the road. The tires have to be aired, the engine has to be oiled, and the vehicle has to be fueled. Your destination is yours and you have to get to where you need to be internally, spiritually, and physically. I can not afford to get too attached to any outside influences or people that might slow me. I have to keep on keeping on. I enjoy company and welcome companionship but eventually everyone disappears. The one constant is me, my bus, and my map.

I want to thank everyone who has sent me an email recently. I enjoy the reading emails from friends, and those from strangers as well. I try to respond to all of them in a quick time frame, but if it takes longer than usual I'm sorry. I will get to it.

I went swimming today and it felt great. Kaylee also took up the

Sweet 16...

It was Kaylee's birthday today. We started our celebration last night. Kaylee and four friends wanted to go to Chubby's on Broadway last night, or early this morning. I drove her and the girls down there around 12:30 am. We drove around, had breakfast, and sung songs until 3 am. It was fun. I'm a fun dad - I think.

Tonight we took 10 people to Buca di Pepo. It was a great dinner. If you've never been there you should go. We ate way to much. The night was fun and the day was special. I could not help but think how grateful I am to have my daughter. I've had a great 16 years with Kaylee. I look forward to another 50 years.

Well I'm going to sleep and I hope you have a nice weekend.

Fourth in line...

Have you ever noticed or witnessed someone taking their time to look good, smell good, or carry their self in the right way? My son for example takes more showers then anyone I know. They are quick but he loves to feel good. Christian also wears Cologne. He loves to smell good. He likes body spray. His trophy's are in order as is everything in his room. I feel so great as a father to watch him do all he can to feel and look good. I say this because it's Christian and I love him. If he liked to wade in the mud and smell a little stinky then that would be fine too. It just happens to be the opposite.

I remember my grandpa always looking really sharp. He wore a hat and always had a suit or tie on. He always looked so nice and proper. As a man today I appreciate people who have a certain style. I look at these people, those I know and some I don't, but always wonder where their sense of style came from. Was it their grandpa? Was it their dad? Does that impression rub off? Maybe someone made a decision as a child not to be like those he grew up around? Maybe someone was around smelly people as a youngster and decided to be the total opposite as an adult.

I for example made a decision that I would be active in my kid's lives. I strive to be a good father. I have faults and shortcomings but my life is my children. My father made a decision when I was a baby, he made a decision even before I was born, that his time and his life was more important then the family's. He decided that it was more important that he eat before his children. He chose to spend our last dollar on his needs. He made decisions that benefited him, not us. I've made the choice that I'm fourth in line when it comes to my family. There's three others in front of me.

I love my mother and I wonder if she ever watched in the background as I put Cologne on. When I feathered my hair did she smile. Did she cry when she noticed that I was equipped with a kind heart. Maybe my focus wasn't a clean and spotless room but maybe it was my kindness that demanded attention. Who knows.

Rumor has it that my sharp dressed grandpa worried that I was too caring. He warned my mother she should watch out for me because he thought that I might get hurt later on in life. Because I loved too much. How much of that is true I'm not sure. But maybe it was true and maybe he made that comment because he observed something special in me as I notice those special things in Christian, my son. Maybe my mom made a man that does care, who does notice good smells and certain styles, and occasionally cries from sadness and from happiness. Maybe my mom showed so much love to me and my sisters that I followed her lead. What ever the case may be, I love life, I love my family, and I just love to love.

True...

I love to write. Tonight I had planned to watch some DVD's from BlockBuster but got distracted when I started writing and couldn't stop. I find comfort when I express myself with words. I never scored a high grade in English as a kid, but feel I express myself somewhat good with a keyboard or pen. Who needs to score good grades in English when you start blogging? might do find it as a great escape as I get older. ather funny that I find such relief in putting words down. I love to read my entries. I cannot tell you how great it is to document your day. I go back and read about me and my family and it is awesome. I memorialize the moment. Maybe I'm no Edgar, Walt, or S.E. but I enjoy my journal.

So many of the cancer parents tell me they wish they would've documented their story. I'm sure most wouldn't broadcast them, but I did and I'm owning up to it. I made new friends from it, rekindled old friends from it, and shared the pain of a parent. Hopefully no one will ever have to feel it but if you do, you should know that I made it and you would too. Sickness sucks you down but it's what you do with it that matters. You can swim or sink. I have chosen to stick and move, jab and undercut this cancer. If it had an eye I'd poke it!

Well it is getting late here in the Quijas Household and I must go. But before I do I want to share a quick story. I have been stressed out lately. I go from battling this thing with Kaylee, not caring about the rest of the world to being completely absorbed with things outside my household. This morning I had to go to Granfalloon North to fix some issues that have been weighing InAd TV down. Some upgrades to the system and software. I love to go on service calls because I don't have to focus on anything but that. I get to work on the task at hand and everything else is minor. Well I get on the road and I start stressing. Is the owner mad about this? Did I do this right? Should I do this? Did I do this? Could I do.... It is absolutely ridiculous.

So I'm getting myself worked up as I take the 45 minute ride up north. I really shouldn't let anything bother me because my daughter is feeling great. She had 7 friends over last night and she's happy. So today should be a happy day. My mind is crazy. I'm happy for my kid but stressing out over things that aren't really that important. Back and forth. I get to Granfalloon and the owner walks in. Nancy the owner says "How's your daughter doing?" I started to cry. Yes - it seemed like I had started to turn over a new leaf and was leaving the crying thing behind me but old habits are hard to break.

I looked her in the eye and said "We are doing great!" We are. The night was so beautiful because Kay was being a kid with all her friends and it hit me that all my thoughts about this and that are insignificant. I explained to Nancy that it is such a roller coaster. Worrying about health then spinning on a dime and worrying about my business. Nancy looks at me and says "All this stuff, all this day time filler stuff, is insignificant!" She said, "this building, this job you're doing will be here in 2, 3, or 4 weeks from now. So why sweat it."

True. Why worry about things that aren't hurting me or my family. Sure I might need to address a few things but I'm not hurting anyone and no one is hurting us. Not sickness, not anyone or anything. So I should be grateful. But sometimes I feel guilty if I don't stress. I feel like I should have some sense of urgency today. My grief stage is over and I should "Cowboy Up" and get busy with this problem here or there. But the truth is, I'm not breaking any laws and I'm not hurting anyone. I'm just a guy trying to make an honest living.

So I need to accept that there's always going to be something that doesn't get done. There's always going to be something I could have done better. But as long as I get up every day and work to do better then I will never lose. True!

To my old friends...

I want to tell everyone about a few messages I've received lately. One was from Karin Marrow Livella. I went to school with Karin at St.Agnes. Karin surprised me with an email yesterday. Thank you Karin. I feel honored you would remember me! I was happy to hear from you and the family looks awesome. It has been so long. And you thought I forgot about our Mr. Dalton, Mr. Landers, and Sister Marcella days! No way.

This year has brought about so many people from my past. It is so nice to hear from people from so long ago. It means a lot to me when people take the time to write, place a call, or send a message. I think it's awesome when you think about your memory of someone. I remember everyone and I have memories of anyone that I came across in my youth. I often wonder if I made an impression. Does anyone remember me? So when I get a message it makes me feel good.

I also received a message from Kent Fossland yesterday, another classmate who I hadn't heard from in years. He told me his experience with cancer and I thank you Mr.Fossland. I love to hear other stories about sadness and sickness. That might sound bad but it makes you respect other people and their journey. They say with pain comes growth. I wouldn't wish it on anyone but this experience has made me appreciate my life and those around me more then ever.

One last blast from the past. Nanci Noble. Nanci is the mother of Jill Sandin, well it's Jill Green now, but it was Jill Sandin. Jill was a girl I liked my freshman year in high school. We attended JC Harmon High together. We were both new to this big school and some how made a connection. My grade school was Rosedale and hers was Argentine. We were both new to high school and out to make new friends when we met. Jill was my first date I ever had. We went to a school dance together and I remember being so nervous. I don't recall all the details but I do remember eating with Jill and her mother. It was out of the ordinary for me to go anywhere with a girl so the memory is still vivid. Jill was a cheerleader and I remember thinking how lucky I was to go with her. Every one liked Jill but she was my date. Her mother Nanci sent me such a nice email about a month ago and it made me feel great. First, that she would remember me. Second, that she would take the time to wish my beautiful daughter best wishes. Sometimes you think you go unnoticed but every once in awhile you make an impression. Maybe I made one back then, who knows, but it was Nanci that made one in June 2008. I haven't ran into Jill in years but I know she's doing great and married a great guy from our neighborhood.

I'm watching my sons baseball game and better get back to it but I thought I'd drop a line. If we haven't talked in awhile send me an email. If you have something good or bad to say I'd like to hear it. My email is michael@inadtv.com and once again I want to say thanks to Karin,Kent, Nanci and everyone who has sent encouraging words!
MQ

Hopefully you'll never know...

Have you ever been sick? Have you ever had a family member sick? Have you ever had your child sick? Hopefully not, but chances are you've had to fight some sort of sickness in your life. The thing about sickness is it's usually associated with the the flu, the cold, the stomache ache. The next level generally hits a family member. The relative who comes down with something that gets the whole family talking. The Uncle in Fresno with the stroke, the Grandma with a tumor, or your Mother with breast cancer. All of these scenerios are devastating but come second to the day you have a doctor tell you that your child has cancer. Give me, my sister, my mom, or anyone I know those hurtful words "you have cancer" but please spare my kid!

In a perfect world we might never have to utter those words. But it's not a perfect world and we have to take each diagnosis but it does happen. My mother has went through cancer, my sister, and my uncle. you can never prepare for the words CANCER when it comes to your child.