Thanking God She had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and not __________

Yes, it is one of those days.  The kind of cancer your child has/had does not make a difference.  There is fear and trepidation and panic and deep depression no matter what the diagnosis.  The test is that all of these kids qualify for a Make-A-Wish because of their condition.  They all have life threatening illness.  Those of us in Cancer World have seen even the "best" treatment fail, and fail miserably.   

Time and time again the kids die, relapse, fail to achieve remission, develop a secondary cancer, life long struggles with thyroid, skin issues, GVHD, weird hair stuff, infertility.

We all know the number of kids that  are diagnosed do better now but it is still a heart break with every single child that leaves the corporeal world to join the universe.  Heart breaking when a tumor comes back, when a close chemo buddy dies. 

Despite the loss, the sadness, the failure to cure, the great unknown about the future, we have to continue.  We have to continue to support each other, try to make a difference and hope the postings about death and relapse become less a part of our lives.  

Today we honor those that have died since of May 2014 of Osteo Sarcoma. The boys are gone. Katie, the tall lovely girl in the middle is gone. All gone too soon.  All shared the same cursed disease, all were loved and honored and valued and cherished.  All are missed.  Nicole, the lovely child on the left remains cancer free.  Or as they say in Osteo world.  NED, no evidence of disease.  

This is the best those families can hope for at any given moment.  NED.  But the docs are always on guard about finding the disease again.  Sort of like Dr. Carpenter, he told me I could relax for NOW.  I wanted it to be forever. 

So today, March 27, 2015  we are thankful and grateful for NOW.  Because NOW is all we can count on.  NOW is a good place to be.