After spending some quality family of five time this weekend, I sat down to do some research on anaplastic clear cell meningioma. This cancer has affected a beautiful and vibrant 4 year old little girl who is in Travin's preschool class.
On Friday, Travin's teacher shared with me the story of this amazing little girl. She was diagnosed with this cancer when she was 20 months old. After radiation treatments, chemotherapy, and multiple surgeries to remove one tumor from her brain stem and one from her spinal column, things began to look up. She had been in remission for over a year. Last month, her family received the devastating news that another growth had appeared but this time, the lesion is growing around the basilar artery, which happens to be the main artery that supplies blood to the brain. This makes the tumor inoperable. Travin's teacher asked me if I could write a letter for a Relay for Life event on behalf of her and the preschool class. I immediately said yes. I spend time in and out of Travin's classroom helping out with as much as I possibly can so, I have personally spent my time talking, reading, and playing with most of the children in the classroom. Looking at her, one could guess that she had to have battled something in her lifetime. It has always been so easy to see past that because she truly is an amazing little girl. She is a happy child who always has something to share. Her personality is one that immediately draws you in.
I have to say that I have shed my fair share of tears over the past couple of days. This is one of those situations that truly allows you to reflect upon your own children. I feel so incredibly blessed to have three happy and healthy children running around driving me crazy day in and day out!! This afternoon, I gave my letter to the teacher who in turn passed it on to the mother of this little girl. I was a little nervous about what I had written because, I have never been in her shoes. I can't even begin to understand what she is feeling let alone what she is going through. I knew in my heart as I wrote the letter that I was doing something so incredibly powerful. Relay for Life is such an amazing opportunity for so many people to get involved with the fight against cancer. After she read the letter, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said thank you. She said that I described her daughter so perfectly and worded everything so beautifully. She told me that I have truly honored her daughter in one of the most amazing ways possible. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say or how to react. My eyes immediately filled up with tears.
On the weekend of May 1st, I will be a part of a Relay for Life event that will take place at Hueneme High School. I will help the teachers lead a team on a 24 hour fight against cancer in honor of this beautiful and amazing little girl. I have no words to describe how I feel to be able to a part of this event.
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I must confess, I don't always respond but I sure do love to read all of your thoughts and I truly appreciate them too =) Thanks for sharing!