A year ago this week on Labor Day is when Cooper's symptoms first started appearing. He spent the day vomiting and the evening in the ER. Little did we know 3 months later we would hear those words "there is something there" after an MRI and would be on our way to Children's Mercy in KC.
Thankfully, a year later, things are pretty much back to normal. The picture of Cooper & Sherry at the top is from vacation just a few weeks ago.
Cooper is a freshman at McAuley High School, skateboarding whenever he gets a chance, hanging out with friends and getting ready for his first homecoming dance this weekend.
A month from now we'll head back to KC for another MRI - and pray that all will be clear and things stay normal.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. In the U.S., over 12,000 children under the age of 21 are diagnosed with cancer every year, approximately 3,000 of them will not survive the disease. A diagnosis can turn the lives of a family upside down - days suddenly filled with alternating moments of courage, frustration, boredom, anxiety and pain.
The objective of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is to put a spotlight on the types of cancer that largely affect children, survivorship issues, and - importantly - to help raise funds for research groups working towards cures. You can find out more about childhood cancers at http://www.curesearch.org/
Also the diagnosis of invasive brain and nervous system cancers accounts for 17 percent of all pediatric cancers, second only to acute lymphocytic leukemia. About half of the diagnosed cases of brain tumors are malignant. You can find out more about childhood braint tumors at http://www.pbtfus.org/
Please keep all the children fighting cancers in your prayers. Also if you would please say a prayer for my co-worker Mark who underwent surgery for a brain tumor -astrocytoma - this week.
And finally, again, THANK YOU to all who have been so loving, supportive and generous this past year. We could NOT have done this without you.
God Bless,
RSC
I'm the marketing director at Children's Mercy. Thank you for sharing your story. I'm glad to hear that Cooper is doing well and hope that his next visit confirms that everything is still clear. I would like to encourage you to share your story with other parents at www.millionreasons.org.
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