For the longest time I thought to myself “How are we going to survive this as a family?” When Jake was diagnosed with leukemia on January 30, 2017 it was hard to wrap my head around 3.5 years of chemotherapy, daily medication that carried with it potentially life-altering side effects, an unknown future for my son, as well as a new addition to the family that September. But for the past 17 months, we’ve found strength from those who have been there with us from the start: our parents, relatives, friends, colleagues, doctors, nurses, and, most importantly, from those families we see every time we visit St. Louis Children’s Hospital. 

As challenging as it’s been for us, Jake, thus far, has been incredibly resilient, tough-minded, and stubborn throughout his ordeal while keeping his sweet, funny and lovable personality. He’s even grown strong enough to return to daycare! And when he lost his hair last September it only took a few months for it to grow back even fuller than before the diagnosis. 

I wish I could say the same for many of the families we’ve met at the hospital. Whether it’s a more severe diagnosis, the reliance upon others for a transplant, the financial and emotional hardship, or the overall toll it takes on seeing a child suffer, getting a glimpse into these families’ lives makes raising money for St. Baldrick’s all the more important to me. 

I truly believe that Jake is going to beat this, but I can’t say that for every other child I’ve met since January 2017. I know of a few who have not…and that’s a few too many. I’ve gotten to know many remarkable children and parents since Jake’s diagnosis, but there’s not a day that goes by that I wish we never would have met…at least under these circumstances. My hope is that as we continue on this journey to complete Jake’s treatment, we’re able to raise enough awareness and support so that one day these circumstances are no longer possible because a cure for childhood cancer has been found.