JUST ONE CHILD’S STORY
A large part of my life is my daughter, Morgan.
When I was 29, my wife and I had our first child. We were blessed with a beautiful healthy baby girl.
At 14 months, she was walking and all seemed typical for a toddler. At 16 months, Morgan started looking tired; but, we did not recognize it at the time. At 17 months, she began losing her balance.
We went to the doctors - first a pediatrician and then a neurologist.
I painfully and helplessly watched as my innocent baby regressed and symptoms became worse - while test after painful test was performed in the many hospital visits.
At 18 months, Morgan was no longer walking on her own and needed to hold our hands - stressful and upsetting for a little person, who had known the freedom of walking independently. At this point, she was also was showing other gross motor skill loss, including involuntary eye movement.
At 19 months, a MRI was performed on her abdomen. We were sent directly from the MRI office back to the neurologist. There we were told the scan was positive - positive was not good. It felt like my heart dropped to my stomach.
The neurologist had already arranged an appointment for us to speak with an oncologist in the same hospital. Our three-person family proceeded to the Oncology office on the second floor – my wife and I walked in a dazed state of shock.
I clearly remember sitting in the oncologist’s office that day twenty-one years ago. I heard haunting phrases parents hope they never encounter: “Cancer”, “Neuroblastoma”, “golf ball sized Tumor”, “Surgery on Monday”, “90% survival in the first 2 years, if it has not spread”, “if it has spread, 50% survival”.
That day changed the rest of my life.
This is why I support St Baldrick’s and the Locks for Lilly event. St Baldrick’s has invested more than $300 million in 1588 grants for childhood cancer research.
So how does my daughter’s story end?
It has not been an easy road, but we have been fortunate. My daughter beat the odds. The surgery was a success. Doctors gave her a chance, and she has been a fighter. Now at twenty something, she has the opportunity write the rest of her story as she likes.
THIS YEAR
This year, with everything going on in the world and in our country, I considered not participating in St Baldricks. Everyone is affected by current events and have a much heavier burden this year. Then, I thought about three things:
First, I remembered the feelings of being with a sick child in the hospital. These families not only are dealing with the current events, which all of us are encountering, they also have an additional burden most of us will never know.
Then, I remembered the funding may provide better opportunities and outcomes for future children.
Finally, I remembered last year’s event. In all that is wrong in the world, I was able to see the good in people – people trying to help other people, who they have never met. It left me hopeful.
Daryl