Don’t tell Josiah, but we’re headed to Disney World with Make-A-Wish.
Many of you know that our son has been in a fight with brain cancer since turning six months old. Now, at four and a half years old, we’ve been extremely blessed that his cancer has been stable for two years.
See, Josiah’s type of cancer doesn’t go in to remission. Here’s how the American Cancer Society defines the term:
When a treatment completely gets rid of all tumors that could be measured or seen on a test, it’s called a complete response or complete remission.
Or:
A partial response or partial remission means the cancer partly responded to treatment, but still did not go away. A partial response is most often defined as at least a 50% reduction in measurable tumor. Here, when we refer to a remission it will generally mean a partial remission.
Today, Josiah’s tumor is the exact size it was after his resection surgery back in the summer of 2009. 18 rounds of chemotherapy stopped it in its tracks, but the truth is Josiah will never live cancer-free, or in remission. “Stable” is the best term we can hope for.
Josiah’s cancer being classified stable is the result of the millions of dollars that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital here in Memphis has poured in to his care.
It is the result of of research in to his type of cancer, thanks to the parents of children before Josiah.
It is the result of our hard-working medical care team.
It is the result of hours and hours of prayer on his behalf, and the concern and compassion shown to our family from around the world.
All any of us are given is today. When your kid has cancer, this truth is hammered in to your very being every single day. I’ve lost a lot of days with Josiah to work, this website and other things in my life, but for a week in April, none of that will get in the way. We’re elated to get to have this opportunity to have a week of fun with our family; we’re humbled, however, as well, knowing that many of our friends haven’t had this chance.
I wish they had. I wish that the new families that land in Memphis every day with the crushing weight of cancer on their souls get to enjoy time like we will.
We’ve watched countless families come to St. Jude over the last few years and leave, after their children have lost their battle with brain cancer, but we’ve also seen many, many “little friends” emerge victorious from the fight of their lives. I’m thankful for the time and memories Make-A-Wish is giving us, and I know I’ll treasure them, now matter how long Josiah is with us.