Category: Family

Jessie and Kathy have launched a Kickstarter that deserves to be funded:

Our purpose with Chasing Rainbow Tales is to help open up a dialogue about these tough subjects between children and their trusted allies.

We’re hoping to help lighten the burden for these children by sharing these books with the world that are based on real life instances and letting some light shine on these subjects. We are hoping that it will help give more children the confidence to come forward & begin the healing process.

Continue reading ⇢

For many women (and families) Mother’s Day is a heartbreaking occasion. For others, it’s a day of joy. In our household, I think it’s a mix of both.

That photo is from the weekend our son Josiah was diagnosed with brain cancer. That Sunday, he was baptized in his hospital bed. So many people from our lives showed up, the crowd spilled out into the hallway, with people lining up to visit.

Continue reading ⇢

Cari Nierenberg at Live Science, writing about my wife Merri:

“When faced with life and death of a little person you’ve just met, things pale in comparison,” Hackett explained. She’s also learned a lot about having hope, a word that has taken on new meaning for her.

“Hope means much more than just my child or just my family, " Hackett said. Hope means that as a result of all Josiah has been through, medical advances in cancer treatment might continue to help him and other kids facing the same diagnosis, she said.

Continue reading ⇢

Taste? Where we’re going, we don’t need taste.

Continue reading ⇢

John Neff:

The Honda Odyssey is the best minivan now, as it has been for many years. The EX model is the best configuration when both price and features are weighted equally, while the EX-L is also a good choice if you wants its extra features and can afford the higher cost. The Odyssey beats its rivals on paper as well in practice, from safety to efficiency to usability, and though it’s been criticised for being expensive, it’s really the best value in the long run. The future of the minivan segment may always be in question, but a family shopping for its next truckster will never second-guess buying an Odyssey.

Continue reading ⇢

Three years ago, I wrote this.

It may be one of the best things I’ve ever published on this site. I honestly don’t know, as I haven’t read it in quite some time.

It’s been a weird three years since publishing that letter.

If the first three years of Josiah’s life were marked by white-knuckle panic and the fear of the unknown, the most recent three have been marked by periods of normalcy punctured with reminders of how serious his condition — and how fragile his life — really is.

Continue reading ⇢

I’ve written about the week our son was diagnosed with brain cancer a couple of times.

In 2011, I outlined the two years of treatments Josiah received after his diagnosis. A month after publishing the piece I trespassed to visit his old hospital room, an event that will forever be linked to my longterm battle with depression.

Josiah finished chemotherapy almost four years ago, and his MRIs since then have been stable.

Continue reading ⇢

My family is headed back in to battle. We’d appreciate your thoughts, prayers and support.

Continue reading ⇢

Allison Mae,

As your brother got his own letter when he turned three a couple of years ago, it only seemed fair that you should, too.

While this will surely embarrass you in a dozen or so years, I can say that you weren’t exactly planned. Your brother finished his last round of chemo a month before you were born. He was just healthy enough to come visit you at the hospital. The timing worked out, but it was close, and honestly, scary.

Continue reading ⇢

Last night, our son Josiah participated in an interview/dance party with The Wiggles on behalf of St. Jude. It was a blast.

Continue reading ⇢

I always felt that Dave and I’s sites were two peas in a pod in many ways. I’m sad to see it go.

Continue reading ⇢

Thomas Brand:

I am asking for your help in raising money for St. Jude and to save a child’s life. Cancer is not a number. It is a terrible disease that is robbing us of our children and stealing away our future. Even if you don’t see the face of cancer every day, you know the smiles of children we can’t afford to let slip away.

I’d be epically awesome of you to support Thomas this year.

Continue reading ⇢