| Ben Update |
9/15/2008 1:41:12 PM
Hello everyone -
It has been a while since the last update - where did Summer go? We've had quite a full season...including spending a week at Myrtle Beach courtesy of "Jason's House". Jason's House is a foundation in South Carolina which honors the memory of a local son lost to cancer some 25 years ago. Each year they select 10 families from 4 states and provide a vacation at Myrtle Beach. It was a wonderful time...a chance to get away.
All has been going very well. Ben is now in middle school and still in the gifted learning program. Last year Ben's classmates voted him class President and his graduation ceramony was really something. The faculty surprised him...and he was given an award honoring perserverance and integrity. His name is engraved on a plaque in the school.
Ben's weekly treatments continue...we have about a year left. We remain vigilant in our care and prayer for him. Please take note of something...September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Consider these stats found on the CureSearch.org website:
* Cancer cuts short the lives of more children under the age of 20 than any other disease
* 1 child out of 5 who is diagnosed with cancer dies
* 3 out of 5 children suffer from long-term or late side effects
Please...take a moment to learn the symptoms of childhood cancer....and
when you consider your giving this year...please consider donating to the fight
against pediatric cancer.
Thank you..and God Bless!
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5/3/2008 4:56:25 PM
Hello everyone...
Ben is doing very well...he's in a long stretch of weekly treatments and things are going great. He's still doing very well in the gifted learning program and he's looking forward to middle school.
Last Saturday we participated in the ASK 5k Fun Run and Walk to benefit pediatric cancer.
The rain held off...there was a breeze in the air and it was a great turnout! There was live music...radio stations were there...everyone had a great time - and helped raise funds to fight pediatric cancer. Click here for some latest pictures of Ben at the walk - how far he's come!!
We'd also like to with a happy 17th to Victoria!! She's been a great big sister through all of this.
We're looking forward to the summer and participating in another Anthem "LemonAide" fundraiser. We'll be trying to exceed last years total of $750 - we'll keep you posted.
Thank you all for checking in - and God bless!
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3/12/2008 7:29:27 PM
What a year it's been. On this date last year - we were in the emergency room being told of Ben's diagnosis. Thinking about it brings back incredible memories...of all kinds. We certainly remember the prayers and support. So humbling....so incredible.
Tonight...we are spending a quiet evening at home with our son. He's doing well in his protocol - we've got another year and half or so to go. We treat each day as gift...and we are thankful for them. We also thank you for being there for Ben.
Speaking of Ben...he's been leaving some jokes for everyone on his blog page...hope you all enjoy.
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1/26/2008 7:59:21 AM
Hello everyone!
Ben is doing very well. He goes for weekly treatments
and during his most recent one the Dr. told us his A.N.C. count was
very good. (ANC counts are an indicator of his immune system strength -
see the about A.L.L. page for a link for more information ). That
certainly was good news. Knock on wood - he's made it the entire school
year so far without catching a cold or flu. Ben's hair continues to
slowly grow back.
This past weekend the Make A Wish foundation granted
Ben's wish! We've uploaded some new pictures (refresh the photo's page
and you should then see "Make a Wish Party" in the list of photo
pages). It was a special day...we let our guard down for a while and it
was incredible to be able to just have fun. The house was soon filled
with the laughter of the Ben and his friends...and we even got a
dusting of snow! Just enough to cover the grass and allow the kids to
make snow balls. It was great - and we are thankful for the day of
celebration. Ben's school held a Make A Wish fundraiser on his behalf
last year and their generosity coupled with all those who donate to
Make A Wish - helped make his wish a reality.
It's almost been a year
since getting his diagnosis...and he's come so far. We are thankful
each day for God's care and presence in his and our lives. It was great
to be able to reflect upon the past year...and recall how everyone has
prayed with us and for Ben. It certainly is an amazing experience.
Ben blogged a little bit too - and of course left you another joke to
make sure you get your daily laugh :-) Thank you for checking in.
God
bless!! |
12/25/2007 7:56:33 AM
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! We want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, peace and blessings in the new year. We had a wonderful Christmas morning together and we wanted to post a quick update and a new picture or two. Ben is doing very well both in school and with his treatments. His protocol now has him making weekly trips to the clinic and this will continue for several months. He has some hair growth started - which he was happy to see :-) We've posted a new picture on the main photos page. Click the photos link at the top of this page...then press F5 or refresh your page to see the new pictures. Lastly, Ben posted a blog recently for those who were looking for it. Thank you for checking in. Merry Christmas!!! |
12/1/2007 1:42:30 PM
Hi Everyone. Ben is doing well - his protocol has entered a new stage and he begins going for weekly treatments. He's doing well in school and is looking forward to participating in a school play. There's continued signs of slight hair growth on his head - and he looks great. We'll post some new pictures over the holidays. Thank you for checking in; we hope all is well with everyone. Take care and God bless! |
11/21/2007 5:02:14 PM
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!! It has been quite a year for our family - certainly one like no other. This year, when we give thanks it will be from a vantage point that has forever changed our lives. Since Ben's diagnosis in March our family has lived for each day we are given. We treasure them - and are thankful Ben is with us to enrich our lives and enjoy the day with us. This year we have so much to be thankful for - how do we describe it all? Some things we're thankful for are small, frequent occurrances that might have been taken for granted in the past. Other things are so big...so hard to put into words - yet they have changed us forever. We are thankful for all the blessing we have received. From the kindness, love and support of the people who have prayed for Ben - to each "victory" during his courageous fight with cancer - to each little hair we see sprouting on top of his beautiful head. We could not speak of being thankful without giving praise to God for the blessings he has given us during this time. Both seen and unseen, His hand in our lives has produced life changing moments - each a gift to be shared. We truly believe - that what may appear as misfortune to some will prove to be a blessing in our lives of a size and magnitude which cannot be measured. Lets all give thanks for the blessings in our lives, and treasure each day. Peace to you all and God bless. |
11/8/2007 9:59:35 AM
Hi everyone. It's been a while since the last update - and I suppose that's a good thing. Ben is doing well - he's in great spirits and we're seeing more fuzz on the top of his head (yeah!). They told us that perhaps in a few months we'll see some genuine hair growth. Ben is great kid - blessed with a great sense of humor - and a sense of self that is beyond his years. Hopefully he'll start blogging some more - and we'll try to post some more photos too. Next week we have two trips to the clinic - one is for some testing, and then later in the week he'll receive his chemotherapy. We're entereing a new phase in the protocol...we can believe it's been 8 months already. We are so thankful each of you have been there for Ben and us along the way. We hope all is well with everyone. God bless. |
10/27/2007 2:32:42 PM
Hello everyone. Ben's clinic visit went well - results are still good and he's rebounding better and better from each treatment. That's great news! There's even a little bit of hair growth on his head - and they told us perhaps in a few months it should start to come back in. His school work seems to be coming along - and he's scheduled for some testing to help evaluate his progress. The days and weeks go by fast. We promise...we will post some new pictures soon. Thank you all for checking in - for your messages - and for keeping Ben in your thoughts. God bless. |
10/19/2007 9:14:49 PM
Hey everyone. Another "good" week for Ben. He seems to have really settled in at school which I think has helped him at home too. We're seeing more the boy we've been blessed to raise for 10 years. I think Ben blogged on his page a few days ago - it's all going by very fast. Last Sunday Ben was among a few cancer kids who were honored at an outdoor concert. Part of the show's purpose was to help raise awareness for childhood cancer. Ben was one of a few cancer kids who were able to go up on stage during one of the songs. It was great, he enjoyed it and we'll post pictures soon. The event was organized by a local family who's son recently finished treatment. "Connors Heroes" (http://www.connorsheroes.org/) is the organization they founded to help other families, and help raise awareness. We are thankful for their efforts which provided Ben with that experience. Ben's chemo treatment is scheduled for next week, we'll keep you all posted. God bless. |
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