The Childhood Cancer Blog
The Childhood Cancer Blog
The night before my daughter Alex was born, I had some contractions, but I thought they were fake. Alex wasn’t due for six weeks. We were still getting used to the enormity of the love and responsibility that came with being parents to one child, our then 15-month-old son Patrick. Never would I have imagined that the next day, Jay would be speeding me to the emergency room straight from the doctor’s office.
Alex, my amazing daughter, was born one hour later, a beautiful, healthy surprise. She’d keep surprising us over the course of her life — and even afterwards.
If Alex... Read More
Today my daughter, Alex, would have been turning 26 years old.
If she were here with us, we would probably be celebrating her special day as a family. Our tradition for years has been a dinner of the birthday person’s choice, followed by cake and presents. As our family has grown older, our birthdays have become more understated, as chances to reflect on life and the joy that our loved ones bring to us. During dinner we go around the table, each of us sharing with the birthday person what we love about them. It can be a little awkward and even funny at times, but it is always... Read More
Earlier this month I celebrated my 52nd birthday. Every year in the days surrounding my birthday I find myself reflecting on my life. I try not to fill my reflections with regrets, but instead focus on all that is good in my life and the people I am grateful for. I feel like the luckiest person in the world, so choosing just one person to be grateful for is like trying to choose a favorite star in the sky.
Some people seem surprised when I say I am lucky. My beautiful, amazing daughter, Alex, died when she was 8 years old from neuroblastoma. She was sick for nearly her entire short... Read More
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