Owen's Journey

Cancer Resources

2011-09-21T15:21:00.002-04:00

Here is a link to childhood cancer resources:

http://www.hyundaihopeonwheels.org/cancer-resources/resources.aspx

I am sorry for anyone who is currently experiencing the trials of childhood cancer, or who has experienced a loss because of it. It is a terrible club to be a part of, but you will meet some incredible people on your journey that you may have otherwise never met.

2011-02-06T10:09:00.001-05:00

"When you realize love is all that matters after all, it makes everything else seem so small."

2010-12-22T19:00:00.002-05:00

May everyone have an enjoyable holiday filled with the important things in life: spending time with those you love, whether in person or in spirit.

2010-10-07T21:03:00.000-04:00

Love and miss you, Frogger

2010-07-22T22:46:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was 2 years since our Christmas in July with Owen-which was his last with us. We had a tree up, and opened gifts, etc. Looking back, I am not exactly sure why we didn't just wait a few days until July 25, but I think that we were really not sure how he would be from day to day, and wanted to make sure that we got it in while he was still feeling well.

2 years. So much has happened in 2 years. In so many ways, it feels like it was soo long ago, and also at times like it is still so recent. I obviously wish that he was here with us, waiting for first grade, playing with his brothers (all 3 of them! Like I had told him, if he ever had another brother, he and Anthony would be like the frosting in the middle of a double stuffed Oreo!)

He would be so excited to see all that has happened with Owen's Toybox, as well. People he never even knew are helping other children smile in his memory. What could be cooler?? People who have received toys, etc while they were in the hospital have in donated toys or money in return, to "pay it forward". Again, how incredibly cool is that?

Hoping Owen comes and hugs me in my dreams tonight!

2010-07-06T15:40:00.002-04:00

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam and for a brief moment its glory and beauty belong to our world, but then it flies on again. And though we wish it could have stayed, we feel so lucky to have seen it.

You don't really want to know...

2010-06-13T18:03:00.001-04:00

I try to remain positive about things in life. People tell me how "strong" I am. I want to tell them that it's all a front. That if they could see inside me, they would see a puddle-y mess. That when they ask "how are you?" I sometimes want to spit back at them "You don't really want to know." Because, really, they don't. Do they REALLY want me to say "You want to know how I am doing? How I am REALLY doing? I am doing really crappy. My son died. Every day from his diagnosis on, I watched him go through chemo and get sick from it. I watched his skin burn from radiation. I watched him puff up from the steroids, and try to be so brave through testing that would make grown men flinch. I had some hope that maybe we would make it when his scan was clear in January, then got the wind knocked out of me in April when his scan showed that the cancer had returned with a vengeance. I knew that that meant that my child only had a little bit of time left with me on this earth. I watched him deteriorate on my couch, and had him die next to me. Do you know what that does to a person? To a mother? It kills a huge part of who she is. It dampens her spirit, and changes who she is forever. So, yes, you can ask me how I am for your own sake. And I will lie and say 'good' for your sake, too, because, honestly, you don't really want to know."

2010-05-02T18:46:00.001-04:00

May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month! Owen was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, which is an aggressive tumor of the brain and spine.

2010-04-26T21:31:00.002-04:00

Owen is still inspiring people to do amazing things! A big thank you goes out to the faculty and students at Buffalo United Charter School, with a special thank you to principal Tammy Messmer.

They collected toys for Owen's Toybox, and will help to bring smiles to the faces of children who are ill! You guys ROCK!

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/health/School-fills-Owens-Toy-Box-at-hospital

2010-04-21T18:22:00.002-04:00

Hugs to all of us who knew and loved Owen, to those who may not have known Owen personally but have been touched by his spirit, and to those who have experienced their own journey with cancer.

There may be reasons that we may disagree on things. There may be reasons why, otherwise, we may not have ever met. Yet we are here. Connected by the life of a child who was so loved, so sweet, so kind, and lived for such a short time.

May we all remember Owen and honor him in the way we live and see the world each day. There is beauty in everything if we only open our eyes to it.

2010-04-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

Two years ago today, we found out that Owen had relapsed and began to live our final 6 months with him...
Missing you, as always, and we'll love you forever.

2010-04-05T21:37:00.002-04:00

Owen was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in April of 2007...Medulloblastoma. Something I had never heard of or would have ever dreamed about having to know about, let alone learn how to spell. Yet this tumor in the brain and spine of my 3 year old son would change the course of our lives forever...

Cancer is hideous, horrendous, horrible and many other awful words. However, cancer, medulloblastoma, also taught us about hearts and hugs and finding happiness in everything, in every day.

As with any mother of an angel, I wish that his past had been different. I wish that he had never known life as a "cancer kid". That he had never experienced brain surgery, or radiation treatments, leaving his tender skin peeling and burned. I wish that he never had to have chemotherapy, that killed so many good cells along with the bad, causing him to spend many days and nights vomiting or with diarrhea so bad that we would not make it to the bathroom in time. I wish that he never had to reach up and run his fingers through his hair, ending up with a handful of it before we decided to shave his head.

Owen would do all he could to be sure that he was doing what he could to make others happy, no matter how he was feeling. One day, while lying in bed with him, I began to cry, overwhelmed with emotion. He snuggled in closer to me, patted me and said, "No tears, Mommy. No tears." When I accidentally poked myself recapping a needle when he needed a daily shot and began to bleed, Owen cried for several minutes until I put a band-aid on my boo-boo and finally convinced him that I would be ok.

I wish there were a band-aid for my heart...

Life without my son will not ever be the same. I miss him every single second of every single day. But life without my son would not have been the same. Owen taught me more about life in his 4 and 3/4 short years than I could have learned in a lifetime without him. The pain of losing him will never go away until I am with him again. However, I would gladly experience that pain to have had the chance to have and hold him for the short time that I was able to than not to have had or held him at all.

2010-03-18T15:26:00.002-04:00

Owen is a featured member of Stone's Buddies. His story is on the website, as well as a description of Owen's Toybox!

http://www.stonesbuddies.org/members/featured.asp

I am so proud of Owen and what the number of people he was able to touch in his short time on Earth.

2010-03-11T20:59:00.003-05:00

Oh, Frogger...how I miss you. I slept next to you last night like I do every night. Your urn isn't as comfortable in my arms as your body was...

2010-01-26T17:44:00.003-05:00

Owen's Toybox at Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo is looking for small personal boxes of crayons as well as magazine subscriptions for all age levels.

Owen's Toybox

Women and Childrens Hospital of Buffalo

219 Byant St

Buffalo, NY 14222

2010-01-18T09:28:00.000-05:00

needs an Owen hug and giggle!

Happy 6th Birthday, Owen

2010-01-12T08:47:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday, Frogger! Hopefully you will hear us singing Happy Birthday to you later.
Love you always, and miss you like crazy, and I am still "never gonna let you go".

2010-01-11T20:55:00.001-05:00

Talking is Releasing. Go ahead and mention my child, the one who died you know. Don't worry about hurting me further, the depth of my pain doesn't show. Don't worry about making me cry, I'm already crying inside. Help me to heal by releasing the tears that I try to hide. I'm hurt when you just keep silent, pretending he didn't exist. I'd rather you mention my child, knowing that he has been missed. You asked me how I was doing. I say "pretty good" or "fine", but healing is something ongoing, I feel it will take a lifetime.

Elizabeth Dent

2009-12-31T19:32:00.003-05:00

Another new year to spend without Owen. We found out that he is having a little brother. He would have made such a good big brother. I really am missing him a ton. As always, it is so difficult to spend the holidays without him. Every tradition is painful without him, and doing things he didn't have the chance to do really tears at my heart. I try to act happy. I just wish I felt what my face shows.

2009-12-26T17:54:00.001-05:00

I hope that everyone had a magical holiday and that you were able to spend time with loved ones

2009-12-17T08:42:00.003-05:00

As we near the holidays, here are some gentle reminders about what is truly important in our lives:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone....
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
11. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
12. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
13. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.
14. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
15. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
16. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
17. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
18. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
19. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
21. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
22. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
23. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, 'In five years, will this matter?'
24. Always choose life.
25. Forgive everyone everything.
26. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
28. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
29. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
30. Believe in miracles.
31. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
32. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
33. Your children get only one childhood.
34. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
35. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
36. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
37. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
38. The best is yet to come.
39. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
40. Yield.
41. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

2009-12-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting is tonight in quiet remembrance of children who have died. So, this evening I will light my candle in memory of not only my child ,but in remembrance of all children who blessed the lives of their loved ones for far too short a period of time . . . . may their light may always shine.

2009-11-25T20:27:00.000-05:00

May everyone find something to be thankful for, today and every day

2009-11-13T20:53:00.002-05:00

Here is something that I wrote to a family who has experienced what a year in the life of a child with cancer does:

After years pass rather uneventfully, it is pretty amazing to see how incredibly life as you know it can be yanked out from underneath you, leaving nothing but a narrow rope for you to stand on. All light bulbs around you explode, leaving you in total darkness, unable to see where or when you are going to land if you fall, or once you reach the other side. You have no safety net, but you must continue walking on that tightrope, in the dark, holding on to everything you love, hoping that somehow everyone will be ok.
A year has gone by. It's hard to know how much of the tightrope you have left to cross, but you have become steadier as you try to figure out where it leads. You still don't know where you are going, but as you have been walking, you have discovered that although you may teeter here and there, you have done just fine without that safety net.

2009-11-10T22:00:00.001-05:00

When you see a bald, swollen child struggling to walk, but wanting so badly to do it on his/her own, big eyes staring up at you, swallowing often to keep from being sick, please remember that that child needs your love, not your pity. S/he wants to be seen as a normal child, not a sick one. Cancer does not kill the hopes and dreams or spirit of children. They still want nothing more than to just be kids.

2009-11-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

When people say that time helps to ease your pain they lie

2009-10-25T16:17:00.002-04:00

I wonder what Owen would have been for Halloween this year!? He always had so much fun dressing up in costumes-all year long! This would have been an extra fun year for him, though, because he would be in kindergarten and be able to have a class Halloween party.

Missing you, Frogger.

2009-10-07T19:50:00.002-04:00

On October 8 last year, I lost my son. Never again will I hear his sweet voice or giggle, or kiss his chubby little cheeks, be wrapped in his hug or smell that smell that was his, and his alone...

There is no possible way to describe how much I miss you. I love you, Owen. Now and always, you will forever be my favorite Owen in the whole world.

2009-09-26T22:32:00.001-04:00

He was here with me, next to me at this time last year. I didn't know then how I would be able to live my life and go on without him once he was gone. I am still trying to figure that out.

2009-08-31T17:30:00.002-04:00

We are back from Florida, and we did stop off at Give Kids the World while we were down there. We saw Owen's star in the Castle of Miracles, and his stone paver, which is in front of the movie theater. We also go to see (and hug!) Mayor Clayton!

There have been several changes that they have made, GKTW has added a My Little Pony spa, a life size Candyland playground, a Boston Market food place, and a bunch of new villas for families to stay in. I wish we had been able to stay there when we went last April-he could have been tucked in by Mayor Clayton and Miss Mary! We had a great time, though. I am so grateful that a place like that exists to help see that children get their wishes!!

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Keep this in mind as you go about your day to day activities. There are children newly diagnosed, currently fighting, some have lost their battle, and others have yet to be diagnosed. Do not believe that you or someone you know and love is immune to cancer. Only when there is a real cure can we call ourselves victorious against this horrible disease.

2009-08-09T20:38:00.003-04:00

I am headed to Disney in about a week for a belated honeymoon. I plan on making a pit stop at Give Kids the World to see Owen's paving stone and star in the castle. I wish he was going to be there with us. I have read that there have been several changes to GKTW since we were there last April.

Going to Disney itself will be bittersweet. It holds many fond memories of Owen's Make a Wish trip, but it will be sad to know that he will not be able to visit there again. What an awesome trip he had when he went, though! He lived like a King-which he was!!

2009-07-28T14:33:00.002-04:00

There is a message board where parents who have lost their child to a brain tumor can talk. One was sad because it had been 6 months since her son had passed away, and that it was getting much more difficult to deal with the pain. How true. Time does not always make things better. Sometimes it makes it worse...

The numbness wears off. Apathy takes over. Then the pain begins. It affects us all differently, and at different times. There is no such thing as "normal grieving". I get annoyed when watching shows that make ignorant comments like "That person was not acting like a parent who just lost his/her child." Really? You would know this because you have experienced the death of your child? Even if so, every person handles his or her grief in their own way. For instance, on the day Owen died, Matt, the boys and I went out for lunch. We needed to do that for ourselves, to normalize things, to get out of the house for a little bit and focus on something else, on each other. There were no tears at lunch. Some people would have looked at us shocked and appalled, I am sure, if they had known that we were out to eat and that Owen had just passed away.

I get so angry when people judge other people. NO ONE knows what that other person's life circumstances are, and even if they share similar experiences, everyone deals with things differently. Instead of being critical of the person for not doing things the way that you may do them, try to have some empathy and see that just because you may have expectations for how something "should be" does not mean that you are right. Also, accept that there may be more than one "right" way to do things, and your "right" way, may not be right for someone else.

Let's give a little more love, and alot less judgement, hatred, criticism, and anger.

2009-07-20T16:31:00.002-04:00

I think about how, one year ago, right at this moment, Owen was alive and with me. He still had quite a journey ahead of him, but he was here-awaiting our Christmas celebration on July 21...So much has changed in a year. Soon, I will no longer be able to write things like "Owen was alive a year ago today..." That is incredibly sad for me. What I wouldn't give to give him a huge hug and hear his sweet voice right now...

love you, Frogger.

2009-07-07T12:30:00.001-04:00

...missing the Frog man

2009-06-11T11:18:00.002-04:00

his birth:
…and then my world was complete. I realized that all of the other things I had wanted in my life, that were my life, were merely that—things. I promised myself that from this precise second on, my mind will no longer be consumed by thoughts of the things I do not have that a friend or neighbor does. I will look upon your charming face and recognize that, as long as I have you, even if I have nothing, I have everything.

and death:
I both hear and feel it when you take a breath-shallow and quick. Your cough is only a sound, your body to weak to move a bit. I remember reading that when babies are born too early the benefit of having the mother hold their child skin to skin encourages the health of the baby and decreases the mortality rate. It’s called "Kangaroo Care". You and I used to sleep in the recommended position: tummy to tummy, head in between the breasts. The baby's head is turned so that the ear is above the parent's heart. You are no longer able to be in that position comfortably, so instead I place my arm under your shirt, your stomach warm on my skin. I try to believe that, as a wanna be wallaby, my skin against yours will grant me a few more days, hours, minutes with you, because I don’t know what I will do if it doesn’t….

2009-06-02T12:09:00.000-04:00

Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. ~Emory Austin

2009-05-29T22:32:00.000-04:00

I have been lucky to have my dreams filled with Owen as of late! Last night, I dreamt that I was taking him to the zoo. The best part of the dreams, however, is that I have the knowledge that he is gone, so I absolutely take full advantage of the time I am spending with him in my dreams-extra hugs and kisses and "I love you" s. Feeling the weight of his body on mine as he lays across me, as he did each night when he was here with me, the feel of his fuzzy head against my cheek and lips--it's all there in my dreams.

2009-05-19T20:44:00.002-04:00

Have you read the book "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult? It's one of my favorites. I read it before Owen's journey with cancer...hits home harder now, obviously. It's about a family with two daughters. One has leukemia. The other was conceived to be a bone marrow donor for her sister. When that daughter reaches 13, she decides that she no longer wants to be the pin cushion and donor for her sister and sues her parents for the rights to her body, with potentially fatal results for her sister.

The book has been made into a movie that is being released in June. I am sure that it will be phenomenol. Jodi's books have all been books that really force you to ask questions of yourself and question what you believe. I hope that the movie does the book justice. If I taught high school English, I would love to have the book included in my curriculumn.

Keep Owen's smile in your thoughts--I always do!

2009-05-09T10:26:00.002-04:00

I was reading back through my calendar yesterday, and was amazed by the amount if days that Owen spent in the hospital. It was not rare for him to go into the hospital on a Friday for chemo, expecting to leave on Sunday or Monday, only to have to stay for an additional week or more due to blood counts, or infections, etc, etc...

I have many things of Owen's saved. I have some clothes, toys, and books. I am not able to get rid of those. If I ever have more children, I would want to share them with them. Additionally, when I have grandchildren, I would want to do the same-read them his favorite books, show them his toys, etc.

I wish he were here to tickle! I listened to one of his favorite CD's in the car yesterday and sang along. How much fun we all had dancing and singing along with Bear in the Big Blue House!!

Rain today. The perfect day to watch movies and read, waiting for the rainbow!

2009-04-25T22:29:00.000-04:00

He is Gone
You can shed tears that he is gone,
Or you can smile because he lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see him
Or you can be full of the love that you shared,
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember him and only that he is gone
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your
back,
Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes,
love and go on.

2009-04-17T15:27:00.003-04:00

Toot toot chugga chugga big red car! We travel near and we travel far. Toot toot chugga chugga big red car, we're gonna ride the whole day long!!

It's funny how Wiggles songs can pop into my head-they are quite catchy and cheery! Owen had the opportunity to see The Wiggles twice. I have to admit that I probably enjoyed the shows as much as he did! Want proof? Here we are with Murray Wiggle--notice who has the bigger smile?? The last show, my favorite dancer, Ben, was there. When he ran through the aisle, right past us, I shouted "I love you, Ben!" Owen laughed and said, "You love that guy!"

I have the Wiggles as a background on my igoogle screen. Makes me think of the hours and hours of fun we had singing and dancing to the Wiggles!! Owen is hopefully doing that now, as I am!

2009-04-07T20:14:00.003-04:00

It was one year ago today that we learned that Owen had relapsed...so much has changed in a year. A year ago, Owen was happy and carefree. I was watching videos of him this weekend--he was such a funny kid! I can't believe what an amazing kid he was-so full of life, humor and fun! (He got it from his big brothers!! Humor is such a big part of our lives, and he rolled right along with that and it was such a huge part of who he was...who he is!)

Tomorrow, it will be 6 months since Owen died, the last time I was able to hold him...It feels like it has been forever, and like it has only been a few hours at the same time. That day, time went so fast, from the time he actually passed until the time that PJ came to take him.

On the 14th, it will be 2 years from when we first took him to the hospital, the 19th, 2 years from his brain surgery...April is one heck of a month worth of memories...both good and bad-April was when we went on the Make a Wish trip that was such a blast last year-Owen had so much fun!!

Remembering all of the memories--I love and miss you, Owen!

2009-03-29T17:14:00.001-04:00

Here is a link to the video that Channel 2 news aired on Owen's journey. It's almost 7 minutes long!

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/owen-a-courageous-fighter/1372887551

2009-03-29T11:21:00.002-04:00

My friend, Pam, and I went to the Psychic Fair in Buffalo yesterday. We had gone to Lilydale a few years back-prior to Owen's diagnosis, and have been meaning to go back, but obviously circumstances have not allowed us to do so.

The woman I had a reading done by was amazing. Pretty much everything she said was right on. I told her that I had lost a child in October, and she had me hold a stone and she put her hands over mine. She said, "I'm sensing alot of pressure in his head?" and then "There is a little dog with him..." It was crazy!! I have no idea how you feel about psychics, but she had no prior information about me-did not have his name, my last name, how he had died, etc...She said that he does not feel any pain right now (which would be the obvious thing for anyone to say) and then said that he is able to walk and run now (which, again, I had never said that he was unable to walk for the last few months)...

I finally have been dreaming about Owen-good dreams, where he is with me again. I love those!

Remember, our Relay for Life is Saturday, June 13. If you would like to join our team, it is only $10 to sign up, and you get a tee shirt! http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?team_id=442366&fr_id=14019&pg=team

Love and miss you, Owen!

2009-03-20T22:03:00.001-04:00

Miss you, Owen

Please Help Support Make A Wish and Relay for Life!

2009-03-03T08:29:00.007-05:00

Betty Crocker is generously donating the money to provide one child a week (for twelve weeks) a wish at Make a Wish chapters across the country. Make a Wish of Western New York provided Owen with his amazing wish trip to meet the Power Rangers at Walt Disney World. I am hoping that everyone reading this will take the time to click on the link I am providing and vote for the Western New York Make a Wish chapter each day in honor and memory of Owen, knowing what a dream it was for him-they truly made his wish come true! Please bookmark the site and vote daily!!! Thank you! The top 4 chapters from each category at the end of the 12 weeks will receive the money to provide a terminally ill child with their wish!
http://www.bettycrocker.com/stirringupwishes/Support.aspx

In addition, with snow on the ground and a bite in the air, it may seem impossible to believe that Akron, NY's Relay for Life is just around the corner!! This year, the event is taking place on Saturday, June 13, 2009 from 12 noon - 12 midnight. Again, the Event Location is the Akron High School Track at 47 Bloomingdale Rd. in Akron, NY 14001. I have started a team in honor and memory of Owen named Frogger's Family and Friends. You can find our team home page at: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?team_id=442366&fr_id=14019&pg=team
Please join our team, donate in memory of Owen and/or another loved one, and/or plan on joining us on June 13. You do not need to stay for the entire length of the Relay, stop by for an hour or so to show your support, or donate your time before or during the Relay to help raise money, gather baskets/donations for a Chinese Auction, help raise money through bake sales, etc---(feel free to give me ideas since this is my first time being a team leader!!!). Last year was the first Relay that Owen attended--as a survivor. He cut the ribbon at the Opening Ceremonies with my Aunt (also a cancer survivor). It will be difficult without Owen there (physically) with us this year, but I think that walking in his memory is a wonderful tribute to him.
Thank you all for your continued support. There is not a minute that escapes me without a thought of Owen, and there is nothing that I do that is not accompanied with the wish to have him there with me. However, there are moments throughout the day that I am able to hear his giggle, see his eyes twinkle with a smile, and hear him tell me that he "wuvs" me. I certainly have a great emptiness without him-it is like losing a limb. Yet, I continue to be so incredibly grateful to have had him in my life. How incomplete it would have been without ever having him at all...

2009-02-25T18:26:00.004-05:00

I wish that this would have all shown up, but I can't figure out how to get it to fit so that it all shows..

What it is showing is that March 7th is Ice Cream for Breakfast Day in support of Give Kids the World, a village where kids stay witth their families while in Orlando for their wish trip. Because Owen's trip was a rushed trip (we found out he had relapsed and were in Orlando the following week because the cancer had come back in numerous spots in his brain and spine so quickly), we did not stay at Give Kids the World, however, we did visit daily to eat, ride ponies, play miniature golf, etc.

For more information on Give Kids the World or to make a donation, please visit their website at http://www.gktw.org/

Let's all show our support for children with terminal illnesses and eat ice cream for breakfast on March 7!!

Celebrate Founder's Day
by having Ice Cream for Breakfast!

March 7th, 2009

All of us at Give Kids The World Village are getting ready for our Founder's Day celebration on March 7. Four years ago we started a tradition... encouraging everyone to "eat ice cream for breakfast" to help us celebrate. Whether you were a guest at the Village, share your time as a volunteer Angel, send Wish Children here as a Wish Granting Organization or are one of our treasured partners, you are a special part of our GKTW family. We hope that on March 7, you will start your day off with ice cream and thoughts of the thousands of precious children we have served.
Show us how you celebrate Ice Cream for Breakfast Day by sending us your photos. You may even see yourself on our website or our fan page on Facebook! Please send your photos toDream@gktw.org.

Our world-famous Ice Cream Palace is open from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., so that our Wish children can have ice cream for breakfast every day of the year!

Wish Child, Jack enjoys an ice cream sundae with his mom and sister in the
Ice Cream Palace at Give Kids The World Village.

A Wish Child's sister, Ruby enjoys some delicious chocolate ice cream in the
Ice Cream Palace at Give Kids The World Village.

The staff of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon, one of our partnering Wish Granting Organizations, celebrates Give Kids The World's 2008 Founder's Day with a yummy bowl of ice cream for breakfast!

For more information about Give Kids The World, visit www.gktw.org.

To receive the next edition of our online newsletter and GKTW News, please visit our subscription page.

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About Give Kids The World
Give Kids The World Village (GKTW) is a 70-acre, non-profit resort in Central Florida that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. GKTW provides accommodations at its whimsical resort, donated attractions tickets, meals and more for a week-long, cost-free fantasy vacation. With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 90,000 families from all 50 states and over 65 countries.

For more information about Give Kids The World, visit www.gktw.org.
To find out how you can help create memories and hope for children with life threatening illnesses please visit our
How to Help section.

To receive GKTW News, please visit our subscription page.

Give Kids The World
210 S. Bass Road
Kissimmee, Florida 34746
United States

2009-02-23T13:02:00.001-05:00

Helping a grieving person: Provide ongoing support

Grieving continues long after the funeral is over and the cards and flowers have stopped. The length of the grieving process varies from person to person. But in general, grief lasts much longer than most people expect. Your bereaved friend or family member may need your support for months or even years.
Continue your support over the long haul. Stay in touch with the grieving person, periodically checking in, dropping by, or sending letters or cards. Your support is more valuable than ever once the funeral is over, the other mourners are gone, and the initial shock of the loss has worn off.
Don’t make assumptions based on outward appearances. The bereaved person may look fine on the outside, while inside he or she is suffering. Avoid saying things like “You are so strong” or “You look so well.” This puts pressure on the person to keep up appearances and to hide his or her true feelings.
The pain of bereavement may never fully heal. Be sensitive to the fact that life may never feel the same. You don’t “get over” the death of a loved one. The bereaved person may learn to accept the loss. The pain may lessen in intensity over time. But the sadness may never completely go away.
Offer extra support on special days. Certain times and days of the year will be particularly hard for your grieving friend or family member. Holidays, family milestones, birthdays, and anniversaries often reawaken grief. Be sensitive on these occasions. Let the bereaved person know that you’re there for whatever he or she needs.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/helping_grieving.htm

2009-02-18T12:23:00.002-05:00

Thinking about Owen makes me smile. One of the things that made Owen happiest was making other people laugh and smile. He had such a sweet giggle-would double over laughing, his belly and cheeks shaking. Hearing him laughing was infectious...you couldn't help but be happy when you were around him.

One of the things I used to say to Owen was that if I had every single Owen in the whole world and every 4 1/2 year old in the whole world in the same room, he would still be my favorite one. One of the last videos I have of Owen awake and talking is one of my favorites...He was speaking slower, and taking longer to process what was being said to him. I asked him, "Owen, who is my favorite Owen in the whole world?" I was about ready to fill in the answer for him because I wasn't sure if he was going to or not, and he spoke up and said "me..." It made me so happy to hear that he still knew that he was my favorite Owen, as he always will be!!

Miss you, Frogger!

2009-02-14T11:05:00.002-05:00

I hope that everyone has someone to love who loves them back today...love comes in all forms, and need not come from a "significant other". It can come from your children, your friends, your pets---everyone is worthy of love, and I hope that you all feel that.

My heart goes out to the families and friends of those lost in the plane crash about 3 miles from my house...What a tragedy.

I love you, Owen. Even though you are not next to me physically, being apart does not diminish the love that you and I share...Miss You, Frogger!

2009-02-01T16:02:00.002-05:00

"A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam, and for a brief moment its glory and beauty belong to our world. But then it flies on again, and through we wish it could have stayed, we feel so lucky to have seen it."

I know how lucky I was to have Owen in my life to love. He made my world a more beautiful place. He taught me to notice the little things that I would have passed by before, and see the beauty in everything...While I wish he was still with me physically, I am eternally grateful for the time I did have with him.

2009-01-29T20:45:00.003-05:00

I wish I could say that it gets easier with time, but it doesn't...In fact, I dare say that it gets harder. It is unfortunate that I rarely dream of Owen, either, so I am not even able to hold him in my dreams. I don't understand why my mind, in such pain without him, wouldn't allow me that reward at least.

I am so thankful that I have been able to meet other parents who have lost their children to cancer. While I wish that we all still had our children with us, meeting them, having each other to lean on, to talk to (and have them fully understand everything you are saying), to hold each others hands is such a welcome gift.

We all blew out the candles on Owen's cake-and I imagine that we all made the same wish...

I miss you, Frogger. So much...you made me complete. I feel lost without you...

2009-01-17T18:11:00.001-05:00

Anthony said last night that the thing he misses most about Owen is his giggle. He asked me what I miss. I had to answer "Everything"!

2009-01-12T14:31:00.002-05:00

Happy 5th birthday, Frogger Froggerton. We miss you....help us blow out the candles on your Scooby Doo cake later, ok?

2008-12-31T22:12:00.002-05:00

Today I found out that Owen's dog Mazy joined him in heaven, so he has a new, familiar playmate! While I am sad to lose my dog (who was actually in Florida with Frank's parents after Owen passed away) I am glad that Owen is playing with her right now...I miss you, Frogger. Now and always.

2008-12-30T23:03:00.003-05:00

It's getting closer to Owen's birthday. I'm not quite sure how I am feeling about it-very mixed...I want to celebrate him and his life-I don't want it to be a sad thing, because being pregnant with him, giving birth to him and having him with me was one of the best things in my life, other than his two brothers. He was so much fun, and I want to celebrate that-him, the wonderful person he was, the awesome times we had together. However....obviously it will be a difficult day. A day we should be spending with him, so very happy that he is with us, celebrating all of those things I listed above with him, letting him know how important he is to us, how much we love him and are glad he is with us...

Seth's stepgrandma passed away on Friday. Poor kid has dealt with more death than someone his age should have to. Before she died, she said that she saw Owen and that he said he is doing good...I wish I could see Owen....I miss him so much-hugging him--he gave some of the BEST hugs! His giggle--and the way his fuzzy little head felt against my face.

Hope everyone has a fun new year's eve, and that 2009 holds more good times than bad.

2008-12-25T12:53:00.001-05:00

I hope that everyone has a happy holiday, wherever and however you are celebrating it this year.

2008-12-23T22:25:00.003-05:00

I wish I had something profound to write, but I don't...I hate to keep writing things like "I miss Owen", which I do--incredibly...and "Cancer sucks", which it does...incredibly.

Our holiday celebrating is complete-we opened gifts at my parents house on Sunday, then returned home and opened gifts here. We will visit Matt's family on Christmas Eve, then eat breakfast at my parents house on Christmas morning, my aunts in the afternoon. I will finally get to see my cousins-one of whom has been in town for over a week and I have yet to see...

I went Christmas shopping on Saturday and sobbed basically through the entire experience. It started when I saw a booth fundraising for Essential Care-which is the children's version of Hospice that took care of Owen at the end...then there was a booth for Camp Good Days-at which point I got quite emotional while I was walking away. Then I went into Things Remembered to personalize the Make a Wish ornament they have, at which point I completely lost it....yeah-people thought I was a wacko! Then I went into Hot Topic and they had adult size Power Rangers shirts...Owen would have loved it if I had had a my own Power Rangers t shirt, so i of course bought it and cried...

i cry every night before bed...i sometimes feel like i am going insane---so much going on in so many facets of my life. i don't know what i am doing, don't know what is going on. i wish i had the chance to have Owen all over again-to have him for one more healthy month so i could go and do all of the things with him that i wanted to do

I will never forgive myself. no matter what anyone says, i could have been such a better mother for him and now i don't have the chance...

2008-12-20T17:47:00.002-05:00

I can't honestly say that I am looking forward to Christmas this year. There is no excitement for me-I imagine it will be like any other day, except that I will get to see some members of my family that I do not normally get to see, and we will open presents.

We are having our (5X10 sq ft) bathroom updated, and I was in there the other night looking at the bare walls and started crying, being hit with the fact that nothing that I do will ever fix what is really wrong. No matter how I try to pretty things up, it's just nothing more than a cover.

I hate what cancer did to my son, what it has done to our family. I hate that it affects children...that it affects anyone.

Nobody should have to spend Christmas without their child...

2008-12-19T12:51:00.002-05:00

Cancer sucks...

2008-12-04T19:55:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was my one month anniversary for starting back to work. I thoroughly enjoy my job, and I must say that it has helped me to be back with the students.

There have been several invitations for memorial type services, which I have thus far declined to go to. It's not that I want to pretend that everything is ok, it's just too raw, too difficult for me to consider going to right now. I may go to one, but I will have to see how I am feeling. Anthony is at one at Children's Hospital tonight with his father (it is his night with him). I got the invite yesterday, which was too soon for me to mentally prepare myself.

I am a minimalist this holiday as far as decorations go. Typically, I really love to decorate the house, my classroom, etc. All I am doing this year is putting up the tree at home. The kids don't seem to mind. I think we are all kind of just doing what we can.

There is an ornament that I put on the tree that I bought for our Christmas in July with Owen. It plugs into the light strand. It didn't fit into the lights that were on the tree Frank brought up, so Owen never did get to see it work at home. It makes me incredibly sad to think that Owen did not have the chance to see it work on our tree.

Only 21 more days until Christmas. The magic seems to be gone this year. I am trying, I really am, but it is quite difficult sometimes...

I do still see beauty in the world, and this whole situation has taught me to give less time and thought to things which now seem so insignificant. Again, not "sweating the small stuff"...

2008-12-01T21:41:00.001-05:00

In Lieu of Christmas Cards...

2008-11-28T12:52:00.004-05:00

This year, instead of sending Christmas cards at all to anyone, we will be making a donation to Owen's Toy Box at Women and Children's Hospital at Buffalo, our local chapter of Make a Wish Foundation, and Give Kids the World in memory and honor of Owen and all of the children in need.

http://www.akronschools.org/acsd/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=289558

http://westny.wish.org/

https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/GiveKidstheWorld/OnlineGiving.html

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T10:02:00.002-05:00

Hi,

I hope that everyone is able to enjoy the day, spend quality time with the people they love, and is able to find something to be thankful for, today and every day.

And--Happy 16th birthday, Seth! I can't believe that you are already old enough to drive (which is a warning to everyone else who is on the road--jk!) and that I am old enough to have a 16 year old!! I love you.

2008-11-18T20:39:00.001-05:00

Please, don't ask me if I'm over it yet
I'll never get over it
Please, don't tell me "he's in a better place"
He's not here with me
Please, don't say "at least he isn't suffering"
I haven't come to terms with why he had to suffer at all
Please, don't tell me you know how I feel
Unless you have lost a child
Please, don't ask me if I feel better
Bereavement isn't a condition that clears up
Please, don't tell me "you had him for so many years"
What year would you chose for your child to die?
Please, don't tell me "God never gives more than we can bear"
Please, just say you are sorry
Please, just say you remember my child
Please, just let me talk about my child
Please mention my child's name
Please, just let me cry.

~anonymous

2008-11-15T17:41:00.001-05:00

Here is a link to the fundraiser that the school is doing for Owen's Toy Box!

http://www.akronschools.org/acsd/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=289558

2008-11-15T16:56:00.004-05:00

I hope that everyone has had the chance to watch Owen's story. If nothing else, I am hoping that his story helps to raise awareness for childhood cancer, and that it helps people cherish their children, and to stop "sweating the small stuff". In life, we take far too much for granted, and we focus on things that really are no big deal in the grand scheme of life. We need to focus more on the "Big rocks" in our lives, and less on the gravel, sand, and water...

Stephen Covey's Big Rock story provided the inspiration for this month's issue.

A time management guru was speaking to a group of type "A" personalities. He placed a wide-mouth gallon jar on the table in front of him. Next to the jar was a collection of fist-sized rocks. He carefully filled the jar with the big rocks, until he could fit no more.

He asked the group, "Is the jar full?"

Everyone responded, "Yes."

He then pulled a large bowl of gravel from under the table and proceeded to pour the gravel into the jar. The gravel fit into the spaces between the rocks. He again queried, "Is the jar full?"

"Probably not," was the group's reply.

He reached for another bowl, this one filled with sand. He dumped the sand into the jar. The sand filled the spaces not taken by the rocks and the gravel. Once more, he asked, "Is the jar full?"

"No," everyone agreed.

Finally, he reached for a pitcher of water and poured water into the jar until it was filled to the top. The time management guru looked at the group and asked, "What is the point of my illustration?"

One man replied, "That no matter how full your schedule is, you can always fit one more thing into it."

"No!" the guru responded.

The point of this illustration is, "If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all!"

The moral of Covey's story is: Get the important things figured out first, make time for them above all else, then fit everything else in around them. In other words, know what your priorities are....make sure you are spending more time on the "big rocks" than worrying about the "water". Don't sweat the small stuff. In the end, it isn't what truly matters.

2008-11-13T23:45:00.003-05:00

Here is the link to the WGRZ web site where you can read about Owen, and watch the video...

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=62118&catid=37#comments

I am hoping that bringing Owen's story to the public will help to raise awareness for childhood cancer. Awareness+research=a cure!!

Missing Owen....

2008-11-12T16:36:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow Channel 2 (WGRZ) will be airing a two minute segment on Owen's inspirational life on the 11 o'clock (PM) news!! Set those DVR's and I will be posting a link to their web page when one is available!

I got a glimpse today of how difficult Christmas will be this year when I went into a local drugstore. The first thing I see in the window is a Chia Pet Scooby Doo-which was the number 1 item on Owen's Christmas list last year. The, of course, all of the decorations, and music, etc...My little Frogger loved the holidays-who doesn't?

Missing Owen......

2008-11-08T22:20:00.003-05:00

One month ago, Owen passed away. Things I have realized since then---1.) Him being gone doesn't get any easier without him, in fact, I think that time has made it more difficult. Reality has set in. 2.) There is a difference in knowing something, and in believing it. I knew he was gone a month ago...now I am starting to believe it. 3.) Love doesn't die when a person does. Last night when I was feeling particularly sad about something unrelated to him, the Build a Bear that he made me went off, and Owen's recorded voice said "I love you". It happened again today. Normally, the only way it goes off is if I specifically press it-I sleep with it nightly, and no matter how much I move, it hasn't gone off accidentally. He was sending me a hug for sure...

The first day I went back to work, I kept picturing how excited he would be when I would return home from somewhere, and how happy it made me to see him. I had to face the day knowing that his smiling face, giggle, hugs, kisses, and sweet voice would not be there when I returned. Sometimes, on bad days, that was enough to help me get through. He was the one and only person who totally and completely loved me without expecting anything in return. I have pictures of him looking at me, and I can see that love on his face, in his eyes...I hope he knows it was recriprocated.

Missing Owen...

2008-11-07T16:22:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, it will be one month since Owen passed. This week, I have been watching some videos of him-he makes me laugh, even now...

2008-11-03T16:54:00.002-05:00

It was my first day back to work today. It was good to be back-I did get to see some friendly faces, which was nice. I did think about how Owen used to get so excited and greet me when I returned home, and was quite sad with the realization that he would not be doing so.

It was a beautiful day out, though! Supposed to be warm for a few more days, which is nice-at least I don't have to worry about snow boots yet!

Missing Owen...

2008-11-01T10:57:00.003-04:00

I hope that everyone had a fun Halloween. I liked watching the school parade, wishing Owen had been in it, although he certainly would have been in a wheelchair, as he would not have been able to walk all of that way. He would have loved it, though. I wonder what he would have chosen to be? He wore costumes frequently, so trying to decide on one might have been a problem!

Anthony was all in camoflauge. He did pretty well with receiving candy. So well, in fact, that he didn't mind handing over some of my favorites for my consumption!

We didn't carve pumpkins this year, and I was a neglectful mother and didn't send anything in for the class Halloween party. Hopefully, I will do much better with that in years to come.

Missing Owen...

2008-10-29T14:26:00.004-04:00

It has been three weeks since I last held or saw Owen...

I will be starting back to work on Monday. I am not sure that I am 100% ready, but I doubt that even if I waited 5 years that I would ever truly feel ready to go back. However, it will give me purpose during the day, and I will be able to be productive. I do really enjoy working with the students, so I am sure that once I am back, I will be certain that I made the right choice.

Today, I had to drop something off at the school, and while I was there, the school bus and some parents were dropping off the children who would have been Owen's classmates for pre-k. I am not sure why the whole school issue makes me so sad-maybe because I know he would have been so excited to go and learn, and to make friends, and that he will never have the chance to do that now. I had the opportunity to have him spend a few classes at another pre-k in the spring, but never did take him due to therapies, etc. Now I am wondering what would have been more important to Owen. He would have loved going to school. I so wish I would have taken him...

2008-10-26T18:19:00.003-04:00

Please know that I do appreciate your emails and phone calls. I am sorry I haven't returned them as of yet. I am still just trying to adjust to life and find my direction again. I love you all and so appreciate your thoughts and support, even if I don't respond to it.

2008-10-25T15:37:00.002-04:00

I am starting a new blog-it is called "What are we having for dinner tonight?" and will hopefully take off! I am hoping that it will be a place where everyone can post recipes to help us all come up with new ideas for quick, easy, yummy dinners for our families, and hopefully limit our take-out consumption!! (Although I do plan on take out twice a week or so...)

Here is the link-bookmark it and let me know what you think!

http://whatarewehavingfordinnertonight.blogspot.com/

I will continue to blog here, but thought my dinner conversations should have their own place, so I can continue blogging about my little O-frog and the rest of my family on here.

2008-10-23T08:57:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was two weeks since Owen passed. In so many ways, it seems impossible that two weeks has already passed since I last held my baby, but in others, it seems like a lifetime ago. What is most difficult is knowing that I am not able to hold him again, that I am not able to sit next to him and watch him breath, to sleep next to him and feel the warmth and perfect shape of his body next to me. Sleep is peaceless without him. My dreams have been unpleasant. And yet, I don't wish to "get over" this. My son is gone. He always will be missing from my life. I am incredibly grateful for the time I had with him, but so wish I could be with him, as my life is incomplete without him with me. How do I answer the question "How many kids do you have?" in the future? How do I sign cards? I cannot simply pretend he did not exist, that he is not still my child even though he is not physically present. I cannot deny him, nor would I want to.

Went to the zoo yesterday. I soo wished Owen had been with us. The Rainforest exhibit had not been open the last time he was able to go, and he would have loved it. Additionally, we were two of about 10 visitors there during the day, so we were able to spend quite a bit of time at the different exhibits, and were able to get right up next to the Apes, and ask questions to the zookeepers about the feeding times and procedures. (There is one male, 4 females, and he does mate with each of them, but they are on a human form of birth control, so they do not conceive. They are fed 6 times a day, 4 of which are mixed veggies, twice with biscuits which are commercially made. The biscuits are enough to sustain them-they have all of the nutrients, calories, etc that they need, but the gorillas are fed additional items to make meal times more interesting. Who knew??)

Owen would have loved all of it. He enjoyed animals, and learning things about them that he could impress other people with. For instance, Matt's mom and brother went to the Grand Canyon this spring, and his Mom brought back a stuffed condor for Owen and had Matt share the following information with him-#1-the average wingspan of a condor is about 9 feet (which we showed him on the floor) and #2-Condors urinate on their feet to keep cool. The last bit of info was the one he was most excited to share with people. He had a subscription to a magazine called "Zootles", which is a Zoobooks for younger kids and loved it!-It is phenomenal-I highly recommend it (and in fact, bought a subscription for my nephews for Christmas...shhhh!) They focused on one animal in each issue, and include letter recognition, numbers, stories, etc.

Another thing Owen would have loved about the last two days was the snowfall. Who doesn't love the first snowfall of the year? It is so peaceful and innocent. I am always amazed by it's beautiful silence. I have a black peacoat on which individual snowflakes can be seen with amazing detail, and we would love to look at the differences in each one as they landed and stuck to my coat. There is such beauty in things we often take for granted. I tried to see that, and to help Owen see that. Instead of cursing the snow, we would look for the amazing wonder of it-each individual crystal, and how many of those would it take to create that 7 feet of snow? The splendid colors of the leaves, the first flower bud peeking out in the spring...I believe in miracles, I believe in magic. It happens unnoticed around us each and every day.

2008-10-21T19:25:00.001-04:00

If anyone is able to make a gift basket to donate by Friday morning for a benefit for a local little girl who has cancer, it would be tremendously appreciated...Please let me know.

2008-10-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

Not much new. I miss him...had to write a thank you for the local papers for the amazing support given by friends and family. It's hard to see his obituary in the paper. He looks so happy and healthy...

2008-10-17T08:27:00.003-04:00

Last night when I went to pick Anthony up from Frank's house, I was waiting for him inside and saw the Build a Bear that Frank had that had Owen's voice recorded on it. I was so excited and wanted to hear his voice-it has been awhile since I have heard that sweet voice. So I pressed the paw that said "Talk". Now, you would think that if one of the paws was going to record something, it would be red and say "Record", not something like "Talk", which is what I expected the bear to do. What I instead ended up doing was recording over sweet little voice. I feel like such a complete jerk. There is no way I can do anything to repair that. I feel horrible. Obviously it was not done on purpose, but still-there is no way to re-record that. Ugh. Another thing added to the list of stupid things Jen has done...

2008-10-16T08:47:00.004-04:00

I miss Owen. So many things about him. I am also sad thinking about the life he will not be able to have now-things he won't be able to do...

Thank you to everyone who was able to come see us at the visiting hours and at the memorial service and share your condolences with us. It was good to see everyone, although obviously I wish we could have all seen each other during happier circumstances.

A few stories from those two days: First, it was incredibly awesome that the entire jv and varsity football teams and coaching staff showed up in uniform as a team. Seeing that in itself was emotional, then one of the players gave me a jersey and tiger armband with Owen's initials on it-all of the players were wearing one. The team dedicated this year's season to Owen. For those who do not know, Seth plays jv football-it was really such a nice symbol of support.

One of Owen's friends came in with his parents and gave me a big hug. While I was holding him, he asked where Owen was, and I told him that Owen was in heaven, but that when he fell asleep that Owen would be able to come and play with him. Jake asked, "Can we race?" I said, "Absolutely you guys can race." and then Jake asked, "How fast can angels run?" It was the absolute sweetest thing, and of course I completely lost it. It was truly one of those "out of the mouths of babes" moments.

Releasing the balloons after the service on Monday was nice-Owen would have loved it.

So much to say...it's really unbelievable to think that I will not be able to hold Owen again, or see him, touch him...all of those things I was so thankful for when he was still here with us. So many regrets I have about things I should have done with him that I will now never have the chance to do. I do have many happy memories to look back upon, I just wish he was here with me to remember them with.

2008-10-11T07:53:00.000-04:00

"My Wish" by Rascal Flatts lyrics

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,

And each road leads you where you want to go,

And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.

And if one door opens to another door closed,

I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,

If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,

All the ones who love you, in the place you left,

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,

And you help somebody every chance you get,

Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,

And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish

I hope you know somebody loves you

May all your dreams stay big

2008-10-11T07:38:00.000-04:00

http://www.legacy.com/buffalonews/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=118644761

2008-10-09T18:00:00.002-04:00

Here is a link to Owen's obituary on the funeral home site. I will post when I have a link to the obituary from the Buffalo News.

http://www.childsfuneralhomeofakron.com/owen%20daniel%20pieber.html

2008-10-09T10:50:00.002-04:00

Calling hours will be Sunday, October 12 from 1-9 PM at Child's Funeral Home, 10 Eckerson Ave in Akron 14001. http://www.childsfuneralhomeofakron.com/

A memorial service will be held at 10 AM on Monday, October 13 at the Calvary Baptist Church, 12752 Lewis Rd in Akron. http://www.cbcakron.com/

For those unaware who may have concerns about bringing younger family members to the calling hours, we have had Owen creamated. His urn, pictures and momentos will be with us at the calling hours and memorial service.

2008-10-08T06:37:00.003-04:00

Owen passed early this morning. Sleep now. Be at peace. We love you. Arrangements will be posted when we have finalized them.

2008-10-07T21:22:00.001-04:00

I may not be writing for awhile. I don't even know what to say right now. I am not feeling so positive today. I have no inspirational words. I am sad, I am angry, and none of this makes any sense. I have done everything I felt was best for Owen and everyone.
His body is so thin, his skin integrity is absolutely horrible, there is just so much of him that is deteriorating. I am hoping he feels no pain, but how do we truly know? His morphine was increased today. I hope that he is at peace and comfortable.
How do people get through this? People say how strong I am, but my god, I sure don't feel that I am. I don't even know what else I can do to help him be more comfortable...nothing, I suppose, which in itself makes me feel like a failure as a mother. I am supposed to be able to comfort my children, especially when they are not feeling well.
He is still here. I am still able to touch him. Again, what am I going to do when I can't anymore? How does a mother hand her child over to someone, knowing that she will never, ever see him again?

2008-10-05T16:30:00.003-04:00

Both yesterday and today, Anthony was taken to a skate park in Buffalo. He is not super good on skates, but is getting better. About an hour and a half after my father left with him, I got a phone call that they were coming home....Hmmm, curious....so I asked why............

Yup-Anthony broke his right arm-the ulna! It is currently splinted, and he will be going to an orthopedic doctor in the morning. He is being so brave-he is not complaining at all!

Owen is stable, no real changes in the last few days. He seems more comfortable today than he did yesterday, which is obviously always a good thing.

Keeping everyone close in our hearts to help us get through the rough patches...keep sending all of those positive thoughts our way.

"We got another one!"

2008-10-03T15:06:00.004-04:00

Happy 5th birthday wishes go out to Christian today, and my thoughts are with his family, who has to find a way to celebrate this day-the first birthday without him there with them to celebrate with them...Happy birthday in heaven, little guy!

2008-10-03T10:33:00.002-04:00

Thank you to everyone who has left messages on the site-I really appreciate them. They are kind of like a big hug for me. Just knowing that so many people are thinking about Owen is very heartwarming.

Again today, nothing new to report on Owen today. He is resting comfortably, and I continue to take at least one picture and a minute or two of video of him every day-again, one of those things I wish I had done from day 1 (new mommies, and mommies to be-DO THIS! You will not regret it! Everyone else, it's not too late to start!)

I am thankful that I am still able to sleep next to Owen every night. To be able to wake up and reassure myself that he is still right next to me, and breathing, and I am able to touch him, hear him, etc.

Go out and enjoy the crisp, autumn air! Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the colors, the bite in the air, the way the grass looks covered in frost and crunches under my shoes. I love fresh apples and tart apple cider that makes my cheeks hurt, pumpkins, scarecrows, and hayrides, decorating and dressing up for Halloween, Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin, and the Great Pumpkin farm in Clarence. I love fall clothing, and secretly having my toenails painted funky colors, hidden underneath socks and boots...Last year, I was introduced to the tastebud pleasure of fresh pressed concord and especially white grape juice from somewhere out in or near Rochester that Matt's brother, Mike, brought out- I'm hoping to get some of that this year! YUM!

We bought Owen a white and an orange pumpkin from a neighbor around our circle. I brought them in for him to touch and see the night we watched the new movie Scooby Doo and the Goblin King. Owen loved watching Scooby Doo, and even though he wasn't able to actually watch it, I'd like to think that he could hear it, and enjoyed it with us.

"We got another one!"

2008-10-02T17:10:00.005-04:00

Hi, all.

Again, nothing new to report. Owen seems comfortable, and there have been no changes that we have noticed since I last wrote.

I received the digital scrapbook of Owen's Make a Wish trip from Creative Memories today! I like it, although, of course, looking through it there are things I would like to change about it. It is really nice, though. I also got a book from Snapfish that I made of a variety of pictures from the past year, which is also nice-but is only pictures and captions-there is MUCH less that you are able to do with that. Anthony will be taking it to school with him tomorrow.

I have to imagine that it is so hard for the teachers to know what to say to the kids in his class. It's hard for us to explain things and to know what to say. The school has been really remarkable in dealing with the boys and the extraordinary situation they are in. I can honestly say that I view them as an extension of our family. While many people have fallen away because of not knowing what to say or how to deal with this, so many others have really come forth and shown how incredible people can be, and for all of them, I am so grateful.

As I look out the window while I type, I see the sun shining on the trees, and the sky dark behind them. I am constantly reminded that no matter how gloomy things are, that the sun will still shine. No matter how bad things may seem, you will get through them, and you will laugh again, and be happy, even though it seems impossible sometimes. I hope to carry that lesson with me for the rest of my life, and that I can encourage others to see life from that point of view.

2008-10-01T10:51:00.004-04:00

There are signs that Owen is taking other steps toward the final stages. However, he opened his eyes for about two minutes last night, after being completely unresponsive for the past two days, again showing that he will refuse to follow protocol! Things have not changed in that they may occur immently, or may not occur for a few days or a week or more. Again, we are just reminded to take every second we have left with him and cherish it.

We kept the boys home yesterday to give them the day with their brother. I don't want them to miss a ton of school now, but I do understand that it is important for them to spend time with him now. It's a hard balance-trying to allow them to keep their lives as normal as possible, and not focusing on what is going on here all of the time, and giving them the time that they need/want here with Owen while he is still here. It is difficult for all of us to know exactly what the right choices are right now, but we are making the choices that we feel are the right ones for all of us.

Owen is sleeping peacefully. He is not in any pain at all. He looks very comfortable, and we are making sure that he stays that way.

Also-if you have not read Owen's diagnosis story and would like to, it was posted on Friday. It gives the story of what led us to where we are today...

Sending hugs and love to everyone--keep us all in your positive thoughts please, as I imagine the difficult will get much worse as things progress and during the aftermath...

2008-09-28T14:07:00.001-04:00

From PBTAngels:

September 28, 2008

Have you seen a gold ribbon? Do you know what it stands for? Have you heard that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month?

I am the mother of a child living with brain cancer, a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. I finished breast cancer treatment on July 10th and flew from Michigan to West Virginia that day for the funeral of another child...a beautiful fourteen year old girl who lost her battle with the same rare brain cancer.

Everywhere I look I see pink ribbons, I feel gratefulness...and I feel anguish. According to an article published in the New York Times on September 22, 2008, as a result of advances in treatment "...98 percent of women with early-stage [breast] cancers survive at least five years.." Why is this true? Because we have banded together to raise awareness and funding for our mothers, our sisters, our aunts, and our daughters. Our children who are living with-and dying from-cancer desperately need that same attention...and funding.

Helen Jonsen, Forbes.com senior editor and mother of a child who recently underwent treatment for osteosarcoma, stated in a September 12th article, "Cancer is the No. 1 disease killer of children in the U.S. ...We tend to talk about it in hushed tones instead of screaming for help. But scream we should." The article goes on to say, "The funding for pediatric cancer clinical trials has gone down every year since 2003, and is currently $26.4 million. By comparison, NCI funding for AIDS research was $254 million in 2006; funding for breast cancer topped $584 million the same year."

September 13th was our nation's first Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. When I didn't see anything about it in the news-but I did hear about National Talk Like a Pirate Day a couple days later, I made some calls to our local news stations. For some reason I can't get the words of one of the story editors out of my mind. "So...what's your event?" Later."Pitch me a story."

Let's see...ummmm...would the deaths of 2,300 children each year be newsworthy? What about the diagnosis of 46 children each and every school day? What about the fact that only 2/3 of children diagnosed with cancer will survive? We could move on to funding. Is it newsworthy that for every dollar spent on a patient with prostate cancer, less than 20 cents is spent on a child with cancer...or that a patient with breast cancer has triple the research resource allocated to her when compared to a child?

When I mentioned that Child Cancer Awareness Day--and month--are a national thing, I was told, 'We put local news first.' Okay...I can handle that. A local event...I have a list of them.

The shock of a family receiving a breast cancer diagnosis on an October Monday afternoon, and taking their six-year-old to the Emergency Room on Thursday only to be told, "There is a large area of swelling in the brainstem; we suspect a mass." We could always throw in the comic relief of the words, "My mom has a mass!" coming out of the mouth on that happy little face.

How about a mother leaving the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit late that night to go home because she knows she needs to get a good night's sleep before attending an Interdisciplinary Clinic early the next morning...where her own treatment plan will be recommended?

How about a local pastor, husband, and father being given the specifics of his son's grim diagnosis and prognosis in one hospital while waiting for news of the specifics of his wife's diagnosis and prognosis from the Cancer Center at another hospital?

How about an 11-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl being abruptly pulled out of the routine world of reading, writing, arithmetic, language, history and science as taught to them by Mom at home...and being thrown into a class on brain anatomy and abnormalities (specifically their little brother's) taught appropriately and compassionately by an MSU med school professor...who also happens to be their brother's new oncologist?

How about a six-year-old who finds himself no longer able to play the piano, the violin, or the cello because he has lost the strength on the left side of his body?

How about a mother waking up in her child's hospital room one morning, showering, and walking downstairs for her lumpectomy...while her husband takes over the duties of hospital parent and waits anxiously in his son's room for news of his wife's surgery?

Looking for a human interest story? Try the same mother moving back into the hospital early on a Sunday morning four days later so that her husband, a pastor, can be in church...only to watch in disbelief as her fun-loving, active six-year-old--determined not to have an accident--becomes too weak to sit up to go to the bathroom on a bedside commode. What about the willingness of that little boy to allow the nurses to help him even with the most private of things...because he knows his mother is recovering from surgery and he is concerned for her well-being?

Not sensational enough? Let's fastforward to Saturday, November 24th, 2007...two days after Thanksgiving. A mother sits in a hospital room with her sleeping son. She ends a phone call because she hears an alarm she has never heard before, an alarm letting the nurses know that her son's oxygen level is dropping. Soon the room is full, and it is determined that the child is disoriented, then staring ahead...completely unresponsive. Somehow everyone moves with the child on that bed through the hallways to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where the intensivist begins the work of saving a precious life. Aside, the question parents never want to hear, though one that must be asked, "Given his prognosis-do you want us to resuscitate him, if necessary?" The father, who has just arrived, breaks down in the unbelievable stress of the moment. The mother realizes the urgency of the situation, pushes emotions aside, and asks, 'Do we know what is happening?' The answer is no. 'Then, yes, we want you to do everything you can for him.' She stands at the foot of the bed with one of her son's oncologists. Together, they watch the PICU team work...with purpose...like a machine. The mother steps outside the room only when the child is intubated. The drama continues, as the entire department revolves around that one room...that one little boy.... The eyes of those outside the room...every nurse, every resident, every doctor...are looking in the same direction. The parents sign permissions as they are handed to them, and the work goes on. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. Finally, the intensivist approaches. The child is critical, but stable...on life support....

I have just highlighted the first month of our new life in the pediatric cancer world. I am aware of five precious children who died this week--within five days--as a result of just one type of rare cancerous brain tumor, the same as my son's. Skyler...Adam...Mara... Brynne... and Lauren. They belonged to all of us. What will it take for people outside of the childhood cancer community to notice what is happening to our children? What will it take for everyone to understand the urgency of the situation? What will it take for the federal, state and local governments to finally engage in the fight? Will it be the cancer diagnosis of a celebrity's child or the child of a political leader? Will it be the death of a child belonging to someone in the media? Will it be your child?

Please, join the effort to raise childhood cancer awareness. Show your support by wearing a gold ribbon, and by making the issue an important topic of conversation. Distribute copies of this letter in your place of employment, in your place of worship, and in your community. Contact government officials, and express your concern.

A decade ago, we noticed a person wearing a pink ribbon on a t-shirt or lapel. It didn't take long for pink ribbons to raise breast cancer awareness in the public eye, and to mobilize our society to action. I hope that in 10 years gold ribbons will be as common as pink ribbons...and that the survival rates for pediatric cancers will be comparable to those for breast cancer. With your help, it will happen...one gold ribbon at a time.

With Hope for Our Children,

Sandy Smith

Breast Cancer Survivor & Mother of a Child who is Battling Brain Cancerwww.caringbridge.org/visit/aws

www.JustOneMoreDay.org

JustOneMoreDay@cfl.rr.com

Owen's diagnosis story...

2008-09-26T19:10:00.019-04:00

Owen was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare cancer of the brain and spine, when he just three years old. He had been vomiting for three days, and complaining of neck pain. Fearing meningitis, but hoping for something benign like a stomach virus, his father and I took him to the ER at Women and Children's Hospital on Saturday, April 14, 2007. We spent about 12 hours there, Owen going through a battery of tests, including bloodwork, a spinal tap, and finally a CT scan. Finding nothing on the initial viewing of the scan, we were sent home. We stopped at Walmart to buy him popsicles. When we got home, there were 4 messages on our answering machine, and the phone was ringing...it was the doctor from the hospital, telling us to come back in, and to bring in a change of clothes.

When we got the the hospital, there were two doctors waiting for us, a neurosurgeon and a neurologist. They asked us if we had noticed Owen appearing weaker, uncoordinated, slurring his words. They checked the way he was walking, his grip on both hands, his pupils. They told us that the reason that they were asking us those questions was because Owen had a tumor in his brain. It was in the back of his head, near the brain stem. We were told that the tumor was about the size of a grape. They actually considered taking him into surgery that night. Instead, Owen was operated on on Thursday, April 19. On Monday, they did a MRI of Owen's head and spine. They discovered that the tumor in his head was larger than they had initially thought-it was about the size of a walnut. They also discovered that Owen had tumors in his spine, placing him in a much higher risk category. They would not be able to operate to remove the tumors in his spine because it was inside of his spinal column, and to do so would sever nerves.

The night before Owen's surgery was the absolute worst night of my life. Obviously, brain surgery is extremely risky, very intense, they were working very close to his brain stem. I also knew that, regardless of the success of the surgery, the child who was walking in to that surgery would not be the child who walked out. We were warned that it was possible that he may talk after surgery, then lose the ability a few days later. We were told that because they were working so close to the brain stem, that it was possible that Owen may never wake up at all. We were told that they may not be able to remove all of the tumor if it had infiltrated the brain stem.

Luckily, during surgery, they were able to completely remove the tumor in his brain. However, in doing so, they had to cut through his cerebellum, leaving his right side very weak, so he was unable to walk, crawl, sit up, or even have control over his right arm and hand. For about the first month after surgery, Owen would cry, ask for something, and when you brought it to him, he would cry and tell you he did not want it.

He endured 37 radiation treatments to his head and spine (which, I believe, is a record at Roswell for his age), leaving his tender skin burned and raw. He was sedated, intubated and his face was put in a cage formed to his head and face so that he could not move during radiation each and every time. He began chemotherapy after his surgery in April. The horror stories you hear about adults going through chemo pale in comparison to how you feel watching your young child react to it. When you hold his tiny little body as they are vomiting nothing but green bile because there is nothing left in his tummy reacting to the very poison that is supposed to help cure him. When his white blood cell is so low that even the tiniest infection could become dangerous. He spent over 140 days in the hospital since his diagnosis. Owen had several infections, one in which his fever was over 104 degrees, and his body was shaking, his face twitching because his electrolytes were so off. Owen stopped eating for months, and was put on a bag of fluid (total parental nutrition) which was a highly caloric "food" that went into his bloodstream through the broviac central line in his chest (which is sort of like a permanent IV line). Every single night he was on that, he vomited. This was in addition to the vomiting he did with the chemo ...This was all before his 4th birthday.

Owen eventually regained his strength in his right side. He was able to crawl, then stand, and eventually walk without support. And, eventually, he did laugh again. He became the Owen we all know and love again, even stronger. His sense of humor returned. Owen's personality came back. Unfortunately, even though he had a completely clear MRI in January, so did his cancer. We had been told that if it returned, there was no chance for a cure, especially at his age, and with the extensiveness of his disease. In April, after we received the news, we thought we had about 6 weeks left with him, tops. Luckily, here we are, almost 7 months later, and Owen is still with us. Currently, Owen is in Hospice Care and at the end stage of his illness. He is awake for a few seconds at a time. He has not eaten anything in almost a month, does not speak, most likley cannot see. I do not know how many days or hours I have left with him. Our lives have changed so much because of this diagnosis and everything that comes with that. Soon, I will not have my youngest son. So many wonderful, amazing children have already been lost to cancer. I know that there is research being done to help to find a better way to treat cancer, and to hopefully have a higher cure rate so that no other families have to know what it feels like to have to wake up each day knowing that you will not be able to watch your child grow up. I am thankful that many children and families endure this and survive, but I will spend the rest of my life wishing with all of my heart that Owen was a survivor of cancer, not on the list of angels it has claimed...

Enjoying the fact that he is still here, fearing the life I will have when he is not.

2008-09-25T09:59:00.001-04:00

I HOPE...

I hope you never have to hear the words, "Your child has cancer."

I hope you never have to hear, "The prognosis is not good."

I hope you never have to prepare your child to undergo radiation or chemotherapy, have a port surgically inserted into their chest, be connected to IV poles.

Look at you with fear in their eyes and say, "Don't worry Mommy, everything will be okay.'

I hope you never have to hold your child as they vomit green bile.

I hope you never have to feed them ice chips for lunch.

I hope you never have to watch the "cure" you pray for slowly take away their identity, as they

lose their hair,

become skeletal,

swell up from steroids,

develop severe acne,

become barely or unable to walk or move,

and look at you with hope in their eyes and say,

"It's going to be okay, Mommy."

I hope that you never have to stay in the hospital for weeks, months, or years at a time, where there is no privacy, sleeping on a slab, with your face to the wall, where you cry in muffled silence.

I hope you never have to see a mother, alone, huddled, in a dark hospital corridor...crying quietly, after just being told, "There is nothing more we can do."

I hope you never have to watch a family wander aimlessly, minutes after their child's body has been removed.

I hope you never have to use every bit of energy you have left, with all of this going on around you to remain positive, and the feelings of guilt, sorrow, hope and fear, overwhelm you.

I hope you never have to see your child's head bolted to the table as they receive radiation.

I hope you never have to take your child home (grateful but so afraid) in a wheelchair because the chemo and radiation has damaged their muscles, 35 pounds lighter, pale, bald, and scarred.

And they look at you with faith in their eyes and say, "It's going to be okay Mommy."

I hope you never have to face the few friends that have stuck beside you and hear them say, "Thank God that is over with,"...because you know it never will be.

Your life becomes a whirl of doctors, blood tests and MRI's and you try to get your life back to "normal".

While living in mind-numbing fear that any one of those tests could result in hearing the dreaded words...

"The cancer has returned" or "The tumor is growing."

And your friends become even fewer.

I hope you never have to experience any of these things...Because...only then...

Will you understand...

(author unknown)

2008-09-23T23:17:00.002-04:00

I finally finished the digital scrapbook I was working on of Owen's Make a Wish trip in April. It took me literally over 24 working hours to complete-I kept finding errors when I went to preview it, some pretty big ones, like wrong dates, etc! It's my first one, so I am hoping that once I have the finished product in hand I will be happy with all of my work! The program I used is from Creative Memories, and is really amazing. I will need to play around a bit more and read the info online to learn more about the program. There is so much you can do with it. (Thanks, Deby!)

We did get to see Owen's eyes a few short times during the day, and I held him tonight for awhile. He looks so incredibly peaceful once he is settled in my arms. I read two "Owen and Mzee" books to him. It is the true story of a baby hippo named Owen who was displaced by a tsunami, who became friends with a 130 year old tortise named Mzee at a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya. Very cool! Again, I think Owen enjoys listening to us, so although I do give him alot of downtime, I think it's soothing and important for me to continue to read and talk to him while I can when he seems semi-awake. Usually, he will fall back to sleep as I am reading or talking, but that is more than ok. It seems that it takes an incredible amount of strength for him to open his eyes for any length of time. I believe that he is listening, even when his eyes are closed.

I am so, so, so thankful for every day we have with him. I would have never guessed that I would still be able to have him here with me now when we saw the scans in April, and certainly in July. I realize how incredibly lucky we are. Again, he is the strongest person I know, and until the tumors tell him otherwise, he is staying right where he is-at home, with his family, where he is comfortable. He is right where he belongs-(especially when he is in my arms), and he does not want to go anywhere.

I am so afraid of losing him. My heart stops sometimes when he is taking awhile in between breaths--I don't know what I will do when he doesn't ever take another one.

But, for now, "We got another one!"

2008-09-21T11:46:00.003-04:00

Not much new to report. He has not been vocal the past two days at all, not even to say "Ow". He holds onto the Build a Bear that he made for me, and is covered by mommy kiss blanket. I want to still be able to smell him when he is gone, so I am hoping that I will be able to snuggle with them and bury my nose in them and smell Owen.

I am just so tired today. It's amazing how emotional stress can carry over into how your body feels. I shouldn't complain. I can't even imagine how Owen feels, and has felt with everything he has been through. Ugh. Its so hard not being able to do anything about it when your child is hurting.

"We got another one"

2008-09-18T23:48:00.004-04:00

Owen opened his eyes tonight for a few seconds while his brother Anthony was standing over him, and I said "Owen, say hi to Anthony" not actually expecting a vocal response, but much to my complete shock, Owen said "Hi"! I was completely certain that I would never hear his voice again other than to say "Ow". It was really unbelievable. He was only awake for about a minute, and we could tell he was trying to say more, but encouraged him to rest. Of course, the video camera missed the word, but it will be forever in my head. It really made me so, so happy!!!
Sending the entire world a great big hug tonight! I feel completely renewed. I hope, so much, that I get to hear his voice saying happy things again-even if it is just one word! (and I hope that next time, the video camera captures it, so I can listen to it over and over...)
Oh-and thank you to everyone who has signed the petition!! Remember-we are still in Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!! Wear gold (or yellow--close enough unless it's a ring) to show support. Thank you all!

'We got another one!!"

2008-09-18T13:39:00.004-04:00

If interested, please sign the petition to show interest to merchandisers in products that would display the Gold Ribbon on them. The Gold Ribbon stands for Childhood Cancer Awareness, as pink does for breast cancer. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, yet I have not heard that mentioned anywhere. I am glad that Breast Cancer receives the attention it does, as it is such a horrible disease. I would like for Childhood Cancer to receive similar recognition.

According to http://www.candlelighters.org/factsheets.stm,

Approximately 12,400 are diagnosed with cancer each year.
In 1998, about 2500 died of cancer.
About one in 300 boys and one in 333 girls will develop cancer before the age of 20.

Even for those 250,000 children who do survive their journey with cancer, there are risks from the very treatments that helped save them.

Some examples of late effects after cure from childhood cancer are:

Breast cancer at an early age in female Hodgkin's survivors who received radiation to their chest when children or adolescents. Their risk is about 15 to 20 times that of their peers who have not had Hodgkin's disease.
Heart disease after treatment with chemotherapy (anthracyclines) or high-dose chest radiation.
Learning disabilities in survivors treated with radiation and/or chemotherapy to the brain.
Second cancers related to chemotherapy drugs or radiation used to cure the first cancer. Survivor’s risk is over 6 times that of their peers who have not had childhood cancer.
Symptoms of posttraumatic stress syndrome in survivors and their parents.

Please, if you can, if you are interested, sign the petition. Children's Cancer does deserve awareness and support. Thanks.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/gold-ribbon-support-for-childrens-cancer-on-consumer-products

2008-09-18T10:48:00.002-04:00

Nothing really new to report today. Things have been pretty much the same for a bit now. He did spit up a little bit last night, but it was a tiny amount and a one time occurrence, so we don't feel it's anything to be overly concerned about it, and the nurse agrees.

Last night, I had a dream that Owen woke up and was talking and sitting up, and he said, "I love you, mommy"! I quick grabbed the video camera and asked him to repeat it, and he did. He was sitting on my lap and hugged me and kissed me...What an awesome dream!

I have been singing some of Owen's favorite songs to him-like the Clifford Puppy Days theme song, the Sesame Street theme, and of course, when I tell him what day today is, etc, I sing the "There are 7 Days in a Week" song. I also have a few Owen songs I made up when he was a baby, so I sing those, too. He definitely appears to be listening. Also, last night, I was sitting next to Owen on the couch, reading Maniac Magee to Anthony, and Owen was listening-eyes open. He also always opens his eyes when both of his brothers come home, Anthony after school, Seth after football practice later. He misses them when they are gone, for sure.

I want to thank everyone for the support they given me, Owen, and the family. I want to thank those of you in advance who will be my safety net through whatever the next few days, weeks, months, years will bring. Please remember that I will not only need you during the immediate aftermath, but for years to come. There will be holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and all sorts of just "bad days" in between. I know that not every day will seem impossible, that I will laugh and smile (those of you who know me understand that laughter and humor is such a part of who I am!), but there will be those times that will seem like a heavy boulder of grief, from under which I cannot escape...

Enjoying the sun shining through my windows today.

Owen's Journey

Cancer Resources

You don't really want to know...

Happy 6th Birthday, Owen

Elizabeth Dent

Please Help Support Make A Wish and Relay for Life!

Celebrate Founder's Day by having Ice Cream for Breakfast!

March 7th, 2009

In Lieu of Christmas Cards...

Happy Thanksgiving

Owen's diagnosis story...

Celebrate Founder's Day
by having Ice Cream for Breakfast!