365 Days
Meghan Anderson
July 15, 2009
365 days ago, my heart broke in a million pieces by four of this past
words... “Your son has cancer.” My fi rst thought was – it was year, I am
supposed to be me. struck by how
much Luke
Isn’t that what every parent thinks? Surely you are the one changed
meant to go through the kicks of life as you enter your late physically.
20s, not your two-year-old son. That night in the ER was Funny when
probably the most vulnerable I have ever felt. There were you are actually
no words... just Ben and I holding hands in a dark ER room going through it – you
watching our two-year-old sleep as we cried. We couldn’t knew he was sick, but
kiss the cancer away, we couldn’t wish the cancer away... now I know he really
all we could do was to ask God to heal our little boy. I have looked sick – pale, thin...
never felt so vulnerable in my whole life. The biggest blessing
though was Luke’s spirit
I refl ect often on that day, July 15th 2008... I woke up never died. Through it all he
feeling not quite right. I wouldn’t call myself a superstitious remained the strong, funny
person, but there have been moments in my life, I just knew two-year-old we remembered
something was going to happen, but I just wasn’t sure what. before his diagnosis.
We headed to Target that morning, and we then had lunch
at home. It was then Luke started developing a fever, so As a parent, I think deep down we all
I gave him Motrin, and put him down to sleep. I checked know that there is no guarantee in life that you
on him after an hour, and his fever still hadn’t gone down. I will watch your child grow up. But because of
checked again 30 minutes later, and by this time Luke was Luke’s cancer, this abstract thought has become very
up and really tired. Putting on my nursing shoes, I decided concrete and very real. I put that thought aside as much
to do a quick check on Luke thinking maybe it was his as I can, but it is there. It is a worry... I think it always was a
appendix... so I felt his tummy fi rst. And then I knew. I can worry – just not one I thought about too often. Now we live
not explain it, but when I felt the right side of his belly, I just our lives in three month increments awaiting the words that
knew. Very hard lump, not painful. CANCER. all is still the same – cancer free. Always a reminder that we
are all so vulnerable, and life truly is a blessing.
So 365 days later – we are blessed. Luke is here with us,
and we are together as a family. It is pretty amazing. Every
day is a blessing, and because of that day one year ago – it
is a lesson that will be etched in our hearts forever.
In that moment I was in autopilot. I grabbed stuff for the
boys, called Ben at work to meet us at Wolfson Children’s
Hospital NOW and off we headed in the van. Tears streamed
down my face, I wished so badly that it could be something
else, but I knew. Mommy instinct. Within four hours, I knew
my mommy instinct was right. Luke was diagnosed with
Stage IV Wilms Tumor. The cancer was not only on Luke’s
right kidney, but it had spread to both of his lungs. The nine
months of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation was a long
journey for our family – and whenever I look at the pictures
CureSearch Annual Report 2009
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