Kids and Cancer. Chasing those grey clouds away.

The Belle of Langhorne - Please don't take her Sunshine away.

I talk a lot. You know I do if you know me. And I often share too much - you’ve seen it on here, me rambling on and on and on…... Then sometimes, sometimes I’m left speechless. Perhaps that’s when I ramble on the most to find the right words.

Belle was diagnosed with Stage 4
Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Like now, because there are no right words. No words to describe what I felt when I found out one of Emma’s friends had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Stupid cancer. No words to make it fair that that this little girl will now have to battle an aggressive cancer at the age of 6 with 42 weeks of chemotherapy. Stupid cancer.

As I often do, last night I sang at the kids’ bedtime, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine”. Is there a mother in this world that does not know this song? My guess is that even reading these words you are singing it inside your head. This song seems to have been adopted by parents everywhere - a song about that intense love at first sight we feel. It seems to be coded in my DNA, an act of love like a kiss, a hug, holding hands to cross the street.

As I sang last night I thought of Isabella. And I tell you I was indescribably sad. Then I remembered what it takes to chase those grey clouds away. 

Isabella and friends dance at a fundraiser
event held in her honor at the Trenton Thunder 

It takes the community that rallies around her family with meals and prayers and gifts and support. Like the incredible advances made in treatments for this kind of cancer, the advances that give such hope and such promise for a lifetime ahead filled with dance recitals and school days and roller coasters. And the best medical team ever, the team at CHOP that WILL help her beat this. I believe.

Life and loss seems inevitable, it breaks all of us sometimes. But our children, the greatest of loves, the ones who bring such an intense and lasting sunshine to our lives ----- I feel like nothing and nobody has the right to take that sunshine away.

So today I share Isabella’s Battle Fund. A page set up and supported by a community of friends and family who have rallied around this family to take every step we can to help her, to help them, battle this beast.

Please say a prayer, send your support, make a meal or send a thought to Isabella and her family.

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