1673
viewsA Mother And A Hero
By MetaxaCunningham, Sunday, September 5, 2010, 6 commentsYou try to protect your child. You teach him lessons on safety; don’t talk to strangers; don’t pet strange animals; look both ways before you cross the street; talk to an adult if you encounter a bully. You do your best to send him out into the world with sage advice, but what if the bully he encounters is cancer? How do you protect your son from leukemia, the ravages of chemotherapy and the knowledge that he may not ever get old enough to have a driver’s licence?
This is the problem that Joanne faces every day. Her son, Joey was diagnosed with leukemia when he was twelve. Conventional treatments such as chemotherapy seemed to do the trick and put the cancer into remission. Joey began to live the life of a happy, healthy teen, attending middle school, playing sports and hanging out with friends and family. When Joey turned fourteen, he was looking forward to the day he could get his learner’s permit so he could get behind the wheel to learn how to drive; he was looking forward to starting high school; he was also told that the cancer had returned.
This summer, Joanne and Joey were told that the conventional treatments were not enough. Already weak and ill from the chemotherapy, Joey had to wait for a donor so he could receive a bone marrow transplant. As it turns out, two donors were found; Joey is luckier than most, because doctors were able to really closely match his donor since no one in his family is a match.
Prior to the surgery, Joanne was tireless in her optimism; as the doctors tended to Joey’s physical health, her job was to keep Joey’s spirits up. Joey needed to be in the right frame of mind to tackle his bully; he needed to be strong enough to fight the cancer.
It has been a few weeks since Joey’s bone marrow transplant. Joey has been yo-yoing in and out of ICU with fevers, infection and pneumonia. He has spent a lot of time in the Calgary Children’s Hospital, and Joanne and her ex-husband have spent a lot of time at the Ronald McDonald House in Calgary. Joanne can’t afford to take too much time off from her job, so she has been shuttling back and forth between Red Deer and Calgary, between work and Joey. She smiles and greets customers, assists them with their purchases along with juggling a myriad of other tasks, when where she really wants to be is at Joey’s side providing encouragement. Joanne makes the two hour drive as often as she can manage.
I know it breaks her heart not to be there every second, especially while he is in ICU. Every second of his life is so precious, and she would move mountains to make him well again. Joanne steadies herself every day; she wakes up in the morning believing in miracles and goes to bed every night praying for them.
Joanne is my personal hero; she and every other mother with sick children who provide support, encouragement and strength to their children are true heroes. No parent is prepared to watch their child battle a deadly disease, and no child can prepare for that battle. With every round of chemo, every fever and infection that he endures, Joey is a hero too. Every breath he takes, tells his bully that he is a fighter, that he will attend high school, get his driver’s licence and have a future.
When I am struggling with the challenges of my own life, I think of Joanne and Joey and it puts everything into perspective. Then I thank God for my healthy body and I pray that much harder for Joey.
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6 Comments
I'll be praying
I'll be praying for Joey and Joanne too.
I will too
I am a big believer in the power of prayer, I will send up lots of prayers for Joanne and Joey. Thank you for sharing their story,please keep us posted on his progress.
FoxC1
I definitely will post his
I definitely will post his progress as I know more. Currently Joey is in ICU, having now contracted pneumonia as well. He is a fighter, but the poor kid has been through so much.
Joanne has been sent this link, so hopefully she will see these comments and know that some very caring people are thinking about her and her son at this time.
I did not post Joanne or Joey's last name to protect their privacy.
In my thoughts and prayers
This is heartbreaking, although it sounds like if anyone can make if through this - it's Joanne and Joey. They both sound incredibly strong. God bless them. They will be in my thoughts and prayers...
Las Lloronas...
There are moments, no matter how long, when we are tested to the depths we imagine we can fathom...and beyond. My heart goes out to you in this one. In Mexico, they tell the tales of La Llorona... the Woman of Sorrow... and of her power, the Power of Grief, for good or for evil.
Grief is the message from your Soul that you have important work to do. Only You know what that work is. But you have to trust that you will know. If you need to be there for your family, that is what you must do. Grief is the language of Need...pay attention to it.
My thoughts & prayers are with you and your precious family at this time. I pray that peace and understanding touch you gently.
Peace, Love & Pomegranates,
Tallystarr
My heart goes out to both of
My heart goes out to both of them. Thank you for posting this:-) There is nothing like the love and support of a strong family.
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