Our First Angel...

Haley was the first child we met, and fell in love with, on our journey. She was so beautiful, and boy was she feisty! Peter took an immediate liking to her and I felt the same about her mom, Jean, see was beautiful and feisty too! 
 
Jean taught me so much in the early days about being a cancer mom.  She navigated the system well and modeled for me how to be a great advocate for my child.  I am eternally grateful.
 
The kids had lots of fun together, as much fun as you can have when you’re being poisoned on a daily basis and are fighting for your life.
 
We even got clearance from the hospital to allow them to room together, not typically possible for children of the opposite sex, but they were babies and so we bunked together for a few admissions.  Haley was a great aim with a squirt bottle and much to Peter’s delight she could soak any doctor or nurse in range.  The floor of our room was often wet and covered with blankets so that no one would fall.  They rode the hallways in wagons, sometimes together sometimes separately, but always happily.

​Peter’s treatment took us to a different facility just as Haley’s treatment was winding down.  Haley and her family are often on my mind but August 11th is the day that I think of her most often. 

Wednesday, August 11, 2004 7:17 PM CDT
Peter did great today. He drank about half of the iced tea/contrast drink. My sister and I were determined that he was not going to be put through the stress of a nasal-gastric tube insertion. So we ask for an oral syringe and gave him the rest of the tea through it. Peter is a champ at taking medication via oral syringes so in no time he had finished his prep.


 
His cat scan was uneventful and we are, as always, anxiously awaiting the results. There have been cases where the tumor shrinks as it dies and pulls out of the leg. If Peter’s tumor does that then his sciatic nerve would not be damaged during surgery next week. If his sciatic nerve is injured he may never walk.
 
Peter’s friend Haley passed away today she was 5 years old. Her caringbridge is www.caringbridge.org/de/haley. Her family would be very blessed by your prayers for them and are very uplifted by entries in her guest book. Peter and Haley were roommates at A.I. duPont; they have the same type of tumor.



Peter was scheduled for surgery in NY and Haley’s services were in DE; we were unable to attend her services.  Our absence, remains for me, a difficult and painful memory.