Evan continues to amaze and astound us. He has completed his kindergarten year and is looking forward to first grade. Of course, he is happy to be done with school for the summer! He has already been in our freezing cold pool and loves to ride his four-wheeler. His energy is endless it seems!
A couple of weeks ago, Evan had his monthly clinic visit for a checkup with lab work and IV chemotherapy. Then he started a burst of steroids and took his normal daily chemo, and prophylactic antibiotic. So, on top of the intravenous chemo, he took a total of 21 pills that day. He was knocked down a bit the next couple of days but still, his zest for life is as normal as any other six-year-old! Truly amazing.
He has been playing coach-pitch baseball and, while he loves the practices and the game itself, he says he doesn’t like playing at the games because they take too long. In the past several games, he has gotten on base at almost every at-bat and has scored some runs. His throwing, fielding, and hitting game are improving each week.
Very early into the diagnosis, while we were initially at the hospital, Evan was visited by people from the Make-A-Wish Foundation who said due to his diagnosis would qualify for a “wish”. Something that we never thought one of our kids would ever have to think about. Since the covid hysteria was in its prime then, there were no travel options. Evan chose for them to build an outdoor playset/ clubhouse as his wish. As it stands, we still do not have a playset and there is no projected time frame when this might happen. I have been in communication semi-frequently with the local chapter and they are still working on it. I have complained to the local chapter as well as the national chapter about this prolonged delay. Thank God above Evan is doing so incredibly well. My heart breaks for families who have children with a much grimmer outlook. Maybe their child would never see their wish granted in time. I find this to be shameful. It’s not like we couldn’t buy one on our own. We had a really nice play set that was damaged in a storm and we could surely replace it. But the fact that Evan was promised a “wish” that has gone unfulfilled is truly shameful. Going forward, it would be very hard for us to support Make A Wish in any way.
Enough of that negativity. In yesterday’s mail, we received an invitation for a “Survivor’s Gala” by ProMedica Health System for Evan. Jess and I looked at each other and said, “is this too premature”? As parents of a kid with cancer who will most likely never be “out of the woods”, we are cautiously elated to be invited to such a party. To think that Evan is a survivor is something that on July 29, 2020, when he was admitted in critical condition, we would never see. With only a few months left of treatment, we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, post-treatment, there will be years of pokes for lab tests, clinic visits, and apprehension that with any ache, pain, or fever there might be a relapse. But we continue to hold out hope that Evan has conquered a disease that claims so many and will live out a full and happy life. In school, he drew a picture that said “I want to be a grownup”, With God’s continued grace and mercy, his dream will be fulfilled.
I fully believe these things are wake-up calls from God. We either choose to hear them and snap to attention or we ignore them and face whatever follows. Evan’s diagnosis and other events in our lives only prove to me that life is very precious and painfully temporary. Thank you all for your continued prayers for Evan and our family.
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