Recently, while taking my daughter Cassie to Gymnastics class, I got a wake-up call that could not be ignored. I sat and watched 3 year old Riley, a classmate, attack each tumbling obstacle without fear and full of spirit. You might think that this is no big deal for a 3 year old, but Riley has only one arm. 6 months prior, Riley lost his arm to an extremely rare form of Cancer.
I was quickly reminded of the scare we, as a family, experienced when Cassie was 3 months old. She had one pupil more responsive than the other. We were told it was symptomatic of either Neuroblastoma (Brain Cancer), or a harmless birth defect (Anisicoria). Going through the process of diagnosing Cassie was one of the darkest times experienced as a family.
There in the waiting area, as I became acquainted with Riley’s Mother, I could only imagine how their life was turned upside-down as a result of Riley’s diagnosis. My eyes became weepy, remembering what we went through with Cassie, and realizing that it was me…