Tyler.

Sept 3, 2016 (Sara)

I have been following a young boy’s journey on Facebook. His name is Tyler. Tyler Armstrong. He’s 12. He is not necessarily “close” to me or my family physically but he has been fighting leukemia for 6 years. Maya’s fellow fighter, Alicia, and her amazing mommy, Heather, encouraged me to follow his journey. Alicia is treated in the same clinic. I don’t know their relationship but I sort of imagine he is their “Victoria”. A hero.

Well…he lost today. We all lost. While I was enjoying a day of high ANC by farmers market and a wine walk….another mother was hearing her son’s last breaths. A family had to say goodbye. I am no stranger to this. I feel it deeply.

There are no words. There is something so surreal when contemplating the “90-95%” cure rate when it comes to Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. My child has 90-95% survival rate because of sacrifices like this. Chances are Maya will continue to thrive …that it won’t take my child. But the reality is that it could. I am heartbroken for this family. For the community and the world. We need change in all the right places. Certainly more than 4% of cancer research money.

I ache for this family. I ache for other families that have had to sacrifice their own. Perhaps tonight I ache for my own family. It’s hard to witness pain like this without feeling the possibilities of reality.

I wish there was something I could do to make it better. I wish I didn’t feel like throwing up when considering the possibility of relapse for Maya. It’s amazing how life changes so quickly. How we think we know how to live and love but we really have no idea. How as a nation, a world, we fight each other when we have bigger evils in common. Let’s make it stop. I just want it to stop.

Please send some love, light, prayers (what ever you might have to give) to this family as they send their son off to transition to the next realm. He is our warrior of Love and I wish him and his family the best. Hug your family. Love is life.