Childhood Cancer – He’s My Son

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I couldn’t let the month go by without sharing a little about my son.

 

My middle son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was 5. Ten days before his 6th birthday. Talk about having the rug pulled out from under you. Your whole world is changed. For the rest of your life.

 

He had 3 years and 3 months of treatments. Here is a double spread scrapbook page that I did a few years ago. I put the lyrics to the song He’s My Son. If you have never heard this song before, it’s a real tear jerker. It’s actually written about a boy with cancer.

 

 

Yes, my son started taking karate while on treatment, and even competed in a karate tournament and won medals.

 

Childhood Cancer – He’s My Son

 

When he was getting close to finishing his treatments, I started making t-shirts for him to wear to his monthly appointments. The first one I made said “4 Visits to OT”, with OT being Off Treatment. The next shirt I used for 3 visits and counted down on the front, crossing out numbers as we went along. The last shirt, he wore to his last chemo visit, said, “I’m Done!”

 

 

He finished his treatments in December of 2003. All the tshirts said, “Chemo No More in 2004”. These shirts were a fun way for him to now the end was in sight. Three years and three months seems like a long time to an adult, but it feels like forever to a kid.

 

 

I still have these  shirts, now almost 12 years later. I just can’t part with them. I don’t know if I will ever be able to throw them away.

 

God used the doctors to treat him, but all praise goes to God for his healing! My son is a childhood cancer survivor who will be turning 21 in October!