July 07, 2009

Some of you may have heard me talk about Jason's cousin's daughter, Claire, before. Below is an email Jason sent to some friends and colleagues regarding Claire. His words were much more eloquent than mine would be, so I have copied them here to share with you.

"I have a 2 year old cousin who was diagnosed over a year ago with a yolk-sac tumor. She underwent a minimally invasive surgery and chemotherapy and was deemed to be in remission. In January of this year, she relapsed and went thru several months of chemo. In May, she was again deemed to be in remission. However, we learned this evening that the tumor marker used to monitor this condition was elevated indicating the cancer has returned once again. This time, she is to have her uterus and vagina removed and then undergo very extensive chemotherapy. As you can imagine, her parents are devastated (while awaiting the arrival of their second child due in ~ 1 week). The reality that she will never be able to have children herself is overshadowed by the possibility that she may not make it through this.

I am asking you all to keep them all in your thoughts and if you feel compelled please offer a prayer that they will have the strength to get through this, that the surgeons will be precise, and that this will be successful. Our own daughter is 2 years old and I cannot imagine what they all must be going through. Thanks in advance for listening."

I cannot imagine what this would be like to go through. We realize that we are so lucky and blessed to have our healthy daughter. After I read about Claire, I almost felt guilty looking at Brooke's blog with all of its light-heartedness, funny stories and joy. Brooke gives us nothing but joy and we are so thankful for that, but realize that it is precious and are grateful for every minute with her. I ask the same as Jason did above, to please keep Claire's family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

1 comment:

Oliver said...

I have tears for Claire. How did the surgery go??